THOUSAND OAKS — Rams coach Sean McVay couldn’t fight back the tears on Wednesday while remembering his grandfather, John McVay, the legendary San Francisco 49ers general manager who died Tuesday at age 91.
It’s not the five Super Bowl titles in 22 seasons with the 49ers that Sean McVay will remember the most about his grandfather.
“The way he impacted and touched so many people,” an emotional McVay told reporters. “Somebody sent me a text yesterday and I think it’s one of the best ways to honor him, it’s the things that you loved about the people that are gone, and man, did he do so many things that were in alignment with what you want to be.
“You talk about living a full life, where you truly leave a legacy and not because of the success he had in terms of being a part of five world championships, but the way he treated people, the integrity, the relationships that he built, the character that he had.”
McVay expressed his gratitude for his grandfather because he helped him get his start as a coach in the NFL after his collegiate career at Miami of Ohio. McVay quickly worked his way up the coaching ladder and became the Rams’ head coach in 2017 at the age of 30. McVay gave the family another Super Bowl title after he helped the Rams hoist the Lombardi Trophy last season.
“I can’t think of a better example to follow in terms of the path that he set, the legacy that he left for our family,” McVay said. “There’s no chance I’d be sitting up here if it wasn’t for what he did for me. … It’s almost embarrassing just the opportunity that I’ve gotten as a result of just the things that he’s done when I finished up playing in college to get right into the NFL. Nobody does that, but because of John McVay, I got a chance to do that. … I loved my grandpa so much, he’s a great man.”
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Sean McVay said it’s always a special feeling seeing John McVay’s name at Levi’s Stadium whenever the Rams are facing the 49ers in Santa Clara.
McVay said his wife, Veronika Khomyn, and his mother, Cindy, refer to John McVay as “the sweetest man they’ve ever seen.”
“I think that’s true, but he also had such a great way about himself, as a man’s man,” Sean McVay said. “The epitome of that and all the things that you want to be able to represent, and man, I’m just grateful for everything he’s done for me.”