Konata Mumpfield On His First NFL Touchdown, Looking Up To Davante Adams & Puka Nacua’s Return

Konata Mumpfield On His First NFL Touchdown, Looking Up To Davante Adams & Puka Nacua’s Return

Hope you had a great byee. Everyone cannot wait to get back to Sofi Stadium and pick up the second half of this schedule. It begins against the New Orleans Saints. And on Rams Revealed this week, it was my privilege to sit down with a rookie receiver coming off his first touchdown reception. No one had a better open date than Kate Mumfield. Well, the timing was excellent on this one. Not just a bye-week, but a birthday week to celebrate as well. Congratulations. How was 23? Thank you. Thank you. Yes, sir. It’s good. It’s a blessing, you know. I can’t complain, you know. Great to make it to another year for sure. And how’d you spend your off week? Uh, I went back home to Atlanta, metro Atlanta area. I spent it with my family, you know, kind of relax. Got a chance to go back to my high school, you know, see the kids, talk to the kids and things like that, see nice teachers, and really just go get something to eat with my family and friends. So, to celebrate the big day. Yes, sir. Amazing. Well, like I said, your time is incredible because you brought your first NFL touchdown with you. Yes, sir. Um, tell us about that moment in London and what you remember now a couple weeks removed. Uh, it was a great moment. Um, I can’t thank God enough, you know, but it was I kind of had a a good feeling. Somebody, one of my friends literally told me I think the day or two before the game, he DM’ me um and was like, “Hey, bro, you going to score this game.” I’m like, “Man, I that’ll be cool.” You know, birthday coming up and we going into the by week in London. But, you know, all through throughout practice, that little celebration, we was practicing it. So, I mean, it was amazing being able to be the the first one to do it. You know, whether it was his intuition or yours, was that a product of knowing that Puka might not play and there would be an increased snap count for you or what gave you the sense that it might be imminent? Um, honestly, I just uh I remember in practice that same play um we ran it in the red zone like that and the ball end up finding it way to me in practice from uh Matt and so I was like, “Okay, yeah, if if it comes to the point where like it’s my opportunity to to get open and win, like I’m I’m going be ready for it.” So, um like in practice, he he ended up throwing it in the game. So, do you throw it the same way, too? You know, he he he’s a magician. He’s a magician. It wasn’t the same look in practice, but you know, he he he he works his magic for sure. What was that like to see it in in film? I mean, obviously, you’re on the receiving end, but you can’t get a sense for all the details of that throw in that moment until you watch it from all angles. Oh, no. It’s amazing just like it’s a testament to like how good he is and how he can manipulate defenders with his eyes and the things and just how well he knows the game and obviously just playing so much and and being so savvy with it. Like, it’s amazing to play. All I got to do is do my job and hey, that you can get the ball at any time. So, did your family and friends have some fun with the pronunciation on the TV copy? Oh, yeah. My friends was killing me. They was like, “Bro, they they messed your name all the way up.” I was like, “Shoot.” I mean, hey, they don’t know who I am. So, I I kind of figure that’s kind of been my whole life to where people mispronounce it the first couple times. So, yeah. Can is a very unique name. Is there a backstory that you can tell us about? Uh so my dad’s name is Sepan and uh it’s a Egyptian name and basically it means head of the river and so my name we they got it out of an African book and so uh my names means of the river. That’s sweet. All of your siblings kind of follow that trend or uh me and my my sister has a unique name to Mia. Okay. So it’s really just uh cuz me and my brothers have different dads. So, uh, my father, he wanted to keep that tradition from his his dad of having a unique name and an African name. So, awesome. Well, one thing we might start calling you is Young Tay. Uh, I I know you already heard this, but for those in our audience who may have missed it, this is what Devonte Adams had to say about you postgame in London. Called Kate my son, just cuz he just reminded me so much of myself as far as, you know, kind of a a young Tay. And honestly, I think he’s ahead of where I was, you know, my rookie year as far as just being comfortable in the league. And um I mean he’s crazy coachable and and just got all the ability in the world. So um you know whenever whenever I’m done in there he he’ll he’ll go and step up and he’ll be catching a lot more touchdowns than what he did today. All right. When did you first hear that and what was your reaction? Um I think my mama might have sent it to me or one of my cousins had reposted it of like him saying that. Um which is a cool thing cuz we always joke all the time in the receiver room with him calling me son. I like, “Hey, bro, we not going to let that stick.” Like, “I got a dad.” You could be UK, though. UK for sure. But nah, we joke about it all the time. Him, Puka, Yars, like they always trying to make jokes. But, I mean, it’s a cool thing. Like, uh, it’s somebody I really look up to, especially just the way he plays the game of football and the way he thinks. And, you know, it’s a lot to learn from. And honestly, me and my mom, we prayed about actually like being able to have the opportunity to learn from a guy like Devonte uh before the draft. So, it’s a pretty cool and amazing spir experience. and he’s like a mentor to me and all the time he’s giving us tips and whenever he’s can. He’s he’s been like a big brother. So, for sure. Does it inspire confidence? It’s got to be tough to see maybe the path to being a rookie in the National Football League and being a future Hall of Famer, but when someone like that says something like that. Uh, no. Yeah, definitely. I mean, obviously, like you said, it’s it’s tough coming into the game, especially being a rookie and like that coming from somebody that you’ve grown up watching and, you know, kind of modeled your game after in a sense. And just him saying that, like you said, a future Hall of Famer and like I have big goals of myself and so for him to say that, it definitely means a lot for sure. Your prayer was answered in duplicate. You get not only Devonte Adams but another AllPro in Puka Nua. What’s it been like working with them in your first lap through the National Football League? I mean, it’s amazing for for us. Like, it’s the guys in this building just love football. And I I truly love football. And just to be able to be in a room with those guys that that understands the game, that love the game just as much as I do, uh, and can give different tips and tricks just from different ways of playing the game cuz Devonte plays the game differently than Puka and Tutu plays differently than Devonte. So, you know, just being able to learn from all those guys and even better, they’re just great human beings. Like, Puka is a great guy. Devonte is a great guy. two two like everybody in that receiver room like it’s amazing to be a part of and just learn as much as I can. Let me follow up on what you said there about your love for football because I think in these recent Rams draft classes our fan base has come to know and love a lot of you. Less Sneed and his staff, Shawn McVey and his staff, they seem to have prioritized that as much as anything. Not just good people, um good college careers, maybe good measurables, but they prioritize football. What’s that like being in an environment where you’re surrounded with like-minded peers? Uh it’s it’s amazing just because like you said being like-minded that’s how you kind of grow and to have guys like McVey such a a special mind and to love football just as much as the next like Devonte and Puka and then like like I said I love football as much as I do. I mean it it’s a a great space to be in a great environment like you want to go out there to to go compete and and work every day because you know how everybody’s coming. So it’s amazing thing. And who loves football more than Eric Yarbor? What’s it like to be around him as a person? He’s the goat, man. He’s a great He’s a great dude as well and just as much as as knowledgeable as he is, like he can he teaches everybody and and even to Devonte, like he can teach everybody in in different ways. So, I mean, it’s been amazing to learn from him as well. I mean, he’s got a nickname for all of his Yarbonators when he asked you to mount up pregame. What’s yours? Uh, the apprentice. So, that’s what I told him. That was what I was cool with that nickname because they call Devonte Sensei and so they called me the apprentice. And then the uh the celebrations around here, this side of Tyler Higgby, have been lacking. I would say it’s not what the Rams do best, but I feel like we’re moving in a pretty good direction with the bonus time. You guys cooking up something for the Saints? Oh, uh we always going to have something on deck. For me, I’m a big celebration guy. Like I that’s the thing about being in this program like everybody enjoys like to play football, you know, and it’s an excitement for for everybody. And I like to dance. Like I come from like the ATL culture where they like hit them folks na nigh all that stuff. So and then my my mom likes to dance a lot and we do that a lot in the house. So like when I celebrate you know being able to get in that end zone it means a lot to me. All right. So you bring a deep reservoir of celebration options that you can dig into whether they’re coordinated with your teammates or not. Even if I even if it’s me or not. I was the one who set up the the the suit. Say more. Yeah. I I was telling them all week I said okay we going to London. Boom. I didn’t think I was going to score, you know. I was just, hey, I’m I’m thinking about it cuz I mean, honestly, it was a goal of mine to do that in like overseas or something like that just because how much they love soccer. And I’ve seen it a couple times to where like I knew if you would do it in there, the whole crowd would say it. So, like all week every time when somebody score, we like, okay. I’m like, Ted, you got to do it or Jay Wit, you got to do it, you know? And so, it just kind of became a thing. We was practicing it. Do you have your eye on soccer when you’re not playing football? I want to get I want to get more into it. So, I know it’s a goal of mine. At some point, I want to get overseas to to watch a game. All right. So, when the crowd does respond to you and you see the move that it made on social, how fulfilling was that? Uh, it was amazing. It was a it was really a cool thing and a a cool experience, you know. It’s like it it was definitely a blessing. I can’t thank God enough. So, did that football make it back through customs? Mhm. They they they getting it right for me right now. Okay. So, you didn’t get to take it home this time, but it’ll be there eventually. Yeah, eventually. Um, Puka returning this week. That’s the good news. Unfortunately, Tutu is going to miss. He’s going to go on injured reserve. So, I wonder does that maybe open the door to some more opportunity for you to build on what you started uh in the first half of this season. Uh I’m not sure yet, but uh definitely just for everybody in that receiver room like it’s next man up mentality and we all understand that. So, if it’s not me, it’s X or Jay Wit. But I think all of us kind of understand that uh that we have the common goal is to win and whatever that takes, you know, that’s what we’re going to do. Mhm. What about the state of the ramps at 5 and2? A week to get right, a week to get refocused. Uh five victories all against the AFC. You haven’t done your work in the NFC or in the division yet, but what’s the opportunity in front of you as you pick up the schedule? Uh it’s a great opportunity. Uh we know the type of team that we have even though with those two losses, we we kind of understand the the the type of guys that we have in that room. So now it’s just a great time to reset, you know, middle of the season and continue to grow. So I mean, continue to stack days and we know the best is yet to come from this group. I know a little bit about your college career and background, but how much winning have you experienced as a football player? Um, so I started out at Akan was 2 and 10. Uh, first year at Pit, they came out the ACC. Um, so we went nine and four. Next year I think it was 3 and N. And then my last year we finished out 75, 76 or something like that. So some like bold trips about as good as it got. In high school I I went to backtoback semi-finals in 6A Georgia. I was like growing up in little league, middle school, I won like championships. High school I was like winning a lot too. So So now to be in the NFL and to be really making a push for something at this level, that’s more where you want to be. Oh yeah, definitely. Of course. Um how about the fact that you only had four offers or so I read coming out of high school? What’s this this two star nonsense? Oh yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You you kind of know how how that that is. Uh for me, I wasn’t I had skipped a grade when I was younger. So, I was in the class of 2020 when I was really supposed to be in 2021. So, like my body kind of wasn’t developed yet. I was still a little bit younger. Wasn’t as strong as fast as the other guys, especially like in Georgia football. It’s a it’s a big hot bed for for recruiting. So, I kind of just like slip slipped through the cracks. And my county alone, I think this year we had nine drafted. I know Josh DS, I played against him. Travis Hunter played in my uh in my county. Uh Caleb DS, like you the list goes on. So, I mean, it it was just kind of one of those things where I just my body wasn’t developed yet. So, and they wanted you to play corner. Uh, Pit actually coming out of high school wanted me to play corner, but I told him no. I said my passion is receiver. And so, my my guy at Akan, they actually gray shirted me. So, which made me sit out a whole season. So, I was at home for a whole whole year. And then I early enrolled in the 2021 class, which is honestly a big blessing because it gave me time to develop. like grow into my body a little bit more, hit the weight room, got faster and things like that so I can make a impact. So you wound up in the age group that you were originally slotted with. Interesting. All right. So Akran was your only D1 offer then. My FB FBS I had some FCS. Got it. And so that became like a prove it freshman year, right? As a receiver at the college football level. I’ve got you for 63 catches, 751 yards, eight touchdowns, freshman all-American. Yes, sir. So you go back to pit and say, “See, I told you so. Let’s get let’s get to it now.” Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, it was it was a a cool a cool thing cuz I mean like I said I I felt like I could all along I felt like I was a power four power five player just because like I grown up playing around uh playing with like Nate Wiggins we we competed all the time we was in high school. So and so I knew I had what it took. It was just a matter of just going out and proving it to myself. So So you lead pit in catches in 23 and yards in 24. Uh, you played almost an even split it looks like in the slot and out wide. Do you have a preferred role? Uh, no, not really. Um, I think that’s like the beauty of it honestly. Like why I like Coach McVeyy’s offense where you can just move around cuz it’s it’s hard to to match up with somebody that can move from outside to slide, can motion to the back field, can go to the boundary, can go to the field, you know, and do those type of things and then get those type of matchups. So, I mean, I I kind of just want to be wherever, you know, it it takes. So, so with those stats and that flexibility, why’d you have to wait until pick 242? Um, honestly, I think it was my 40 time, you know. So, you know, that’s that’s a big deal for a lot of people. Mhm. But, uh, I which was Go ahead and say if you want. What? Your 40 time. Oh, a 459, you know, which is And I’m not a big dude, so you know, a lot of people probably was a little bit nervous of that, even though on film I feel like I I play a lot faster on the I was gonna say, was that representative of what you think you have in the tank? No, no, no, not at all. But it I mean, it is what it is. You know, got to chart it to the game. I mean, I’m starting to think that receivers like you might be running slow 40s on purpose to get to LA and to get in this offense. Oh, yeah. We call that the Cooper Cup around here. Cooper still with what? Sega Roth. No, a little bit later. Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. But n I mean I it’s a great I wouldn’t want to be nowhere else. I promise you that. So So it it works out. The colors are similar too. You get to keep all your pig pig gear around. Um is it correct that you had three OC’s and six quarterbacks in college? Um I had more. So my freshman year at Akan, I had three different quarterbacks. Oh my gosh. My Yeah. Yeah. So my second year at Pit, we had two. Uh junior year we had three. And then last year we had two. All right. So, what was that like and how did it prepare you for being in the National Football League? Um, just just like the next man up mentality, like whoever it is, uh, being quarterback friendly is is it doesn’t matter who’s back there. I mean, if the quarterback can trust you to get up and do your job, like it it helps you adjust on the fly. So, diversity of system, too, in terms of the offenses you learned. What’s it been like learning McVeyy’s vernacular and play calling and playbook? Oh, it’s it’s been amazing. It is definitely a deep playbook, though. like it’s it’s not for the week, you know, but it’s it’s fun. Like it’s innovative. Like like I said, I love it. I like the challenge of learning new things and and doing a lot of different things. So, it’s a blessing to be a part of and and honestly because it’s so it’s so like detailed in what we do, it’s hard to stop. So, through Pit or through the Rams, have you connected with Aaron Donald at all? So, I’ve talked to him like once or twice. I would see him around the facility a lot um back in pit when he would go back to lift, you know, he was always lifting and he got to find him. Yeah. He got his own locker in there where like you can’t sit at, you can’t touch at where he like leave his stuff in there, but so I haven’t really got a chance to to talk to him that much. I know I played um with his his nephew Elliot Donald at pit, but I once when I see him like we just say what’s up, but things like that. Anything like Larry Fitzgerald or is that a reach too? Uh I’ve talked to him maybe like a little bit when he came back to pit, but not much. But I would love to talk to Larry, you know, he’s he’s a goat, so nice. I know him and Tay are actually pretty close. Yeah. Okay. It’ll happen. Um, tell me about your your family a little bit. I have some information. Your father played college ball as well. Uh, so he had an offer to go to NC State linebacker. Okay. But he he wasn’t doing right and then he ended up coming back home. His dad told him he couldn’t stay here, so he had to go to the military. Got it. And that military dictated maybe your older siblings upbringing a little bit. I I’ve read that you’ve made some stops in in Asia and other places before you settled in the metro Georgia area, metro Atlanta area. Yes. Uh, I lived in Japan. That’s where my sister was born. Um, I lived in New South Jersey for a little bit. I was born in Columbus, Georgia on base and we lived in Phoenix City, Alabama. Um, and then ultimately we we came back to to Georgia and settled in the metro Atlanta area. Does that shine through in your upbringing in any way? Uh, definitely. I mean, just being able to adapt uh on the fly cuz you know, you you’re out of school, you make new friends, then you got to up and move, you got to adjust. So definitely that and just the military just the discipline and like the hard work he that’s what he always kind of uh stuck by being in that household like working hard going to earn everything that you have and and just the discipline in in general. And with football it’s kind of it’s a lot it’s a lot of similarities and just like the structure of things waking up early working out things that’s tough on your body. So you got to have the mental strength and fortitude to be able to do those things. So how does Southern California suit you? I like it. You know it’s beautiful weather. Uh so you can’t complain about that. I’m a very like chill, relaxed guy. So like you got the beaches. I can go to the beach and just chill, enjoy nature, things like that. Uh obviously LA downtown, you have that and and most importantly like just the good people around here. So you getting in the water surfing anything? Oh no, no, no. I’m I’m going to stay away from the water. But I’ll sit at the beach though and look at the waves and and admire the sunset, the mountains, things like that. But I’m not getting no water though. Any hobbies? What do you like to do besides get to the beach? I play the game. Uh I want to I want to get into traveling. Um, I’m very big on music. Like I’m a big music guy. Um, and now that I’m having a little bit more time trying to get into cooking a little bit, uh, things like that. So, making your own music or just No, just listen to music. You know, I feel like music is a big influence of how people act. So, awesome. Well, here’s to many more celebrations. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for the Rams this season and well beyond. Happy birthday, belated once again. I’m glad you got to celebrate it in fine form and can’t wait to see it so far against the Saints. Yes, sir. Thank you.

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Konata Mumpfield sits down with J.B. Long on this week’s episode of Rams Revealed to discuss his first career touchdown, learning from wide receiver Davante Adams, and looking ahead to wide receiver Puka Nacua’s return this Sunday.

0:00 Intro
0:25 Celebrating his birthday/ bye week
0:55 First NFL touchdown
2:59 Meaning of his name “Konata”
3:33 Looking up to Davante Adams
5:31 Working with Puka Nacua & Davante Adams
6:14 Love for football
7:05 Working with Eric Yarber
7:25 His nickname “The Apprentice”
7:37 Creating celebrations
9:25 Puka Nacua’s return
9:57 Opportunities looking ahead
10:26 Early football career
15:40 Talking to Aaron Donald & Larry Fitzgerald
16:21 Family backstory
17:39 Living in Southern California
18:06 Hobbies outside of football

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