GREEN BAY – Say the title Robert Rochell within the Packers’ locker room and also you’re possible to attract a confused expression or curious eyebrow.
To teammates, there’s solely “Scoota,” the childhood nickname that the fourth-year cornerback picked up from his grandmother due to how he’d scoot throughout the ground as a child.
Inside Green Bay’s locker room, you may be hard-pressed to discover a extra likeable determine than the common-or-garden, gregarious veteran who’s at all times checking to ensure his teammates are doing all proper.
“Everybody loves ‘Scoota,'” mentioned Packers receiver Bo Melton, whose locker is positioned close to Rochell’s. “He will get me hyped each morning. I speak to him simply to clear my head typically. To have a man like ‘Scoota,’ somebody who’ll be there for you, we’re all there for him.
“I can say personally, every time I used to be ever down some days, I’ll at all times speak to ‘Scoota,’ and he’ll ensure I’m good.”
So, that is why Melton was caught considerably off-guard when he noticed Rochell previous to final Thursday’s Thanksgiving night time matchup with the Miami Dolphins.
On almost each different gameday, the 26-year-old cornerback can be chopping it up with teammates and boisterously bolstering the locker room. On this present day, nevertheless, Rochell was unusually quiet and remoted.
In essentially the most welcoming approach he might, Melton fastidiously approached Rochell and requested, “Scoota, what’s up?” Rochell defined he’d obtained a name a short while earlier from a buddy informing that two of his childhood pals from his hometown of Shreveport, La., had been shot and killed.
“I grew up with them, grew up in the identical neighborhood, went to highschool with them,” mentioned Rochell on Monday. “Just a loopy state of affairs. They obtained into some gun violence kind of state of affairs. I had obtained a name the morning from considered one of my homeboys in regards to the state of affairs. Obviously, it was devastating information.”
The information hit Rochell onerous, and no person would’ve blamed him if he’d chosen to sit down out the Dolphins sport. Green Bay nonetheless had time to raise one other defensive again earlier than the 7:20 p.m. begin, however Rochell felt he had a “obligation to uphold” for his teammates.
After deciding to play, Rochell met with Dr. Chris Carr, the Packers’ director of efficiency psychology and group behavioral well being clinician. They talked by way of the state of affairs and Rochell’s emotions in regards to the tragedy. From the dialog, Rochell discovered some peace.
“It truly made an enormous distinction within the place I used to be at earlier than the sport,” Rochell mentioned. “I do not really feel like I might’ve been capable of play (in any other case). He undoubtedly gave me some psychological peace and quiet, readability, and I wanted that. Thankful for him daily. He checks on us, talks to us. He leads us by way of conditions, provides us life suggestions. He’s a fantastic addition to the Packers group.”
A core special-teamer, Rochell was referred to as upon to function the punt-team flyer reverse Melton after fellow cornerback Corey Ballentine went down with a knee damage on the opening kickoff.
After Green Bay’s offense went three-and-out, Rochell got here charging down the sector in punt protection. He beat a double-team and utilized heavy strain on Miami returner Malik Washington, who muffed the punt.
Spinning by way of Siran Neal’s block, Rochell landed on prime of the unfastened ball. Even after rewatching the play on movie, Rochell is not fairly certain how he ended up in place to make the restoration on the Dolphins’ 9-yard line.
Three performs later, Jayden Reed caught a 3-yard landing move to place the Packers on the board. On a cold Green Bay night, Rochell might really feel his pals with him on the sector.
“That’s the second I felt like they had been on the market with me as a result of it occurred instantly early within the sport,” Rochell mentioned. “We had a man go down and I needed to go in for him. That’s one other factor that it was like, ‘Oh yeah, the blokes are with me tonight, for certain.'”
The Packers cruised to a 30-17 victory to enhance to 9-3 on the season. Afterwards, Head Coach Matt LaFleur awarded Rochell a sport ball for his gutsy efficiency within the face of adversity.
Some teammates, like Melton, knew the heavy coronary heart with which Rochell was enjoying. Some didn’t till that second. But each man in that postgame locker room was touched by it.
“It’s unlucky what occurred with him, and what he went by way of,” particular groups coordinator Rich Bisaccia mentioned. “But he did a fantastic job of coping with it. I do know the blokes within the locker room are actual shut with him, and I believe they rallied round him.”
It’s been a bit of greater than a yr since Rochell first signed with the Packers off Carolina’s follow squad. He performed in 9 video games final yr earlier than arising shy of creating the preliminary 53-man roster this previous summer time.
Still, Rochell selected to stay round. After exhausting his three gameday elevations from the follow squad, the Packers signed Rochell signed again to the 53 final month. The locker room was ecstatic.
For all of the occasions Rochell has picked others up, his teammates had been very happy to reciprocate on Thanksgiving whether or not it was standing by his facet within the wake of the information of his pals’ dying or celebrating his heroics within the win over the Dolphins.
“That simply goes to indicate you God’s obtained his fingers on you,” Melton mentioned. “It could not occur to a higher individual. The group rallied when all people knew what he was going by way of on the finish of the sport. The group rallied with him, hugged him, and made certain he is OK.”
Rochell was appreciative of it. As the Packers prepared for Thursday night time’s showdown with the Detroit Lions, the veteran cornerback hopes to proceed paying again his teammates for his or her assist.
Rochell has obtained just a few sport balls throughout his NFL profession, however this one undoubtedly carries essentially the most which means – not solely as a tribute to his fallen pals but additionally his love for his brothers within the Packers’ locker room.
“Just as a person rising on this world, you already know typically you’re feeling remoted,” Rochell mentioned. “Just to know that you’ve different males which are coping with their very own issues and issues and households, they put it to the facet to be sure to’re all proper is all the things.
“That’s actually what it is about. Bringing a brother alongside and all my brothers introduced me together with them.”
