Eric Yarber was born and bred in Los Angeles. As a local boy he grew up a L.A. Rams fan, played his high school ball at Crenshaw High and even spent some time at Los Angeles Valley junior college before landing in Idaho.

So the longtime UCLA wide receivers coach feels right at home now that ‘s with the Rams, even if it is his first year with the team.

In a recent sit down with Rams reporter Dani Klupenger, Yarber talked about what it means to him to join Sean McVay’s staff and to become a part of the franchise he once idolized.

“I’m very excited about working with coach McVay,” Yarber said. “He has a world of knowledge. He’s a very sharp offensive mind and he’s one of the up and coming head coaches.” “I remember Jackie Slater, Lawrence McCutcheon, and my all-time favorite was Harold Jackson,” Yarber said. “I thought one day, I would play for them. But that didn’t happen. But the next best thing is to coach for them.” (via theRams.com)

He also feels up to the challenge of turning around one of the worst receiving corps in the NFL.

“It’s up to me to take them to the next level. Take them to a place that they can’t go by themselves. I’m up for the challenge and I know [the guys there] are up to the challenge also.”

While Yarber may be ready to get to work, it’s going to take quite a lot to bring that unit up to snuff in such a short period of time, and will almost certainly require some free agent talent at the position. The Rams finished the 2016 season ranked last in total offense and last in scoring, and they ranked 30th in total receiving yards.