New Rams kicker was working as brokerage dealer before joining team

Sam Ficken swapped his desk job for a spot on the Los Angeles Rams' roster.

The former Penn State kicker, who graduated with a degree in finance, was working at a brokerage firm in Connecticut when he got a call from the Rams, according to Gary Klein and Lindsey Thiry of the Los Angeles Times. The NFC West powerhouse was in need of a replacement after Greg Zuerlein went down with a season-ending back injury. Ficken took part in tryouts Wednesday, beating out 11 other kickers for the job.

His former employer wasn't sad to see him go.

"They said they hoped they never saw me again, which is funny, obviously," he said. "I think they're super thrilled for me.

"I've talked to them and they're more than excited for me about the opportunity."

Ficken made 54-of-75 field-goal attempts during his time at Penn State. He attended a few NFL minicamps after going undrafted in 2015, as well as training camp with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. This season, he made a bid to join the Kansas City Chiefs.

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