Rams claim former Paloma Valley star Orzech on waivers

Former Paloma Valley High School football standout Matt Orzech has changed NFL teams again, and this time he’s much closer to home.

A standout at several positions for the Wildcats from 2009-12 and later as a long snapper with Azusa Pacific University, Orzech was claimed by the Los Angeles Rams on Tuesday off waivers from the Tennessee Titans.

In 2019, Orzech became the first Paloma Valley graduate ever to join an NFL team. Orzech signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens that year but was cut from the team’s roster and was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars before the start of the season, playing in 136 snaps in 16 games.

He then spent most of the 2020 season on the practice squads of the Miami Dolphins and the Titans, not appearing in an NFL game.

According to an article in USA Today, the departure of Rams long snapper Jake McQuaide to free agency after 10 years at the position resulted in the team’s search for a replacement. The day after claiming Orzech, the Rams waived long snapper Colin Holba, leaving just Orzech and Steven Wirtel to compete for the job.