The NFL combine is officially in the books, and based on an account from Sports Illustrated‘s Hondo Carpenter, the Raiders incorporated a little different approach to scouting the players in Indianapolis last week.
Talking this week on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast, Hondo shared a conversation he had with a player that met with the Raiders at the combine…
“There is a prospect here at the combine who I know very well. I’ve known him many, many years. He interviewed with the Raiders, and he calls me, and says to me ‘You got a minute? I want to tell you something’…’
He [said] ‘The [Raiders] are incredible… my entire interview with them we didn’t really talk football. They wanted to get to know me as a man… It was a great conversation. It was like sitting on a bar stool with three guys drinking a beer… they wanted to get to know me, the person. They were like we know what you can do. We watched the tape.'”
The Raiders probably didn’t take the same approach with every player at the combine, but it shouldn’t surprise anyone that Antonio Pierce would spend an interview with a player talking about things other than football.
And for what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like Telesco overly emphasized the spectacle in Indianapolis, either.
“That’s a lot of the Telesco approach,” Hondo added on the podcast. “[Telesco] told me earlier in the week ‘We know what these guys can do. I don’t need to sit there and watch them run a 40 [yard-dash]. I can put the film in and watch it for myself if it’s a guy we’re interested in.”’
twitter: @raidersbeat
Yeah San Antonio Pierce is different. After taking over in the middle of the season, the whole Raiders team changed their attitude, their walk their swagger and most of all they’re winning. He does know what it takes to be a raider being a fan since the 1960s of the Raiders I can tell you it’s been a long time Since we’ve seen anything like that on the field. I’m excited.
I’d like to know if Pierce interviewed Wilkerson and what he said and asked since we were big game hunting then.
AWESOME!!! Like you said, no surprise there from our coach..
This is really good to hear. AP knows what kind of guys are successful in the NFL, glad to know Telesco has same approach. It’s been so sad that us Raider fans could have drafted better the last several years. Now I hope that I can trust that the right players, players with character get drafted.
Now that’s what I’m talking about about Rrraaaiiidddeeeerrrs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I love the approach that we are taking as a team. We are building a raiders family. And you don’t want that odd silence # elephant in the room . We want guys that need each other and know it. Want to play on the raiders team. Become part of the raiders family. . We want guys you love football and want to play football more than they want to get paid I’m getting paid will come in time with your play if you get paid like JaMarcus Russell and all the sudden you’re rich now you don’t play football anymore you give up ..
It’s about what makes you tick, you have to love this game and have the fight to put yourself through the: ice buckets, pain killers, shots and “tape ups” just to go, right. Especially when you play inside the box, it is not as violent as it used to be, more “basfoolball” light today but you still have to play hurt as the price of admission onto the field.
I see great things for AP ahead, much like a former player of ours named Tom Flores.
West Side
RN
Since 1974