Raiders Laki Tasi on Pete Carroll: “He’s another dad to me”

Raiders Laki Tasi on Pete Carroll: “He’s another dad to me”

Lucky, when did you find out that you would be out uh you would be sent out sorry over here you would be sent out there with the coin toss at the beginning of the game? Uh um it was the night before the game where Pete Carol told me he said would you like to join in with um with Max Crosby and Gina Smith and AJ. I was like, “Yeah, like why not?” And like just to represent the rookies and and myself, you know, especially how far I came and on the field and it’s just yeah, it was a very proud moment. Not only are you learning football, you’re learning it at the highest level on the planet Earth basically. Um, how daunting has that been and how enlightening has it been to to learn football at this level? Yeah, it’s been it’s been really scary for me, you know, like at the start it wasn’t easy to like start um to learn from defensive side. Now I switched the offense. Um, you know, the whole playbook of the offense just like crazy to me, especially with the numbers and the words that you got to know and the assignments you got to go through the field. So, um, but yeah, I start like I was struggling at the start, but then when when I when I had when I had the voice to to speak up to the coaches, say, hey, I need I need help with the with the plays. So, um, yeah, that’s the that’s the easier part to get me work work through work through. So, yeah. On a scale of 1 to 10, what was your level of knowledge of football coming? Uh, right now at the moment it would be uh seven, seven, seven and a half. I was I was at like two. Yeah, I was at 20 or one. I I know I know a little bit of football um at the start. So, you know, that that was because I was learning at the defensive side. I was pretty I thought I was confident of learning defenses, but when P Carroll came up to me like, yeah, like we want you to play play in the offense. So that’s how that’s how it came through. So yeah, pretty background kind of help you springboard into football and to learn some of the concepts. Uh it’s it’s been helping helping me a lot. Um especially with the with how the players go, especially the veterans. Um like it’s very aggressive on the field like have that mindset on the field. You just got to be ready at all cost and you know once you once you make wrong mistakes you just got to think about hey what’s the next play? you know, it’s just you just got to know what’s the next thing, what’s the what’s the next job. I mean, it’s just that’s how my mind’s got to go through uh right now in this NFL. So, yeah, there’s been a pretty positive reaction to your performance in the game uh last week. How did you feel about your performance? Uh I mean, I feel like I still I still need to learn learn more um more more on the ball game. So, you know, especially I was looking through the tapes, you know, I was you um I got to work on my footwork and, you know, hand placement. So, you know, there’s some stuff I got to work on, but at least there’s some positive on the media saying this kid only learned like couple months, you know, it’s just um you know, it’s it’s how far you came through and um get on the field and work work with your teammates. So, yeah, that was a that was a positive thing I look through in the media. So, yeah. Was that fun for you? Was it was it a fun experience? Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was it was a fun experience. especially with the learning of the new cadences and um you know you got to understand them on the field cuz the the crowd gets really loud and you know you just got to you just got to keep going through with the plays and get to know the cadences there. That’s the one I um I was working on. So yeah, a friend kind of got you to start playing football. Uh what went into that decision for you to you know kind of give it a chance and transition from rugby? I say that question. I say that. What got you to kind of start playing football to kind of give it a go? I uh that’s a good question. I um back home in rugby I was trying to figure out where my career was going to be. Um you know I thought rugby was was my oneway ticket to the to the professional but it’s just um it wasn’t working out throughout the throughout the whole year next uh last year. Um you know one of the guys that own that owns a burger joint I don’t know if you guys heard the story. Um he’s the owner. His name’s uh Ben Benata, but he’s his nickname goes by sweet. He’s a really sweet person. He’s you he can be aggressive on you some sometimes, but it’s just brotherly love. But he’s the one that came up to the question and say, “You should try something new. Um try try like NFL.” And that’s how I um I had to like think through the whole process like should I do this cuz I know this um this journey is going to be a long one for me. So, you know, I said to my parents, I like I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do in in this career, but you know, if I got to if I got to do something, I might as well do it. So, I just prayed and um pray to God and be like, “Yeah, that’s my that was my answer to get through the football process.” So, yeah. Lucky, you obviously learning the game is difficult, but you’re coming from a physical game and now you get to wear pads. Yes, sir. Is the physical part of American football a little bit easier because you’re wearing pads whereas the the learning the new game is difficult? Talk about that balance, would you? Yeah. Put on the pads on the first day, it was uh yeah, it was like really really dreadful for me cuz going going on the field like you got to you got you got 10 pound 10 pound pads on you and and a helmet on top of you. So yeah, it was just it wasn’t easy for me just to get through it. But you know, I got to get used to it and that’s that’s the main thing. Um, uh, I that that was tough, you know, I can’t lie, but I just got used to it throughout the whole the whole camp and the OTAA. So, yeah. Who uh who among the Raiders would be a good rugby player and what position would they would they play in rugby? I’ll say I’ll say JBJ. He’s really good. Um, yeah, he’s he’s got like the built. He’s a what? 64 643 6’42. He’s got a nice build. He’s got um really strong arms, very strong legs. So, he’s very uh very fit on the field. So, yeah. You’ve mentioned conversations with Pete Carol a few times. Did you even know Pete Carol last time last year of knowing him or meeting him? Um no, I actually did not know P. Carol last year. Um, I was just trying to trying to work through my career at the whole point. And um, you know, meeting him in person, I was like, man, this guy, this guy has an aura. I know. He’s just walking up to him in front of him, just shake his hands. And it was just, it was a really, really true blessing. And, um, yeah, he was, yeah, I had to search him up on that first day, first day on OTAA. I had to like, oh, what’s his name? What’s his background? But get to know him and learning from him, it was just a it was uh, it was crazy. It was a crazy story. So yeah, you’ve definitely been on his radar and he’s taken an interest in your growth as a player. What have some of like the interactions with the two of you been like as he helps you develop as an NFL player? Yeah, he’s he’s been really helpful for me, you know, it’s just, you know, he just tells me like I watch you go on the field like you haven’t you don’t know the game, you know, you can make mistakes, but like I know back in my head, you know, I don’t want to make mistakes, you know, I want to try be the best as I can on the field and get the best reps on the field. So, and it’s just the pro people like, you know, international kids can play football. But, um, yeah, PK was just u he’s he’s probably the best like he’s like another dad for he’s another dad to me. So, um, yeah, he’s he’s a blessing. So, more lucky at your size, your ability to move is freakish. I mean, it’s just the reality at your size. Did you play any other sports? Like, did you play basketball? Did you play soccer? Did you play anything else? Where does that versatility? Yeah, I I was playing basketball in uh in high school. Um I wasn’t great, you know. It’s just I was very unfair on the on the on the court, you know. It’s just sweating having my sweats on the floor like having the other players trip down. But yeah, that was that was the other sport I was played. But yeah, that was it. Yeah. To connect with Jordan Myada and how big of an inspiration is he for you? A guy that entered the league in 2017 and now he’s a Super Bowl champion and pro. Yeah, he’s uh he’s been a he’s probably the biggest like um inspiration for me. Um you know, seeing him at the camp at the IP uh international players pathway. Um he’s really he’s really really good on his own words like telling me like where wherever you go to, wherever team you go to, make sure you work hard and just prove prove it wrong cuz that’s how that’s how like that’s how you win in life. So it’s just and joining him a lot now that he won a Super Bowl that just proves a lot from from all the international players that can go through NFL. So yeah, hopefully one day I can do that. So yeah.

Raiders Rookie Offensive Lineman Laki Tasi speaks to the media following the team’s practice August 13th.

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