On Day 2 of rookie minicamp, the Nevada heat did nothing to slow the Raiders’ newcomers, who attacked practice with the urgency of players determined to earn their place.
A mix of draft picks, UDFAs and tryout players brought a blend of nerves, excitement and camaraderie to their first taste of the NFL.
“In rookie camp, everybody is trying to show out. It’s essentially a tryout for all the rookies including me,” Fernando Mendoza said post-practice. “Camp invites, UDFAs, any draft picks … we’re always trying to rally together. Keep each other up whether it’s a bad play, good play, have a neutral mindset.”
While everyone understands how much is at stake, this moment is still filled with excitement and these young players are making the most of it.
“It’s always fist bumps, shaking hands and just being excited around the guys,” third-round pick Keyron Crawford said. “It’s the energy that matters just because everybody is going to feel 10 times better going out on the field.”
“There’s time when we’re just sitting around in the hot tub, cold tub just messing around, just talking about other things,” Trey Zuhn III said of the atmosphere. “But when it’s work time, it’s work time and everybody knows that.”