HENDERSON, NV-- Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole has developed from an undrafted free agent to one of the best punters in the league. During the offseason, the Raiders made Cole one of the top punters in National Football League history, a nod to his productivity since joining the team.
Cole spoke following training camp.
Following training camp, Organized Team Activities, Elandon Roberts spoke to the media. We have a partial transcript below.
Q: At this stage of your career, why is it important for you to take it that extra level where you want to pull up, like you said, at his house to talk football. Why, at this stage of your career, are you still invested that deeply?
Roberts: "Because every day matters. I ain't getting no younger. I might be out there moving like I'm young, but I ain't getting no younger. And the older you get, the more you start appreciating that day in and day out, because you know I can't get that time back and stuff like that. I'm not in the business of saying, 'If I would have did this, or 'If I would have did that.' I'm in the business of now, no matter what it takes. And one thing I do know about leadership just coming up as a young, leadership is lonely, I promise. But at the end of the day, the loneliness ends when you holding that Lombardi at the end of the day, because everybody you push, including yourself, you strained your family, you strained your coaches, you just always want the extra just to make sure.
"And people might get tired of you, but one thing I know, when you holding that Lombardi, they're going to come up to you and say, 'I appreciate that,' and that all I want. That's all I want. I don't want any fame, I don't want none of that. I want all my teammates to be able to feel that. I want Vegas to be able to feel that, and it starts in practice. And yeah, we get up here and we talk about it with y'all, but we've got to bring it every day to that practice field, and I feel like that's what Pete [Carroll] is doing for us."
Q: You talk so highly of Patrick Graham. I feel like you missed him by one year in New England, one year in Miami. Is it almost fate that brought you together?
Roberts: "Man, if I didn't want to get fined, I would tell y'all.
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