Las Vegas Raiders coach Antonio Pierce's effect on his team last year wasn't just felt in the Raiders' locker room. Players and other football figures on the outside took notice of what was being built in Sin City as well.
Before he received his phone call during the 2024 NFL Draft, Raiders seventh-round pick cornerback M.J. Devonshire admired Pierce's accomplishments in his short time as interim head coach.
Devonshire talked about his excitement to play for Pierce when he joined our Hondo S. Carpenter Sr. on a recent episode of the "Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast."
"It's super exciting to not only as a coach, but a lot of the things he does as a coach, you can tell, it shows how much of a good person he is," Devonshire said. "He's a former player and he understands us a little bit more than maybe the next guy. But just from before I was even thinking about being a Raider, before I was in the draft, just watching last season, and I heard he brings everybody to the games. Everybody's a part of this.
"And that's kind of a ... Pitt mentality -- we all in. It's just us in this facility, whether you're a player, staff member, everybody in this facility plays a part into winning games, whether it's Saturday or now, Sundays. Everybody in this building plays a part, and I think he's big on that.
And from the people I've spoken to and everything that's been going on in this past week, I can get a feel that it's really family-oriented, and it's the reason why guys are buying in, because you understand it takes more than just me; this is a team sport, and we're a big team. And when your team is big and your team is bought in, you'll definitely be successful."
It's clear that Devonshire did his homework on Pierce. His mentality will fit perfectly within this culuture Pierce is trying to build in Las Vegas, and that is exactly what the club was hoping for when drafting in this year's draft.
You can watch Devonshire's entire interview with Carpenter here.
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