Las Vegas Raiders offensive coordinator Mick Lombardi and his family have had strong ties to the club for years now.
Lombardi's father, Michael Lombardi, was the senior personnel executive for the Raiders when they were in Oakland, holding the position from 1998 to 2007.
Now, Mick Lombardi is joined by his brother, Matt Lombardi, in Las Vegas, who is serving as the team's assistant wide receivers coach.
While Matt Lombardi was just brought on board this offseason, his experiences in the game of football have allowed him to make a strong first impression with the team.
Of course, his brother is his biggest advocate.
"[I]t's great. I love my brother," Mick Lombardi said when he spoke to the media after the Raiders' minicamp practice on Wednesday. "He's a really hard worker, obviously his career took a different path than mine, and he was available. I want to get good people, good coaches, and he provides that for us. But being with him every day -- my kids obviously enjoy Uncle Matt more than Dad, but no it's been great to have him."
Matt Lombardi also already has a strong connection with one Raider in particular, whom he was with during his time with the Carolina Panthers.
The following is a quote from Mick Lombardi from a press conference held back on Nov. 15, 2022 when he discussed the effect of Raiders' running back Ameer Abdullah.
"Ameer's a phenomenal person," he said. "Phenomenal person. My brother actually had a chance to coach with him last year in Carolina, and when we signed him, he told me, he was like, 'This guy's a grade-A person and player.' And ever since we got him in the spring [of '22] he's kind of learned the offense and taken -- learned what to do in a sub back role and early-down back role."
To now have Matt Lombardi in the same building again has only boosted the veteran running back's confidence.
"I'm thankful," Abdullah said in his post-practice press conference on Thursday. "It feels good to have people believe in you, and I think that's the environment we have. Coaches and players alike, we believe in one another and we want to support one another. So to have someone who supported me in Carolina now here is just more encouragement for me to do my job that much better."
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