Raiders Defender Knows About Earning Respect

Originally posted on Las Vegas Raiders on SI
By Michael Canelo | Last updated Jul 29, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The Las Vegas Raiders want to be better on the defensive side of the ball in 2025. The good news for the Raiders is they will have their defensive coordinator back next season. That is something the new regime of head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek did not want to lose from last year's team. Under Graham, the Raiders' defense has improved each season.

But in the end, he came back to the Silver and Black, and that was one of the biggest moves that the Raiders had this offseason. Now, Graham will do his best to make the defense a good one next season. And he has a lot of young talent next season.

Graham is a defensive coordinator who is very detailed and knows what he wants out of his defense on each play. It is detailed because he is one of the best defensive coordinators in the National Football League. One thing that Graham has done well over the last few seasons as well is getting his players in the best position to find success. It does not matter if they are veterans or young players.

One player who came to the Raiders at the same time as Graham was defensive back Isaiah Pola-Mao. And ever since, Pola-Mao knew that he had to show improvement to have a role in Graham's defense. And that is what Pola-Mao has done, and last season, he finally got his opportunity and took off.

This season Pola-Mao is trying to be better and is going to be the leader in the back end of Graham's defense. But Pola-Mao knows that it does not matter what he did last season, and it is all about being better this season.

"I talk about it all the time with the guys. Being undrafted trying to get ready since day one. So you have to have that chip on your shoulder," said Pola-Mao. "Understand the playbook and being put in that position of leadership, it is a lot of responsibility, but I accept it."

"It comes down to the confidence of just knowing what you are supposed to do. Knowing your job. When you know what you are supposed to do. Everyone else can look towards you and get on the same page, and got to be on that."

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This article first appeared on Las Vegas Raiders on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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