Raiders HC Pete Carroll Tackles the Travis Hunter Debate

For a partial transcript of Carroll's comments, read below.

Q: How impressed are you about Travis Hunter and his ability to play both sides of the ball? 

Coach Carroll: "Well, the first thing I asked him when we interviewed him is, 'Is this any big deal to go both ways?' He said, 'No, no way.' I mean, he took it like I thought he would, because the only way he could have done that through his college years and all that was to have a great attitude about it.

It was never even a burden to him. He's been playing both ways since he was in little league football, and he hasn't known it any different. So, it seems so unique to everybody for this to occur, but it isn't to him, and I anticipated that he would respond that way because he's such a natural football player and a competitor." 

Q: You guys really never had a chance that Travis Hunter would ever fall to you, but did you like him? 

Coach Carroll: "Oh, I did, yes, certainly. And I would have loved to have played him both ways too. I would have loved to have had the chance to do that. So, that's what we talked about in the interview, and he was right on it as far as the mentality that it would take to do something like that." 

Q: When you bring in players you've coached before, is there like a comfort level there that you know what you're getting? 

Coach Carroll: "Certainly, yeah. Certainly, that's part of what's going on here. Geno [Smith] as well; Geno has thrown to Lock [Tyler Lockett] for years, and so they have a ton of background. They've been through all kinds of experiences together. Communication is more automatic with guys you have that kind of background with. So, hopefully that will contribute to Lock's ability to help us out." 

Q: Another guy who got hurt in KC was Adam Butler, how's he been doing? 

Coach Carroll: "Yeah, he got back spasms in pregame, and he locked up so he couldn't go. He's on the same program coming back. He'll probably practice on Friday, but we think he's fine, and so, we're just giving him the maximum amount of rest that we can, all of the treatment to take place. And really, he and Maxx [Crosby], both kind of kind of happened about the same time. So, both those guys are on the same program, we expect them both to play."