Las Vegas Raiders Add Ohio State Buckeye Tackling Machine Tommy Eichenberg With No. 148 Pick in 2024 NFL Draft

Las Vegas Raiders GM Tom Telesco made a major splash in the NFL Draft when he selected in Ohio State Buckeye superstar in Tommy Eichenberg.

Nov 5, 2022; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Tommy Eichenberg (35) tackles / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders General Manager Tom Telesco has show an uncanny ability to listen to his coach Antonio Pierce.

Subsequently, Pierce has shown the same talent, and with those to men completely in sync, the Las Vegas Raiders future continues to get brighter.

Moments ago in the 2024 NFL Draft, Tom Telesco piced Ohio State Buckeye tackling machine LB Tommy Eichenberg.

We spoke to him moments ago, and here is the transcript of that conversation for you.

Fifth-Round Pick (No. 148 Overall) LB Tommy Eichenberg
Q: Just curious what your interactions were with the Raiders? Have you taken a visit out here and did
you talk to them a bit during the process?
Eichenberg: "I did not take a visit out there, but I talked to them a couple times."
Q: Your physicality stood out even in high school, but at Ohio State you played for quite a while with
two broken hands. When you look at your style of toughness with a team that has Maxx Crosby and
Antonio Pierce, could you have picked a better fit for your style?
Eichenberg: "No, I could not have. I think it's a perfect fit. I'm excited to get to work and just try to help
the team in any way possible."

Q: You come from a pretty athletic family. Who do you think is the most athletic in your family?
Eichenberg: "I'm going to say myself. My brother's really athletic, but I'm going to go with myself this
time."
Q: Obviously, with you being a linebacker and being drafted by a team whose head coach was a former linebacker, how excited are you to be able to kind of learn under him and gain his knowledge as well?
Eichenberg: "Yeah, I'm really excited to learn from him and just how he sees the game as a former
linebacker and as a great player. How he sees the game, and just how he coaches us, too. I can't wait."
Q: What was your relationship with Thayer Munford, another Ohio State guy, and were you able to talk
to him about what his experience has been like with the Raiders?
Eichenberg: "Yeah, I talked to him briefly. We actually overlapped two or three years I think, but he loves it. And I can't wait to join him."
Q: Since Antonio Pierce took over as head coach, the team is led by guys like Maxx Crosby and Robert Spillane. How do you think your energy fits in with this team?
Eichenberg: "I think that they're really, really tough dudes that love the game of football and play really
hard. And that'ssomething that I try to pride myself on, too. And it'ssomething I hope to add to thisteam.

Q: Just curious what these last few days have been like, I know this can be kind of a nerve-wracking
proposition waiting for your name to get called. How was it for you over the last few days?
Eichenberg: “It was definitely ups and downs. I think if you ask anyone, they’ll probably say that. It's a
relief, but it's kind of like you get picked, but there's other things and there's more steps. You got to keep going, so I'm just excited.”
Q: You’re no stranger to rivalries up there at Ohio State, and now you are rivals with the Chargers here
with the Raiders and Jim Harbaugh is there. Are you kind of excited about renewing that rivalry at the
NFL level? Eichenberg: “Yes, I am. I'm very excited for that.”

Q: Could you talk about your motor and just the way you are all football all the time, whether it's film,
after practice, just about your love for the game that sets you apart from a lot of guys who have talent
but maybe don't love it?
Eichenberg: “Yeah, that was something that I told a lot of the teams, is my love for the game is
unmatched. Like there's nothing else I want to do right now in my life. It's hard to turn it off, but I love the game. I mean, I'm always around it, always just trying to learn. I mean, I can't even name all the things I've done back in college that just revolved around football because I love the game so much, I love the dudes, I love the coaches. I love just everything that comes with it. So, I'm excited to just continue my journey.”
Q: Obviously coming from a prestigious program like Ohio State and playing some really big games and in really big rivalries, how much do you think the pressure of those moments and those situations will help transfer to playing in the NFL?
Eichenberg: “Yeah, I think it helped me a lot just because I know that I played football at the highest level in college at Ohio State where the expectations are so high, and someone is trying to take your spot and if you don’t show up your spot is on the line. So, I think it's helped me so much and I think it will help me in future."

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