Las Vegas Raiders DT Christian Wilkins Talks Getting Under Opponents' Skin

Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins means business from the start of the game until when the clock hits zeros.

One of the reasons fans believe new Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins will mesh perfectly with All-Pro defensive end Maxx Crosby is because the two know how to irritate their opponents.

When it comes to the competition, both Wilkins and Crosby have made enemies in the league, and neither of them could care less.

For Wilkins, it's all about having fun and trying to win.

"It's just part of what it is," Wilkins said when he recently joined the "Third and Long" podcast. "I'm petty, super petty, but again, we're grown men getting paid a great amount of money, but we're playing a kid's game. So, no one's going to steal that joy from me. I'm going to have a lot of fun, and if you're not having fun, at the other end, I'm going to let you know about that."

Wilkins will treat his fellow NFL players with respect outside of the game, but when he is on the field, it's all business.

"Definitely just for me, it's like that old-school mindset, too," he said. "I'm not out there to make friends. Yeah, I want people to respect me, but I'm not really out there to make friends. And that's why my teammates' respect? Great. That love from my teammates? Great. That's all I really care about.

"And that's just, for me, I'm a big believer in respecting the game; that's kind of how I respect the game. I hate you for those 60 minutes, we're competing hard for the 60 minutes, I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure we came out on top and I played at a high level. But after those 60 minutes, aye, I'm going to dap you up, aye, what's up, aye, respect your game, all that.

" ... But it's all love because again, like I said even starting this show, we're all brothers in arms. I understand everyone's got families, this, that, and the other thing. So, I'm just having fun while I'm out there for 60 minutes.

"And a lot of us come up from similar backgrounds and different things, too. So, we're all fighting for a similar goal in a sense. Again, so it's all love at the end of the day, and I can respect everyone else in the league and their situation, what they got going on. And I'm a big fan of the game, so I'm always watching guys, seeing what they got going on and following their stories."

You can watch the entire podcast episode here.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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