Raiders’ Robert Spillane Will Always Remain Motivated as a Former Undrafted FA

Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Robert Spillane went undrafted before his NFL career began.

Las Vegas Raiders veteran linebacker Robert Spillane comes off the best season of his career in what was his first season with the Silver and Black.

Spillane has developed into one of the better linebackers in the AFC and has the potential to eventually enter Pro-Bowl status in coming years.

The Raiders captain has worked his way up from what was a humbling start in the NFL, as Spillane went undrafted in 2018. For that reason, he is always going to have more to prove.

“Yeah, I would say the chip on my shoulder has grown to a crack on my shoulder at this point in my career,” Spillane told reporters on Monday. “You get some recognition, you get some praise, but at the same time, you know that there's so much more out there for you to go take. Yeah, young guys inspire me. Seeing how talented the rookie class will be, seeing how talented these young undrafted guys like Kana’i [Mauga], Luke [Masterson], [Amari] Burney, a late-round draft pick, and how talented they will be as players. That inspires you to stay on your game, you know you can't take a step backwards.

"You have got to keep finding ways to improve your game. The moment you look worse than you did the previous season, is the fastest way to get out of this league. So, I'm looking forward to showing my improvements this coming season.”

With the experience of knowing what it's like to not hear your name called in the draft, Spillane makes an effort to let prospects know it's not the end of the world if they experience the same misfortune.

“Every year, I go out on Instagram and put out a little message on draft night," Spillane said. "You don't need to be drafted to play and have a long successful career in this league. I'm not the only one, there's tons of guys all over the league. AP [Antonio Pierce] being an undrafted player who went on to win two Super Bowls as a green dot middle linebacker and now a head coach in the NFL.

"So, you look at guys' journeys, and you try to pick and learn from those guys' journeys, especially those undrafted players -- James Harrison being one of those guys I looked up to. And what it comes down to is hard work, execution, and getting better every day. So, I'm focused on doing that right now.”

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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