Raiders' Pierce Reveals Toughest Player He Faced

New Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce was asked about the toughest player he faced when he played and gave an interesting answer.

The Las Vegas Raiders will go into 2024 with Antonio Pierce as head coach.

After an impressive interim stint and votes of confidence from his players, Pierce earned the full-time position. He established a culture of toughness and competitiveness that players bought into.

Pierce relates to his players well because he is a former player himself. He played nine seasons in the league for the Washington Redskins (now tne Commodores) and New York Giants, winning Super Bowl XLII with the Giants.

In his time in the NFL, Pierce faced several talented players. He was asked who the toughest player he had to face was, and he answered on the latest episode of defensive end Maxx Crosby’s podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby."

“Larry Allen,” Pierce said, showing respect to the Hall of Fame guard. Pierce recalled a story about Allen calling out where the offense was going to run a play.

“I strap up, run through the B-gap, he comes off the nose tackle, and just, bam, he hits me," Pierce recalled. "I looked over the sideline and LaVar Arrington was like: ‘Hey, you have to look over here, this is where the huddle is.’ This man was different. What he had was dip in his mouth, tobacco right here, and would tell you where the play was going and dared you to run through his gap.

“I didn’t play with many D-tackles who wanted any smoke. I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want any smoke. I didn’t want no smoke. Certain dudes, you’re like: ‘You've got it.’ You give them respect. Give him his flowers, and it’s like, ‘Man, you got it.’ I knew every time that I suited up, it was going to be a long day.”

Allen played 14 seasons in the NFL for the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers. He was named to 11 Pro Bowls and made First-Team All-Pro seven times. He won Super Bowl XXX with the Cowboys.

Allen played in four games against the Raiders in his career, posting a 1-3 record. He was renowned for his toughness and was one of the best guards ever to play.

To watch the entire podcast with Pierce and Crosby, click here.

From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

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

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