From Raiders Training Camp: QB Aidan O'Connell

HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and rookie QB Aidan O'Connell took to the podium to address the media.

You can watch his entire comments below and read the transcript:

Quarterback Aidan O’Connell

Q: At Purdue it was clearly a different offense than this. How is the adjustment coming for you?

Aidan O'Connell: "Yeah, it's been fun, it's been challenging. A lot of new things at the line of scrimmage that I wasn't used to doing in college. So, it's a lot more responsibility, but I think you're able to see the game in a new perspective, and that responsibility is pretty cool. You're able to do different things with knowing what everything means and the intricacies of everything, it's just pretty cool. So, there's definitely been a learning curve, but something that's been pretty fun."

Q: I know it's just been a couple weeks of training camp, but I'm sure people have talked to you about how the game is different at the NFL level, not just in talent but in the way things are scheme-wise. What's been the biggest change from college?

O'Connell: "Yeah, I think everyone is talented, everyone is the 1 percent of the 1 percent. So, when you look around the huddle and you look across the ball, those guys were the best at their universities as well. So, it's just an increased, definitely intensity at practice and then this level of talent around the board."

Q: When you walk into a huddle and see Davante Adams and Kolton Miller and players like that, what do you have to do in your mind to say: 'OK, I'm here with them and I have to act like I've been here before,' not trying to push it too far, but the fact that you belong and have to be the leader of this of this team with some veterans like that?

O'Connell: "I think it comes with preparation. You have to prepare, and when you get in the huddle, have confidence that you know what you're going to do and you know what everybody else's job is. So, it takes preparation to have to have confidence, so I try to prepare as best I can and work as hard as I can, just keep my head down and do what I've got to do."

Q: You were a walk-on at Purdue and worked your way up to be a starter. Has that experience kind of prepared you a little bit for walking into this room with some veterans that you have to kind of compete against?

O'Connell: "I think so. I think the experience was valuable. I started pretty low on the totem pole at Purdue and through just different circumstances was able to rise up the depth chart. So, I think that that's definitely helpful. I think it's definitely a new experience now, and there are things you can bring over from college, but at the same time it's a completely new experience. So as much as I can rely on what I've been through, but at the same time, you've got to look forward and continue to press forward."

Q: It's only been a couple of weeks at training camp, but do you feel like you've already made progress from where you came in a couple of weeks ago? And in what ways do you feel that way?

O'Connell: "Yeah, I hope so. You tried to get 1 percent better every day and just put pennies in the jar. A lot of times that comes from making mistakes, so there's mistakes that I made early in camp that I've tried to learn from and try not to make the same mistake twice. And I know I have a lot more a lot more to learn, a long way to go. So, as much as you want to reflect on how far you've come, you kind of just have to keep your head down and keep working."

Q: What kind of guidance have Jimmy Garoppolo and Brian Hoyer given you?

O'Connell: "Awesome. I mean 25 years in the league between them and they've seen a lot of football, played a lot of football, so they've been super supportive, have challenged me, have just let me into their mind really to know what they're thinking and what their thought processes is on each play. Again, they've both been in the system before and I've had success, so it's been awesome having those guys in the room to learn from them even if they're not saying anything to me, just taking mental reps and listening to what they say and watching what they do."

Q: It was alluded to earlier about being in a huddle with Davante Adams and the others, but also you're competing against Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones every day. What is that like, two of the best in the NFL to get you up to speed?

O'Connell: "Yeah, exactly. Like you learn you can't hold the ball for very long. It's different than it was in college. So like I said before, on our side of the ball and on the other side of the ball, there's great players that are some of the best in the world. So it makes you raise your game."

Q: Obviously there's pros and cons, but what's the single most important thing you learned transitioning from college to the NFL?

O'Connell: "I think just being myself. I had a lot of great advice from people that have been in my shoes before, and try not to put too much pressure on myself. Just be myself, enjoy the process. At the end of the day it's just football, so I'm going to work as hard as I can, try not to leave any stone unturned, but at the same time enjoy it and have fun playing the game."

Q: Speaking about enjoying it, going into the joint practice with the 49ers and your first preseason game on an NFL field. What excites you the most about going into this week?

O'Connell: "I think it's just another opportunity for our team to work hard and play against somebody different, but I think for us it really remains the same. We've got to know our assignment, do our job and work hard to do that."

Q: I know you played over at Allegiant in the East-West Shrine Game. Did ever dawn on you that this might be where you ended up playing, and how cool is it going to be to take the field as a Raider?

O'Connell: "Yeah, I thought about it and definitely hoped. It's obviously an amazing stadium, and it's going to be a great experience. But like I said: I'm going to try to stay within myself, do my job and just try to execute."

Q: A pretty common phrase you hear a lot with rookies is the same, their head is swimming when they first come in. I imagine there's some of that happening, but is there anything that you that you do specifically or advice you were given to try to mitigate that?

O'Connell: "I think just rolling with the punches, understanding that I'm not the first rookie to ever walk in here, not the first rookie quarterback. So, there are challenges that come with it, nobody's perfect, even the guys have been doing it for a while. So as I keep alluding to, just trying to work as hard as possible to limit mistakes, to make sure I know what I'm doing on every play and what everybody else's responsibility is. I think you've just got prepare to give yourself the best chance possible. And when mistakes come, you learn from them and try to move on."

Q: Do you like living here so far?

O'Connell: "It's been great. A little warm, especially that stretch in July was a little tough, but it's been a lot of fun. A lot of sun, which I enjoy."

Q: You wore No. 16 in college and then wearing No. 4 raised a few eyebrows for fans of the Raiders. What went into your mindset of picking No. 4?

O'Connell: "Yeah, it was the number that was given to me. I really don't care what number I play with. I'll play with any number. So, I don't worry too much about that."

Q: So not because 4x4=16?

O'Connell: "No, nothing like that. I'm not that good at math."

Q: What do you hope to get out of the next couple days?

O'Connell: "Just obviously a new experience, so getting to see the first NFL training camp playing against another team. I think just trying to soak it all in, trying to enjoy it and trying to challenge myself to, like I said, take mental reps. If I get reps out there, take reps and succeed. As I keep saying, learn from mistakes, and so just try to grow as a player."

Q: You guys have had some high school football teams come and watch you practice at training camp. You're still pretty young guy, you're not that far removed from those days. Could you have seen back then you being inspired by something like that? Is it important for you to be involved in the community?

O'Connell: "I dreamed of playing NFL football for a long time, especially in high school. High school was really when I fell in love with football. The lights on Friday watching my older brothers play was huge for me. So, I know if I had an opportunity in high school it would be pretty cool. It's awesome that those high schools have been able to do that. I love being in the community, helping those kids, encouraging those kids. I know especially for me, it was a long shot for me to make it here, so it would mean the world to me to encourage another kid to shoot for the stars."

Q: Have you had that moment in the locker room though when you look at: 'I was a walk-on at Purdue and now I'm sitting in an NFL locker room?' I mean, has it hit you yet that you reached it?

O'Connell: "I think you have to have a proper balance of reflection and also understanding I'm trying to play more football. I don't want my story to be just getting here. I want to hopefully work as hard as I can to stay. So I definitely want to be reflective and be grateful for where I've come from, but at the same time I think after my career is over, we can sit down and think more about that."

The Silver and Black open the preseason by hosting the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Aug. 13, at 4 p.m. EDT/1 p.m. PDT.

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