New Las Vegas Raiders ILB Robert Spillane
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HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have made a run at acquiring new talent for the team and accumulating picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.
New inside linebacker Robert Spillane discussed being a member of the Silver and Black, and you can watch his entire press conference below and read the transcript:
Linebacker Robert Spillane
Q: Last year with the Steelers you played the most that you have in your career so far. What was it like to get more playing time, becoming a full-time starter, and how do you think you grew as a player?
Spillane: "I've tried to progress throughout my NFL journey, not only as a player, but as a man. And I think I've continually taken the next right step and that's what's important for me – what's that next right step. And that was to come out here and sign with this opportunity, and so excited to be here, to give the city and organization all I have. So, I continue on my journey, and I look forward to it."
Q: The last four games you played every step on defense and on special teams for the Steelers. They talked about the fact you just don't like to come off the field will you talk about that mentality that you bring, please?
Spillane: "It's a mentality. You know, you grow up playing football, you play offense, defense, special teams – you play 100 percent of the snaps. I played Chicago Catholic League-style football my whole life, and that's hard-nosed, physical football. So, I built my body to be able to withstand an NFL season and I've proven that over the years, so I look forward to continuing to show that."
Q: What was it about the scheme-fit here that appealed to you, and what did they kind of project as your role?
Spillane: "They told me I was going to come in and be given the opportunity to be a green dot and to play and to really be a leader of this team. And I hope to come in and earn respect from not only my coaches but from my teammates as well. And that's what's really important to me, come in here and earn respect. I don't expect anything to be given to me. I've earned my way in this league, and I continue to hope to do so."
Q: You filled in for Devin Bush once he tore his ACL in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. How much of an impact has that elevated your game being the starter?
Spillane: "I love being a vocal leader on the defense. Sometimes in this business, it's somebody's misfortune that gives you an opportunity to perform. So, when he went down, I was given the opportunity to step in and be that starting middle linebacker, and I felt like I took that and I ran with it. I love going out there and playing so I want to be on the field for every opportunity that I can be, and I fight to be on the field. So, I'll continue to do that."
Q: You played the Raiders late last year on a pretty cool night in Pittsburgh. Was There anything about that team – about the Raiders – that you saw that resonated?
Spillane: "They're a hard-nosed, historic organization that does things the right way, and just doing the building today. I felt that love and I felt strong connections already starting to build, so I'm very grateful for this opportunity."
Q: As a player, what do you think is the next step for you in terms of taking your game to the next level?
Spillane: "I think leadership is going to be big for me coming to a new team where you have to earn your way up the ladder. So, I hope to do that early on and to show my teammates I'm here to win games. I'm here to win a Super Bowl. And that's why I signed. I didn't sign just because it was a contract. I signed because I felt like this was the right opportunity, and the right fit for me and my family."
Q: You mentioned this historic franchise, can you kind of expound on that? What it means to be a Raider or maybe growing up just some of your memories of the Raiders and the mystique about this franchise?
Spillane: "This franchise has the Silver and Black. I went to Fenwick High School in Chicago. We our colors were Silver and Black -- our jerseys were kind of a very similar style to the Raiders jerseys. I've always dreamed about being a Raider, and when given the opportunity, I knew that this was going to be right for me."
Q: You're a very tough, instinctive linebacker. How much does game film help in preparing you each week?
Spillane: "Game film is crucial. You have to understand tendencies, player personnel, you have to understand situational football. So that's very important to understand and have anticipation when it comes to play. But at the end of the day, when the is ball snapped, you've gotta go out there and do what you're supposed to do."
Q: You and Maxx Crosby were in the same conference, different sides of the state. What do you remember about him as a college player and then just watching his growth?
Spillane: "Maxx Crosby has always been a dominant force on the football field. I mean, his size, speed, and athleticism speak for that. So, it was actually great getting to talk to Maxx last night and he gave me a call on the phone and congratulated me on becoming a Raider. He told me a fun story about when he was a freshman with Eastern Michigan and I was on the punt team, we kind of got into a sort of a confrontation. And he remembered this, and he shared the story with me, so we had some exchange of words for each other. And our respect for each other has only grown since then."
Q: One video that's been floating around ever since you signed is the big hit you had on Derrick Henry. What is that like when that man is coming downhill, and you hit him?
Spillane: "I know Derrick. I started my career with the Tennessee Titans as a tryout player, and Derrick is a special individual. You see him -- they have him listed out at 6 foot 3, 230 pounds – he's not. He’s 6 foot 6, 260. So that's a tank of a human, and he runs with it, too, that type of force. So I knew getting that opportunity; Devin Bush had just gone down the game prior, it was my first game starting in the NFL, in the city where I started, at Nissan Stadium, against the team that cut me a year prior. It was a special moment for me. My family got in a bus, rented a bus; 40 of them came down for that game, and still they talk about that hit how they heard it from the upper echelon of the stadium, that it was the loudest hit they'd ever heard. It was a special moment for me and my family, for sure."
Q: When being in Kalamazoo, when you were there and covering the Broncos a little bit, one of the things is you'd be up in the coach's offices, and the way that they could hear you yelling out on the field, and just your emotion. You play with a ton of emotion; how much does that help you lead guys in being that way?
Spillane: "Especially in this business, guys aren't going to follow you if they sense you're fake. Guys have a really good radar for who's being real, and the work – you can't fake the work. I pour my heart and soul into this game, into my offseason regimen to get ready for the season. So, this is a 365-day job that I take very seriously, and I think that comes across naturally to my teammates and they have respect for that. As I have respect for guys that have a similar mentality."
Q: You played this team for the past two seasons with the Steelers. What's your impression of Josh Jacobs and how much you think you'll be able to push him in practice to be a better linebacker as well?
Spillane: "He's one of the top running backs in the game right now. Ever since coming out of Alabama, he's been highly touted, and has lived up to expectations – exceeded expectations. So, to be able to team up with him and to learn from him; I love working with the running back because you get to understand what their vision is like, how they're seeing the game. So, at many points I would work with Najee Harris with the Steelers. 'What do you see here?' We'd bounce ideas off each other. 'How can I be tricky; you think that I'm coming from the left when really the pressure is coming from the right?' So, I hope to really become friends with him and share those same sort of football ideas."
Q: You being from Chicago and playing in Pittsburgh the last four years, how hard is it going to be to adapt to Vegas summer when you're going to be in training camp and it's 115 degrees?
Spillane: "I love the heat. I do saunas every day, I think those get up to 200 degrees and that's something that I look forward to, actually, coming out here and being in the heat. I've been in Chicago, I've been in Michigan, I've been in Pittsburgh, and I'm ready. I'm built for the cold weather, I trained in the cold weather, I've played in many snow games, many freezing rain games, and I'm excited to show that I can play in the heat like I can play in the cold."
The NFL Draft will occur at Union Station in Kansas City, Mo., from Thursday, April 27 to Saturday, April 29. ESPN, ABC, and NFL Network will broadcast all seven rounds.
The 2023 NFL Year and Free Agency period began at 4 p.m. EDT on March 15. The Raiders are expected to be significant players in the free-agent market this season.
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