From Raiders Training Camp: TE Austin Hooper
HENDERSON, Nev.--The Las Vegas Raiders have opened their 2023 NFL Training Camp, and tight end Austin Hooper took to the podium to address the media.
You can watch his entire comments below and read the transcript:
Tight End Austin Hooper
Q: You’ve been around a lot of good teams with a lot of talent in your career, you've seen a lot of good players. When you look at the talent on this Raiders offense, there's a lot of options for tight ends. What are your thoughts on this on this offense?
Hooper: "Yeah, I think the organization has done tremendous job of bringing guys at every position group, not just offense, but defense and core special teamers as well to compete and push everyone for greatness. Speaking in my room alone, like we've got a lot of guys who have truly made me better, because I know I can't afford a day off with them pushing, and it's been a great collaborative environment with Coach Jerry [Schuplinski] and all the guys in the room. It's made for a fun group where we push each other, but at the same time we also have fun with it after all. Like we're playing a kid’s game and sometimes we forget that. So, we have fun, but we also push each other to be better daily."
Q: Is there a level of excitement for you knowing the way that Josh McDaniels has utilized tight ends in his offensive schemes?
Hooper: "Yes, certainly. Candidly he's the guy who revolutionized the 12 personnel offense. So, I'd be lying to you if that didn't come across my mind when I was getting the opportunity to join this organization. So, just trying to take the coaching, apply it daily, and put my best foot forward and see how it shakes out."
Q: Michael Mayer was not able to be there today, and you are right now the starter at the position. But at 28, are you kind of ready to do a mentor role while also being the starting tight end? Or is that something you're not thinking about just yet.
Hooper: "Yeah, I mean I feel like that's just part of being a good teammate. It doesn't matter what year you are, like I'm an open book. Without getting into names, I'll just say, when I was a young player I wish some things were handled differently with me being a young tight end. So I said to myself, like if I make it that far down the road, like it's never going to be a closed book. By all means I let Jerry coach, I mean it's his room ultimately, but if there little tidbits, little things that have helped me that can help him make the jump a little quicker, I definitely don't hold any secrets, if that's what you're asking."
Q: When you were in Atlanta, there was a lot of talent on those offenses, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, guys like that, and you had some big numbers. You found your way in those offenses. When you look at this offensive in this collection of talent are there any similarities to that in ways that you can see that that you're going to be able to find your niche?
Hooper: "Yeah, certainly it's a ton of talent at every single position group, it makes it awesome when you have, what we feel, a strong running game and have a ton of options like you alluded to in whatever set we come out there with. So, going back to the original question, it's just as fun for us all as an offense to push each other, hold each other accountable and strive for greatness daily."
Q: What's been your relationship like with Jimmy [Garoppolo], not only here as a teammate, but prior to that? What are some things that you like about him on the field but also off the field as a teammate?
Hooper: "Yeah, what you see is what you get. I mean, he's always cool, calm and collected. And as a quarterback that means a lot because all QBs know this whether they like it or not, at the end of the day, everyone's looking at you and the head coach. So, if you have the aura of calm, the soldiers will be calm. And I really appreciate that about him, because when you get into the huddle, it's calming presence, everyone can [breathe] and he delivers the information so we can get out there and get going. So, just subtle little things like that, that I really appreciate it."
Q: Was there a moment when you picked up on that calm. Was there a particular moment?
Hooper: "Yeah, that happened years ago off the field that I won't get into. Great guy."
Q: As a veteran what are your thoughts on preseason on the games where some guys get an opportunity but others get to get some rest?
Hooper: "Yeah, I think every opportunity you get to go out there, you've got to give it your all. I mean, you can't afford to not go hard, right, because that's when you do get hurt. So, I have no idea what -- I'm just a player, if they tell me to go, I'm going. But my mindset is this is a real football game. At the end of the day, your body doesn't know the difference if you get smoked running across the middle if it's regular season or preseason. So, you definitely have to have your mind right and go to a special place and get ready to compete."
Q: Stanford and Cal are a little bit of a no man's land right now with the Pac-12?
Hooper: "I don't know, man. We might be playing San Francisco City College."
Q: How much does it hurt though to see to see the conference dissolved?
Hooper: "Yeah, it's brutal. But I mean college is a multi-billion dollar business and Cal and Stanford are academic schools. It is what it is. So, I mean those are questions way above my pay-grade. I'm just sitting back watching the ESPN ticker just like you guys every day. I don't know anyone that's still there anymore since they had a new staff come in. So, your guess is as good as mine on this one. I hope that they'll find a resolution that makes sense. But again, I am way out of my depth on this one."
Q: On the back end of that a couple of days ago David Shaw was here at practice. Did you get the chat him up at all?
Hooper: "Absolutely. Great man. Eternally grateful for him. I mean, what you see is what you get, he's a great dude. He's one of those rare people, how do you see him on television is actually how he is in real life. The more people you meet, you realize people are different when the camera is on them than off. But what I always appreciate about him is he was the same man every single day, and he affected thousands of lives in a positive way. So I'm very, very grateful for him."
Q: With you being a Stanford guy, Jesper Horsted is Ivy League, Michael Mayer is Notre Dame. Is the tight end room the smartest in the building?
Hooper: "That's a loaded question. Well, if you ask the boys, we think so. I'm sure some position groups will respectfully disagree. But yeah, I like where we're sitting in the tight end room."
Q: Another thing is, when I was talking to David Shaw and he also said you were a low key Raiders fan growing up. So that being said, how cool is it to kind of play for a team that you kind of by proximity were a fan of growing up?
Hooper: " Yeah, for sure. East Bay kid, grew up watching the Raiders and Niners. Just a Bay Area sports fan in general -- Athletics, Giants, the Warriors even when they were trash. Now everyone is a Warriors fan, it's hilarious. No one remembers when Baron Davis was out there balling in front of 40 people. So yeah, Bay Area guy, been given the unbelievable privilege of being a part of this organization. So yeah, I mean it's business, but there's about once or twice where I kind of sat back and was like: 'Wow, this is pretty cool.' I smelled the roses a little bit but was like, 'Let's get back to work.'
Q: Are there any veteran tight ends or tight ends you played with or watched that Michael Mayer reminds you of?
Hooper: "It's great question. I feel like his style is very unique. There are aspects where you can see some Zach Ertz at the top of the route, there are some aspects of the line of scrimmage where he can do some Jordan Reed stuff. That's a great question just off the top of my head. I'm going to have to answer that for you another day, but he's really talented and can do a lot of different things at a lot of different spots. So, it's fun to have a young guy who's hungry like him in the room who doesn't have an ego, who's humble, and is willing to learn. So, it makes me, the older guy, like if I say: 'Hey, I would do this differently,' he's like: 'Got you,' and you see him go out there and do it. It helps him out a ton and it makes me feel good, like it's just being a good teammate."
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.
Please tell us your thoughts when you like our Facebook Page WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
