Raiders RB Ameer Abdullah From Training Camp

 Running Back Ameer Abdullah 

Q: You've been around a lot of first day in pads practices. This one was pretty physical. For you, a guy who likes the physicality, is it exciting to get past the no pads and just play football? 

Ameer Abdullah: "Yeah, real football is what we play on Sundays. So, it's always interesting to see how fundamentals carry over from non-padded practice days to padded practice days. These are the days that we really lock in on the fundamentals, making sure we're keeping it simple and guys playing with the right technique because that always wins football games." 

Q: From your experiences, you have been on a few different teams, is that pretty rare to tackle to the ground during practice? 

Abdullah: "No." Q: The factor you play in the kicking game, also with catching and running out the back field, do you consider yourself one of if not the most versatile player on this team? Do you take pride in your versatility? 

Abdullah: "I take pride in executing when my name is called. So, in short, yes to answer your question, but it's really about the moments, seizing the opportunity and just making sure that you're representing yourself the best way no matter if it's a kickoff return, third down, running the ball. For me it's about like making sure people remember me on that play." Q: How much of an opportunity is this for you getting so many reps with the first team? Abdullah: "I'm used to that." 

Q: Football is made up of a lot of components, but at the end of the day toughness is a big part of it. When you have a practice like today and you guys are pretty intentional with the physicality, is that something that can carry over or just set a tone in the locker room? 

Abdullah: "Definitely. I mean, we have a standard here. I think our standard is pretty much competitive stamina, every play bringing the same mindset, bringing the same physicality time and time again. The team that can do that longer is typically the team that wins, and I think that's what our focus needs to be as a team." 

Q: It was alluded to a minute ago all the different things you do, but in 11-on-11 I saw you grab Zamir White and just talk to him for a second. It seems like clearly you're a leader, but do you like that he's following that he's wanting all your information, all your tidbits, your wisdom? 

Abdullah: "Yeah, I mean I think for one, as players we can always learn from one another, or learn from the bad guys every single day. And the good thing about Zamir [White] is he's so willing to listen. He's a sponge, he's a guy who understands that he has a good opportunity right now. For him to listen to guys like me and Brandon [Bolden] who have done it for a number of teams for a number of years, it's always a good feeling because we grow better that way." 

 Q: Since you said it goes the other way too and you learn from the young guys. What have you picked up from Zamir White? 

Abdullah: "Finish. That guy finishes, man. He finishes all the way down the field almost every single time. He's a guy who's going to do the little things. He takes the coaching really well. I think he comes from a very humble upbringing, so I think that that's what's really molded him to be the adaptable player that he is. So just learning from that and always humbling yourself is what I've learned from Zamir." 

Q: How different is in that room without Josh Jacobs in there right now? Abdullah: "It's always different when you don't have a guy like 

Josh Jacobs, best running back in the league last year. So, of course not having him in there - for the most part just how funny he is, that's what I really miss. A guy who can always lighten the mood, make sure everyone's spirits are up heading to practice." 

Q: You're a veteran that's been around a while. You see how running backs are kind of banding together and at least expressing themselves a little bit. How have you felt about that whole situation? 

Abdullah: "It's tough. It's definitely tough. Of course I'm always going to be biased towards what I feel like my position can do and what we bring to the game. But I'm the type of person I just live in present, I try to make the most of it. I'm not going to necessarily try to predict what's going to happen in the future or say what we need to do right now. I think the main focus right now is getting better with my team of course, but I definitely feel like the running back position is of value, and of course when you get into the season, you definitely see that." 

Q: You were talking about the chemistry you have a Brandon Bolden and you guys being veterans on thisteam. A couple of weeks ago Coach McDaniels talked about how you set an example with the effort that you guys put forth. Can you feel that in the locker room of you guys putting in that effort on special teams? 

Abdullah: "100%. It's not easy. We got lucky, today was a lot cooler than what it typically is. But first day in pads, guys are a little bit jittery, you're exerting a lot of energy, you get to about period 15,16 and you've got your second special teams period coming up and you see guys kind of hanging their head. And those are the moments where veterans like myself, Jakob [Johnson] Brandon Bolden, just speaking on the offensive side of the ball, can really set the tempo and set the tone in that drill and bust our butts to really show the young guys it's like, 'Don't feel sorry for yourself. You're out here for a reason, to get better, and the only way you get better is to push through that fatigue.' So, I'm glad that Brandon gets so excited to play ball. He's going into year 4000, so for a guy that's been around for that long to still bring the same energy to the game is such a big lift for our team." 

Q: Where do you think offense is this year compared to training camp last year when everybody as brand new? 

Abdullah: "Definitely a lot further along from a cerebral standpoint. We understand concepts a lot better. We understand why guys are going to be in a certain place and why we need to fit off that properly. I think anytime you're building an offense, that's the most important - getting everybody on the same page of knowing what everyone's doing. First year coming in, we always focus on like, 'I'm just gonna do my job,' but now understanding like, 'Okay if you get this coverage, we may change this this way, and this is why, so I need to make sure I play it this way,' allows you to put your own wrinkles on your own job titles, but also to play with a little bit more of a cerebral instinct." 

Q: Just observing from afar Jimmy Garoppolo feels like somebody that just kind of rolls with it. 

Abdullah: "I love it." 

Q: Yesterday wasn't maybe the best day, but he bounces right back and he [Jimmy Garoppolo] looked sharp today. When your quarterback is wired that way, can that help a team? 

Abdullah: "100%. Mentally tough - he's the guy who's going to stand in there, he's a guy who is a leader. He is guy who is the same if he throws a 60-yard bomb or an interception, and I think that's what's really important, keeping the same energy, because as a quarterback everyone's watching you. You're the guy, whether it's the fans or your teammates, everyone is watching you. So, if you hang your head and you're low in your low moments and you're high in your high moments, people kind of ride off of that. So a guy who is very steadfast is I think what this team needs, and I'm glad that we got 'Himothy' Garoppolo." 

Q: How has that chemistry building been going with Jimmy Garoppolo? 

Abdullah: "Man, it's been good. He's very communicative of what he likes from a route standpoint to the backfield to the receivers. He's the guy who's played a lot of ball, been in this system before, so you see him just settling back in." 

Q: Do you see that? I mean is that real tangible to see that he already knows this system to a degree? Because when he first got here he said it was kind of like going from Italian to Spanish or Spanish to Italian. It's different, but it's the same. Abdullah: "Well I'm not a quarterback, but this is my fourth team. I really say third because Carolina was such a blip that it was kind of hard for me to even learn their offense. But once you leave one team you have to kind of like the discard whatever you knew before because every team runs similar concepts, but the language was completely different. And I can only imagine playing quarterback where you're really the general telling everybody what to do, how hard it is to go from a [Josh] McDaniels offense, which is very cerebral, to a [Kyle] Shanahan offense out in San Fran and back. So, I can imagine it still takes a little bit to knock off the dust, but he's a smart guy and that's why he's been capable in this league for a while." 

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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