Raiders draft: Michael Mayer fired up

New Las Vegas Raiders’ tight end Michael Mayer met the media on Friday night. Here is some of what he had to say:

On playing at Allegiant Stadium in college:

Mayer: “Well, I think the first thing that I kind of realized is how immaculate that stadium is. Being able to play home games there is going to be a very, very fun thing to do. The city, the fans, the vibes surrounding the city, it was fantastic. I got a little bit of taste of it, like you said, against BYU, so I’m happy I played there. And I’m happy to make it my new home, that’s for sure.”

On joining veterans in the tight end room:

Mayer: “Yeah, I think I’m going to come in and I’m just going to try to absorb as much information as I can. Those guys, they’ve played a lot of football, that’s for sure. And so, I’m going to come in and I’m going to learn a lot from them. We’re going to complement each other well and we’re going to have fun doing it. And we’re going to win ball games and it’s going to be fun. I’m excited to play with them. Those are two really good players. It’s going to be really fun.”

On loving to block:

Mayer: “Yes sir, that’s something I take pride in and that’s something in this past year I really, really worked in the blocking game, and the technique, and my footsteps, and things like that. The receiving part of it has always kind of been there for me, but I really had to kind of dig deep for that blocking and it’s been really, really well this past season. Me and my tight ends coach worked on it a lot, and it improved greatly. It’s only going to keep getting better. So, that’s something I pride myself on a lot and I think being able to do both of those things that you named out there is very, very important for a tight end. And I’m going to keep working at both of them and keep trying to excel at both of them.”

On joining fellow Notre Dame tight end, Hall of Famer Dave Casper as a Raider:

Mayer: “I think the first thing is the tradition with the Las Vegas Raiders. I mean, they’ve had so many, so many good tight ends. There’s no doubt about that. They know how to use tight ends and Coach McDaniels knows how to use tight ends, and he loves tight ends. And so, I think I’m going to fit very well into the offense. I think it goes back to kind of what I was saying before; it’s coming in, it’s doing what they’re asking me to do, and not doing anything more. Because it’s about winning football games and that’s kind of what they drafted me to do. And so, I’m going to come in, do what they ask me to do, work my hardest, and that’s really it. That’s what I do. That’s kind of what I did when I went to Notre Dame, that’s what I’m going to do when we start this up. So, it’s about coming in, working hard, absorbing as much information as I can, learning from everybody, and just do what they ask me to do.”