Lester Cotton is One of Many Las Vegas Raiders Bright Spots

CANTON, OHIO-Earlier this offseason I gave my prediction for the Las Vegas Raiders starting lineup.  I took immense criticism for having Lester Cotton in that group.

All offseason, every time I have seen players outside of the facility, or in it, his name is consistently dropped.  He was described to me as, "An oak tree stump that ain't letting nothing get by."

On perhaps the weakest part of the team, Cotton has an opportunity to seize a starting role on the Raiders' offensive line.

He spoke after practice and you can watch his entire press conference below, and read the transcript:

Guard Lester Cotton Sr.

Q: You’ve gone through some ups and downs. What kept you in it?

Cotton Sr.: “First, I want to give thanks to the guy that’s in charge of my life, Jesus Christ. I know without him none of this is possible. The things I was going through was a lot of mental, a lot of physical. I had to get out of my own way and see myself as who I was as a person and as player. I had to go from there.”

Q: Was reworking your body a little bit of a process?

Cotton Sr.: “Yeah. It was like completing a circle. I was doing everything I could on the field and in the meeting room, but I wasn’t doing it on the nutrition side. So, I had to take time off and really dial in to the small details of things. The coaching staff and the nutrition staff are wonderful people. They helped me throughout the whole way.”

Q: Was there a wakeup call? Or something you realized you had to do this season?

Cotton Sr.: “Yeah, for sure. When I got released in 2020, my second year. It was a big wakeup call. I spent 10 months out and I had to really look myself in the mirror and say if this is what I’m going to do, I have to lock in and be 110 percent. That’s what I’ve been doing every single day.”

Q: Seeing how you had to work your way up in Alabama. Has that process helped you in the NFL?

Cotton Sr.: “For sure. At Bama (Alabama) it’s a lot of five stars, four stars all the way through the roster. You have a lot of people who are first rounders, second rounders, third, going into the draft to get a chance. Every day you’re going and competing with the top guys. They are either going to make or break you. He was true on that.”

Q: What did you do during that 2020 season?

Cotton Sr.: “I got closer to God. I really had to lean on him. I had to put my faith first in him. He led the way for me. I kind of stop trying to go my own route and start going the route that he was giving me. Once I finally gave into that and put my faith into that then stuff finally started to happen, just started falling into place for me.”

Q: We see you out there running with the starters. Is that affirmation about what you’re talking about?

Cotton Sr.: “Most definitely. You have a room full of guys that’s very talented and very smart. They compete each and every day. No starter is guaranteed on the line cause Coach Carm (Carmen Bricillo) and Coach Josh (Josh McDaniels) make it clear every day. So, we go out there every day and we put our best foot forward and we compete with each other as a brotherhood. There’s no ill will towards no one. We’re all together, because you just never know who’s going to be on the side of you, so we just go forward.”

Q: With what you’ve gone through, what would being named a Week 1 starter mean to you?

Cotton Sr.: “We haven’t got there yet. If I continue doing what I’m doing on the field and continue to compete, it would be an honor. I know a lot of guys would be happy for me. I would be happy for myself, obviously. It’ll be an honor and it’ll be good for me to be out there with the guys I’m with and then learning from the guys that were before me like Richie Incognito, Gabe Jackson, Rodney Hudson, all those guys that I actually had the time to see and be behind and study and watch. It was amazing, so I take what they taught me and are teaching me. I take it to the field and just play.”

Q: Derek Carr mentioned that you came up to him in the locker room and asked what you need to do to be the starting guard for him. What do you remember about that conversation?

Cotton Sr.: “Yeah. I remember that in my rookie year. We were having lunch in the cafeteria, and he came and sat by me and Dre [Andre James] and a few more rookies. He was just saying the doors were revolving, guys are coming out each and every day. You just have to dial in each and every day and just try to do your best, put your best foot forward each and every day. And that kind of gave me fuel because I was like I don’t want to be in that revolving door. I want to be right there beside him, right in front protecting him because he’s family and like a brother to me. He gave me good advice and I’ve been running with it ever since.”

Q: He (Derek Carr) said he caught up with you in the parking lot a couple days ago to tell you how proud he was. How’d that feel?

Cotton Sr.: “It felt good. Coming from QB1. DC (Derek Carr) is a really good guy. He’s a good Christian too. His faith is with Jesus. He brings us under his wing. All the young guys, he makes sure were straight and we’re locked in each and every day even when we’re dog tired. He makes sure he recenters us back into what we need to focus on. He’s like a brother to me, like a big brother.”

Q: How does it feel to have a clean slate with the coaching staff?

Cotton Sr.: “I feel like every coaching staff shares the same information. So, I had to take it as they know. I know what I know, and I know what I need to do to continue be in the NFL and continue to compete for any starting jobs. I just take it in strides. Not trying to think like, ‘Oh, just because we have a new coaching staff, they don’t know what the past was’ because I feel like every coach knows no matter who it is.”

Q: How exciting is this time, especially since it’s the Hall of Fame game?

Cotton Sr.: “The guys in the room are very excited. We’re ready to see as a unit, as a team, how far we’ve came with the new coaching staff and with the new play calls. It’ll be exciting. We’ll see a lot of people flying around, a lot of young guys getting reps. I know they’re excited. It’ll be good for the older guys to coach the younger guys and let them know how the game really is because it’s going to be flying, but it’s got to be fun. Just got to make sure that they won’t be nervous and when they see us going out there and flying around, it’s going to fuel them to go out there and fly around.”

Q: What’s some of the best advice you’ve gotten from some of the veteran guys?

Cotton Sr.: “Just going out each and every day and giving it your all, even when your dog tired, when it’s hump day. Just trying to give the best, because it’s never as bad as you think. They all have this thing about going out there and giving it your all. No matter if you mess up a play, just thinking forward. Focusing on the next play. That’s the mindset I’ve been taking, and that’s where I’ve been going.”

Q: How does it feel to be able to receive a Samson award?

Cotton Sr.: “Man, that’s an honor. It’s like winning a Super Bowl to me. Everybody knows I went through a lot of tough times. It was real rough for me in the beginning. I had to grow out of it and mature some and coach A.J. [Neibel], Coach Deuce [Gruden], all those guys in there put me together and covered me with their wings and kept me going forward. Even when I wasn’t here, they were checking in, dialing in, making sure I was doing what I had to do so that when my shot came, I would be prepared and ready.”

Q: Any particular family members or even teammates that stuck with you through those times?

Cotton Sr.: “Yeah, my wife and my kids. My former teammates and the teammates I got now reached out and was making sure I was doing what I had to do. I give it to my wife though because she was my real deal backbone. She was the one who was there in the dog days when I was saying I just wanted to put it up. She pushed me. She told me I had to get up. She told me I had to go because you don’t want to have any regrets. I give all the thanks to her.”

Q: What there a moment where you said I can really do this?

Cotton Sr.: “Yeah. I had a few moments, like last year playing in overtime against the Chargers to go into the playoffs. Playing in that game and seeing how fun it was. It gave me a fiery edge to me knowing that I can really do this. If I just put in the effort and do what the coaches are saying and dial in each and every day, I can really make this like a real deal dream come true.”

Q: In 2020, did you have thoughts of any other profession that you could do?

Cotton Sr.: “No. I was just in a tough spot. I wasn’t really thinking, it was more of a reaction. It wasn’t good.”

Q: Has it been hard being patient waiting for this opportunity?

Cotton Sr.: “Each and every day you got to have patience. If you don’t have patience, you’ll get ran out the door easily. Coaches see that, players see that. You don’t want that stigmatism on you that you’re not patient. If it’s going to happen now, it’s going to happen, or it’s not going to happen at all. To be honest, I’m really here for my teammates. I’m really here for the team. I’m willing to do anything and everything that Coach Josh (McDaniels) and Coach Carm (Carmen Bricillo) tell me to do. I’m going to put my best foot forward and just go.”

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