Q and A: Raiders rookie talks adjustment to NFL — and Las Vegas

Raiders rookie defensive end Tyree Wilson is adjusting to life in the NFL and in Las Vegas.

Hailing from the East Texas town of New London and drafted No. 7 overall by way of Texas A&M and Texas Tech, Wilson recorded his first professional sack last Sunday during a 30-12 road loss to the Chicago Bears.

He spoke with the Review-Journal about his transition from Texas and his rookie season.

RJ: Born in Alaska, right? Have you been back?

Wilson: I lived there for two years. I really don’t remember. I was young. I still got family there. My mom and dad met there. All my dad’s side of the family is still there. My grandma is there. So definitely in the offseason, I’m going to go out there and visit her. Just experience it on my own.

RJ: Three siblings. How was that dynamic?

Wilson: For a long time it was just my two sisters. So it was me just being the man of the house. Looking after my sisters. Later on, my mom had my little brother. I grew up and matured a lot. Trying to push him to show him the right steps to be on the right track to greatness.

RJ: He’s playing ball, too?

Wilson: Yeah.

RJ: When did you first realize how big football is in Texas?

Wilson: Just from little league, bro. You know how big it was. You had the Super Bowls and all the playoff games and stuff. Everybody showed up to the little league football games. I didn’t really know how seriously I would take ball until probably the end of junior high. Then I really saw I could do something really special with football, and I just ran with it.

RJ: What are the Friday night lights like?

Wilson: It was crazy. Lots of small towns in East Texas. Lots of great players. Everybody in the community comes out and supports it. It was amazing.

RJ: Favorite sport besides football?

Wilson: Probably track. I love track just because it’s a competitive game. You’re lining up next to another man and competing.

RJ: Biggest thing you learned during your time at Texas A&M?

Wilson: Probably patience. You know, because you’re in high school, you’re at the top and you’re going to a big university in the SEC, and you think you’ve got it all figured out. But really, you don’t. There’s a lot of stuff that I didn’t know. You have to chase stuff right in the beginning, but sometimes you need to slow down and create building blocks.

RJ: How’d you know it was the right time to transfer to Texas Tech?

Wilson: My heart. I talked to my mom. She’s like, “It’s your choice” during COVID. I felt like it was the right time to transfer, and I ran with the opportunity.

RJ: Biggest thing you learned at Tech?

Wilson: Really just being a leader. I had a great position coach that really just brought me back down and built me back up. He’s the one that really made me be a true D-end. I was all with the finesse stuff, but me playing like a four-technique really made me a physical player. Then I got to go back outside, and it improved my game so much.

RJ: What was it like knowing you were going to be a high draft pick?

Wilson: It was a process. At the beginning of my last year of college, my coach would always be like, “When you talk to this scout, you know they’ve got you, if you have the season you have, you’ll go high.” I ignored all the noise because at the end of the day, it don’t matter what they say. You’ve got to put it on tape. I kept doing it each and every week. Trying to leave Texas Tech better than I found it. My goal was to have a better defense and chase a Big 12 championship. I did that every week. Unfortunately, I got the injury to my foot. I went to the sidelines and I thought to myself, “I did all I can do. God got the rest.” My stock just kept building. I ended up with the Raiders.

RJ: Favorite thing about Las Vegas?

Wilson: Probably just how close everything is. You can be in Henderson and go to the Strip and be back in 20 minutes. In Texas, everything is far. You go to another city, it’s at least 30 minutes.

RJ: How good did it feel to get that first sack out of the way?

Wilson: It felt good. It just helped build confidence. I work each and every week. I’m not out there chasing sacks. I’m out there trying to help the team win. Playing in the guidelines.

Contact Sam Gordon at sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon on X.