Justin Tuck 2014 Year End Press Conference Transcript

When Justin Tuck came to the Oakland Raiders from the New York Giants during 2014 NFL Free agency there were many skeptics assuming the two time Super Bowl champ was headed to the Bay Area for just the payday after spending his career in New York before the Giants refused to give him an offer close to what general manager Reggie McKenzie was offering in Oakland. An aging defensive end, the consensus of critics was that Tuck was too old to produce and if he could produce for the Raiders he wouldn’t want to after accomplishing all there is to accomplish in the NFL with the Giants.

However Tuck proved many of those critics wrong, becoming a leader on the defense, mentoring Khalil Mack and making some big plays himself in the process. Including an interception of Peyton Manning that was one of the highlights of Tuck’s season that saw his production dip slightly while still being an effective pass rusher that will likely be back for another season in 2015 if all goes well over the offseason.

Tuck took the time to speak to the media before leaving Oakland to discuss next season and his thoughts, saying many things that indicate he will be back next year to finish what he started as a locker room leader with a young Raiders team that will likely be getting even younger next year with a fresh batch of draft picks. Following is an interview of Tuck’s 2014 exit press conference courtesy of the Raiders official team website.

Q: How did the final team meeting go?

Tuck: “It was swift. No goodbyes, just talking about good things we did this year and some not so good things. All those meetings, it doesn’t matter where it happens in the season, if you don’t win a Super Bowl all those meetings are sad, but guys are encouraged for the foundation that we’ve set here and we just have to build on it.”

Q: How tough is it as a player to not know who you’re going to play for next season?

Tuck: “It’s weird. I think we’re all hoping and encouraging that it’s not going to be any changes, but we don’t get that decision. Obviously, Mr. Davis and everyone around him has a tough decision to make and hopefully it works out though.”

Q: Why would you want Sparano back?

Tuck: “I think an easier question to answer is, why wouldn’t I? I can’t think of any reasons why I wouldn’t.”

More from Just Blog Baby

• Raiders news: Free agent TE Foster Moreau diagnosed with cancer
• Order your Jimmy Garoppolo Las Vegas Raiders gear now
• Las Vegas Raiders: 2023 NFL Draft will make-or-break David Ziegler Era
• Raiders news: Jimmy Garoppolo offered a different kind of deal
• Raiders 2023 NFL Draft: Trading down for an elite DT on Day 1

Q: What else has to happen here? What’s next? You’ve been on a team that has won it all a couple of times? Where are you guys at in that process?

Tuck: “We’re not far off. Obviously, you look at the record and you say, ‘Well they’re at the bottom of the league,’ and things like that. I think I’ve played this game long enough and a lot of guys around us have played it long enough to know, like I said earlier, that the foundation has been set here with a lot of young players that grew up very quickly, especially at the quarterback position. Khalil Mack comes to mind. I think the biggest thing for us is, like I said, taking that foundation that has been set, and what we did at the back end of this season and taking it into the offseason and building on it. The word confidence comes to mind a little bit, knowing that we can play with anyone in this league.

When you really believe that, you see the difference that can make, and I can’t speak on what has happened here in past years, but I think what has happened in past years has put in certain people’s minds that the Raiders can’t compete with certain, elite teams in this league. I know for a fact that we can, but we just have to be more consistent. This season was a season of what I like to call a roller coaster. You had ups and you had downs. We have to play more consistent and obviously that starts with our veteran leadership continuing to work with our young guys and continuing to build on that foundation.”

Quotes from Raiders.com