Millard Offers Unique Perspective

Oakland Raiders defensive line coach Keith Millard is in a unique position while working with his fellow coaches preparing the North squad for this past Saturday’s 59th Annual Under Armour Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. Millard knows what the seniors who were invited to participate are going through first hand.

After a stellar All-PAC 10 senior season at Washington State, but before embarking on an All-Pro career as a defensive lineman in the USFL and NFL, Millard played in the 1984 Senior Bowl.

“We had the Buffalo Bills staff,” Millard recalled. “For me it was an honor because I knew that was the game where you get coached by NFL coaches. It was a real honor for me to play in this game. It was a real thrill for me.”

For the prospects who are invited to play in the Senior Bowl, the experience provides many benefits as they attempt to parlay successful college careers into selections by NFL teams in the Draft. The players also learn what to expect at the next level.

“I think the whole deal was to get acclimated to pro coaching, work with the top players in the country, the fast pace that the pros play at and the intensity,” Millard said. “I think that was the top thing that stood out for me. It was pretty neat to feel what it would be like to play in the pros, the NFL.”

Approximately 100 seniors were been invited to play in Saturday’s game. They spent the past week on the practice field and in the classroom learning from the Raiders and San Francisco 49ers coaches. Coaches, scouts and personnel executives from all 32 NFL teams have observed practices in Mobile this past week. While the benefits and experiences during Senior Bowl week will pay dividends for many of the players, the Oakland Raiders coaching staff has been able to work with these aspiring pros up close and personal.

“You get to see them first hand. You are right there working with the players. You get to see what they do, how they are in meetings, how they retain information, you get to see first hand how they practice, do they practice hard? You kind of get to know their personalities a little bit and see how they react to everything you give them,” Millard explained. “We are trying to keep a fast pace, we’re moving and grooving, doing different drills. Some of this stuff they probably haven’t done before so you like to see how they react to that. We get to see everything that they do and that is a major advantage as far as I am concerned and as far as getting a jump on things for the Draft, prior to the [NFL Scouting] Combine. It doesn’t get any better than this.”

According to Millard, the group he worked with was exceptional during Senior Bowl week. “I think it is a great group and I feel very fortunate. They are working hard and they are all eyes and ears,” Millard said. “They take in the information and are on time for meetings, they are ready to go and it is a real honor to coach these guys.”

There were two main goals for the Raiders coaching staff this past week – prepare the North squad for the game, and learn as much about the players as possible.

“It is intense. We are all here for one reason, to evaluate and get to know these players. They are here to get better and to learn and show what they can do against the best,” Millard said. “That is what it is all about. It is all about competition, showing what you can do, performance and letting it all out.”

In 1984, Millard was able to show what he could do as a player and prove himself to NFL coaches. Now, 24 years later, the players were trying to prove themselves to him.

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