Alexander Mattison scores touchdown, makes it home for birth of son after Silver and Black debut

Sep 12, 2024 at 04:58 PM

Carter Owen

Digital Content Associate

It was 3 a.m. in Los Angeles on Sept. 8 when running back Alexander Mattison got a text from his wife, Drea.

She was in labor and heading to the hospital.

The couple were planning to induce on Tuesday, Sept. 10, but the baby boy had different plans.

It was a twist to what Mattison expected on his first Sunday with the Silver and Black, but he thanked Raiders support staff for keeping him updated during the game and making sure he had a plan to get to the hospital as quick as possible once the team landed back in Las Vegas.

"It was mainly between going into halftime, coming out of halftime, getting the car situation set up," Mattison said. "Like, 'Hey, when we land, we're going to have a car ready for you to get to the hospital.'"

Sure enough, after compiling 62 total yards and a touchdown, Mattison made it back to Las Vegas just in time for the birth of his son, Akhil.

"It was a true blessing to me to be able to make it back in time," he said.

In addition to the support staff providing updates, the assurance Mattison got from Drea helped him settle in on Sunday.

"My wife just being as strong as she is, she was holding it down," he said. "She was giving me the encouragement to just go play ball and don't worry about anything."

With 45 seconds left in the first quarter, Mattison caught a pass from Gardner Minshew II, evaded tackle attempts from two Chargers defenders and raced to the end zone for a 31-yard touchdown to give the Raiders a 7-3 lead.

"I give him a lot of credit," Head Coach Antonio Pierce said. "His wife went into labor right before the game started and for him to stay focused like that. … I thought he did a heck of a job. Every time he went in there, made plays. Really good job also in pass protection for us."

Mattison's 43 receiving yards were his fifth most in a game and the third most by a Raiders running back since the start of last season. His 31-yard catch-and-run score was the longest touchdown of his six-year career.

He also became the second running back to have a 30+ yard TD catch in his Raiders debut, joining Jack Larscheid in the Raiders' first-ever game as a franchise (46 yards on September 11, 1960).

"It was such a cool day for him, having a child and scoring a touchdown the same day," offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. "That's really cool. And then how he did it too. It was awesome. I think he's been great for us; his veteran leadership really stands out in that room for us."

Mattison was originally a third-round pick (102nd overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft and spent his first five NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He signed with Las Vegas in March after posting career highs in starts (13), carries (180) and rushing yards (700) in 2023.

While some Raiders fans may have been introduced to Mattison for the first time on Sunday, wide receiver Davante Adams was well aware of the running back's abilities dating back to their NFC North days.

"He's a dynamic player," Adams said. "I've played against him quite a bit, being in Green Bay. We had our times when we went head-to-head. He's a great player. He brings another dimension to that running back room."

As the Raiders head to Baltimore for a second road game to start the season, the coaching staff will be leaning on the offensive line, Mattison and Zamir White to get the run game going early against the Ravens.

"We got to establish a run, we got to get Zamir going, we got to get Alex going," Pierce said. "We got to get our whole O-line going, right? The juice and the flow starts with those big boys. And I always say when those guys are ripping and rolling and coming off the rock and finishing down the field, we're a good football team. And that obviously will open up our passing game, our play action, our keepers, our boots, everything else for that nature."

While Mattison assuredly wanted a different final result on the field in Week 1, his Raiders debut was one he'll remember forever.

"Sunday was a long day, but it was beautiful."

1 / 31

Las Vegas Raiders punter AJ Cole's (6) jersey in the locker room prior to the Raiders' arrival for their regular season away game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.