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'What he brings is something completely different': Richie Incognito stops by training camp to coach up next group of linemen

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Richie Incognito has been living the good life since retiring as a Raider in 2022.

The four-time Pro Bowl guard, who played 13 seasons in the NFL, now splits his residency between Scottsdale, Arizona, and Southern California. He's currently wrapping up a few final courses to graduate from Arizona State University and enjoys playing golf in his free time.

Nevertheless, he's been drawn back to his first love of football, finding himself strolling the sidelines at Raiders training camp in Costa Mesa, California.

After stopping by to say hello to former teammates Andre James, Kolton Miller and Maxx Crosby, Antonio Pierce extended the invite a little further for Incognito.

"I ran into AP one day after practice and he said, 'We're going into pads on Tuesday. You want to come down and talk to the boys, get the guys going for their first day in pads?'" Incognito recalled. "I said, 'Hell yeah.'"

The night before the team's first padded practice, Incognito pulled up to the team hotel and gave an impassioned speech, speaking about his NFL journey and the dedication it took for him to play at a high level for over 10 seasons.

He also spoke about what it meant to him to be a Raider, something that resonated with Pierce. The speech then prompted the head coach to ask Incognito to stay for a few more practices and help coach up the offensive line.

"You add Richie Incognito in there and you lit up the fire there," Pierce said. "I told him whenever he can come out to come on [to practice]. He's done a really good job of mentoring these guys. Just getting the mindset right. Understanding what an O-line plays like, what is it like to play O-line for the Raiders."

James, the Raiders' starting center, has enjoyed seeing Incognito back at practice. When James was an undrafted free agent rookie out of UCLA in 2019, Incognito acted as a mentor for him. He believes Incognito coming back to impart wisdom to the offensive line is invaluable.

"He's played for so many years and you can't get that type of experience," James said. "The coaches don't have it, it's something different and I think what he brings is something completely different. It's so nice having him around, using him for the young guys."

Incognito is aligned with James' sentiment of how his experience and knowledge can benefit the newest crop of Raiders. While the O-line unit has veteran leadership at center and left tackle, the Silver and Black will be depending on younger players to fill in the gaps in other spots such as Dylan Parham, Thayer Munford Jr. and rookie Jackson Powers-Johnson.

"It's really important that the guys on the team see my relationships with the leaders on the team," Incognito said. "That lets all the other guys on the team know that you can trust me and that I'm one of them. I think that me being around and having had my hand in the dirt with these guys and now coming back and mentoring them and being around the guys, it just carries that much more weight. These guys can trust me, they know I'm all about getting them better and just doing it for the love of the game."

One of the young players who has benefited from Incognito's direction is 2024 third-round pick DJ Glaze. The two have been frequently seen with other on the field during drills having a meeting of the minds. The tips have seemed to be paying off for the rookie earned a few reps with the first-team offense.

"He comes up to me every day [and says], 'What're you working on today?'" Glaze said. "After every rep I do, same thing from him. He'll go, 'Hey, I saw this. You could do this.' And I take that to the next period or the next rep and it helps. You can see it translate from what he's telling me to on the field."

It's also a chance for Incognito to dip his toes into the world of coaching. While he's uncertain of what his future may hold, he can't deny that he's having fun being back on the grass with his boys.

"I love the game. I love being out here with the boys. I love teaching," Incognito said. "There's definitely a glimmer of hope for that. This was kind of the first go-around at it but I had a blast. I think the guys got a lot out of it and hopefully, I helped them get better."

The Las Vegas Raiders hit the field for a 2024 Training Camp practice.

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