On whether he had much contact with the Raiders prior to the draft: "I did. You know what's crazy to me? I didn't go through an interview process with them that much. It was a blessing because they were one of the coaching staffs that actually coached me during the Senior Bowl. Me and Coach Tarver hit it off from day one. It was a great feeling. Another funny thing, my whole family wore all black today. The best thing about it, too, is that me and my best friend were at the store and we were looking for shirts to get them and I got them a shirt that said California on it. So, everything just kind of worked out. My whole family wore black and gray."
On which team he played on in the Senior Bowl: "I was on the North team."
On if he earned his way into the Senior Bowl: "Yes sir. The thing with me is that I was a guy that was overlooked. I had to work my tail off each and every way to this day. I'm very appreciative and blessed to be where I'm at. To go out there and be with the Oakland Raiders and to work with Coach Allen, hand-in-hand, and be with Coach Tarver every day, so they know how I am and how I practice. They know the person that I am and how I play with juice. Everything I do I do with juice, which I got from my linebacker coach, Coach Wholley. It's been a blessing. I'm glad they picked me up. I know it was the right fit, because we were already together. They already knew me and we didn't have to do the interview process. All the other teams overlooked me. Like I said from the beginning of this whole draft process, there's going to be one team that's going to fall in love and make the right pick and there's going to be 31 other teams that are going to be pissed off. The Oakland Raiders got the best linebacker in the draft. I don't care who went before."
On how he sees himself fitting in: "Being a special teams war daddy. If they allow me to play linebacker, or whatever position, really doing everything possible to help that team win. I'm about winning and I'm about changing the culture and being a leader. Whenever I go out there, the first thing I'm going to do is do everything I can to prove to my coaches that they can trust me and then prove to my teammates that they can trust me as well. It's great that I have a former teammate out there in Tyvon Branch. He brought me in on my official visit and brought me around campus. It's funny."
On whether he's heard from Tyvon: "I don't know if he's texted me or not yet because I have like 180 text messages right now. Once I am able to sort through them, I bet he did. We're a family at UConn. It doesn't matter when you come in or not, we always hold close to each other. That's the difference between us and a bunch of different programs; we're family and we're real people."
On what linebacker role he played at UConn: "Truthfully, when I was at UConn, my coaches put me in a position to play each and every position on the field, regardless of me being a true linebacker. I played Sam, I played Will, I played a down safety, I played a little bit of off-corner, and I played like a D-end with his hand in the ground."
On if he kicked: "I didn't kick, but I probably could have if they tried me. The good thing is Coach Tarver knows I can play a bunch of different roles. They've seen my energy throughout the game when we played. I play with a lot of energy and a lot of passion. You can see it. Whatever position that they have me in, I'm going to do whatever I can to win."
On if anyone from the Raiders hinted at him being picked: "It was actually funny because Coach Tarver left me a voicemail saying how much he wanted me, good luck in the process and that they're going to do everything possible so that he could get me. Then they ended up doing that. So, I'm glad that was able to happen. That says something about his word. I appreciate people that put their word to what they say."
On who called him today: "To tell you the truth, I was so excited I don't remember the first person I talked to. But I know I talked to Mr. McKenzie, the GM, and he asked me if I wanted to be a Raider, and I said 'you know I want to do that.' He said he was going to put my card in and I thought, 'I have a home.'"
On what makes him the best linebacker in the draft: "I'm not a guy that hasn't done any and everything on the field. I've played every position on the field and I've done so in a productive manner. I have the film to prove it. I've done every aspect of the game and I've been productive at each and every one. I have the film to prove it, unlike a lot of other linebackers. The coaches know that. For me, I take that and I use it, not to brag or boast, but as a chip on my shoulder. Even though I can do a bunch of things, I am still overlooked. It's a shame, but it's also a blessing. It's a reason why I play pissed off. Coming to Oakland, they're going to get a pissed off linebacker that wants to prove why he's the best linebacker that's coming out this year. I don't care about the guys that came before me. I play with juice. None of those guys are as hungry as me and none of those guys are going to work as hard as me. I'm going to make sure wherever I go and whoever I'm with, I'm going to outwork them."
On if he's planning on coming in to play right away: "I'm planning on coming in and giving everything I have. With me giving everything I have, I don't look back. I know if I give everything I have, I'm going to put myself in the best position and that's to win and be the greatest linebacker and the greatest player."
On if he was born in Liberia: "I was in Liberia. I came over here when I was a little less than one-year old."
