Raiders' Maxx Crosby, Andre James Share a Common Bond

Las Vegas Raiders teammates Maxx Crosby and Andre James have something in common.

Dec 29, 2019; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oakland Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby (98) in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports / Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

There are only five remaining Las Vegas Raiders on the current roster who played for the Oakland Raiders. 

Those players are defensive end Maxx Crosby, center Andre James, left tackle Kolton Miller, punter AJ Cole, and kicker Daniel Carlson. Crosby called the group the ‘last of a dying breed.’

The Raiders have undergone lots of roster turnover since their move to Las Vegas in 2020. It’s beneficial for them to have experienced players like those five to guide others who might not be as familiar with the culture. 

Two of those remaining five, Crosby and James, spoke on the latest episode of the former’s podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby," about being in the same draft class (although James was not drafted) and sharing that experience in Oakland. 

“From what we have now, just as, like, facilities and s---, I tell people, ‘We have it so good,’” James said. “Back in Oakland, I tell them about the food situation; I tell them about playing in the Coliseum. Remember when we played in the Coliseum, and half the year, it was dirt?"

“You try get-offs and literally hard as concrete,” Crosby said. “You couldn’t put your cleat in the ground.”

“I went and tried to cut a linebacker one time in the preseason,” James recalled. “Dude, I went and slid on the dirt. Shredded my arm, dude. Little rocks stuck in my arm. I was like, ‘This is different here, dude.’”

“The dirt, bro, it was like you’re falling off a mountain, bro,” Crosby said. “It hurt so bad. I can’t tell you how many times my elbows and knees were just shredded. But it’s so true. We’re going into our sixth year already, and just to see how much it’s changed and how much turnover there’s been, the amount of coaches we’ve had, the amount of crazy situations, it’s f---ing storybook.”

Crosby said the adversity has made him grow fonder of his time as a Raider. 

“That makes me want to be here even more because we’ve been through some s---, to say the least,” he said. “Just to win here would be the dopest thing.”

Crosby and James are some of the longest-tenured Raiders. They hope all the adversity and experiences they have had in Oakland and Las Vegas will pay off with championships in the future.

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with James and Crosby.

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