Las Vegas Raiders DT Christian Wilkins' Entire Press Conference

Las Vegas Raiders DT Christian Wilkins took to the podium after watching the film of the win over the Cleveland Browns, and kicked off Denver Broncos week, and we have everything that he said.

Las Vegas Raiders DT Christian Wilkins / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders (2-2), despite a big win, don’t have time to wallow as they quickly turn around and head to Denver to take on their AFC West nemesis, the Broncos (2-2) on Sunday. 

The Raiders, and so does this reporter, believe they are better than their record would indicate. They can show that by going on the road and winning this weekend.

On Monday, superstar DT Christian Wilkins held his weekly press conference, and we have it for you to watch below:

Below is a transcript of Wilkins entire press conference:

Q: You guys obviously were missing a few players on defense yesterday and stepped up and closed out the win. What was it like for you to see that unit step up?

Wilkins: "Yeah, that was great. That was a lot of fun to be a part of yesterday. It was really a team effort and a team win, and we were counting on guys to step up and excel in their roles and give us a little bit more, and they were able to do that. I don't know if y'all noticed, it's the Fall in Las Vegas, but it was snowing up in Allegiant last night. Snowman [Charles Snowden] did his thing, obviously closing the game out. That was awesome to see. And it's a great moment for him because he puts in a lot of work, and he's a guy who has had a crazy story and a crazy journey, so I'm glad he was able to get a moment like that last night. So, yeah, it was cool to see that, not just him, but just a lot of guys and everybody kind of stepped up and played well and did what it took to win."

Q: Now as an established veteran, looking at the young players who were leaned on pretty heavily yesterday and responded. How good does that make you feel to see those young kids?

Wilkins: "It's definitely so nice to see, because that's just how this league goes. You never know when your opportunity is going to come. You're never going to know when you have to be counted on by your teammate, coaches, whoever, and when your number is called and when it is to see guys perform in high stakes situations when the game's on the line. Even [Isaiah] Pola-Mao, there's just a lot of guys who were able to step up and come up big when we needed them the most. So, that was definitely great to see, and it's just nice as a guy having some perspective now to being able to see that and just be like, 'Man, I love that for those guys.' Love them to be able to have those moments and step up big for us."

Q: What does it do for other young players? And then also, how differently do they maybe get looked at amongst their peers?

Wilkins: "Well, definitely it just shows that you can do it, and just being able to hopefully show up consistently and continue to build and just keep stacking that because we all put in a lot of work and I know it's real rewarding for those guys. You definitely get a lot of respect from your peers to be able to do it when bullets are live and it's a game. It's different when you're out there at practice and stuff, but for guys to step up like that and show what they can do when the game's on the line, that's huge."

Q: You were out there on the field goal and the extra point protection unit yesterday. Why did you want to do that? Why were you willing to do that?

Wilkins: "Yeah, I've always been a part of special teams my whole career, and that's something I enjoy and take a lot of pride in for multiple reasons, just because I feel like I can do the job, whatever they're asking me to do on special teams, on the field goal units and whatnot. And then also it gives me excuse to run out on the field with the offense when they score. So, that's also a lot of fun just to be able to celebrate with those guys. And I kind of was joking with some of the guys, they're like, 'How the hell did you even show up here? I wasn't expecting to see you in the end zone celebrating,' but that's just what I do, what I've always done, and I love that. I don't care how tired I am or when it is in the game, I'm always going to go celebrate with my guys in those moments, celebrate them and them having big moments and making big plays. And then I got to catch my breath and get ready to go do my job on the field goal."

Q: Speaking of celebrations, who came up with the Dirty Dancing thing with AJ [Cole]?

Wilkins: "Yeah, that didn't go as planned. We talked about it and everything; no, I'm just kidding. I guess it was kind of like, I don't know, he went for the jump. We used to go for like the chest pump jump, but I needed to save my energy. I had to go out for defense. So, like, I just wanted to hold him and let him have his moment. It was like Mufasa and… yeah, y'all know the story The Lion King, you know? Yeah, Rafiki, Rafiki yeah, that's right, yeah, exactly."

Q: You said a few times you don't get too wrapped up in the stats and two times this season whether it was Maxx Crosby's sack against the Ravens or Charles Snowden's sack yesterday, you're getting pressure up the middle. Is that kind of another testament to just being able to open up things for the team?

Wilkins: "Yeah, just whatever is asked for me to do and I always try to do my job at a high level and just do whatever it takesto win. And that's always my biggest thing, just as long as you're improving as a team, as a unit and as an individual, that's all I really care about. And I've never really been caught up in stats for real. Obviously, they're nice, but as long as you make winning plays, that's the most important thing."

Q: You played with them before, John Jenkins and Adam Butler, but just to see them continue playing atsuch a high level next to you, how much of it issomething that astonishes you, but also just assistance to you in what you do?

Wilkins: "Those are my guys. And speaking of Jenk [John Jenkins], we go way back. He's been a long time teammate of mine going back to my rookie year. And Adam [Butler], I've been able to play with him before. And those guys definitely give me a lot of life, for sure. Just continue to see them doing it. Adam played out of his mind yesterday. Shout out to him. Jenk's like a Cadillac, just an old, reliable vet and such a calming presence on the field and everything. So, it's just fun to go to work with those guys every day. And Jenk’sstill my OG,so I'm still learning a lot from him. As much asI'm looked at as a vet and established guy in the league, I still look at him for a lot. Same with Adam. He's been around the league a little bit longer than me, so I definitely count on those guys every day. Just their energy, their juice, and just their wisdom on and off the field."

Q: Last week, you spoke about the football season being kind of a roller coaster, up and down, and not allowing your teammates to be too low. Obviously, this week, you all responded from last week. But how do you make sure that this high doesn't get too high?

Wilkins: "It's the same kind of approach. If you take the 24-hour rule approach in the NFL, that's kind of the best way I look at it and always what it is. You celebrate, you enjoy, you do what you need to do for those 24 hours. Then, 'Hey, put your head down, get back to work, start getting ready for the next opponent, win, lose or draw.' And if you take that approach, and I'll encourage guys to do that, like, 'Hey, that was cool, but let's keep stacking.' Because typically, the good teams in the league continue to stack wins and don't stack losses. So, that's kind of my approach and my mindset going forward."

Q: Is that kind of why it's so important for you to celebrate those small moments that you do have during the game?

Wilkins: "Yeah, definitely. And just because, in general, it's hard to win in this league. So, you've definitely got to. It's hard to make plays. It's hard to win in thisleague. It's hard to be a productive player. Thisleague is hard. It's like I said before, it's a grown man's league. So, nothing ever really comes easy. So that's why, again, you've just got to stay even keeled through it all. Enjoy the roller coaster and just take things as they come."

Q: How different wasthe energy with Maxx Crosby not being there, not only on the sidelines, but in the huddle, on the line? And then what did it mean for him to FaceTime in and talk to guys afterward?

Wilkins: "Yeah, I definitely felt like – obviously, there's no replacing Maxx [Crosby] with his energy and what he brings to the game, and to all of us. But I just felt like, again, so many guys just stepped up big in his absence, just bringing the energy, bringing the juice, just playing loose, playing with their hair on fire, and that was a lot of fun. And then just to mess around on FaceTime afterward, and he was excited. And just to see his genuine excitement for guys and how everyone stepped up and how hard everyone played, I think that was really cool because obviously his leadership and his role on the team means so much. So, it was cool for a lot of guys."

Q: What did you see out of Tyree Wilson during the game yesterday?

Wilkins: "Tyree [Wilson] did a good job out there again, just doing what we asked of him, just playing solid. Was able to get some pressure and do some good things, and we were able to work well together. So, he's steadily improving. It's great to see that as a young player, just continuing to improve each week, so I'm excited for him."

Q: You've gotten to the quarterback the last two weeks, is any of that attributed to getting more comfortable in the scheme or chemistry on the line?

Wilkins: "There's a lot of factors that go into things, but just to pinpoint one thing, just me getting comfortable with my guys, my teammates, the scheme. There's a lot of different things. But again, like I said last week, I like to be able to do whatever it takes to win, just to contribute as much as I can as possible, and just be able to make plays for this team.”

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