Most of the time when you ask a player about what he might be doing different in his preparation for the season than he had previously, you get the same answer. It’s almost always something to the effect that they are doing the same thing and that they’re always preparing as if they’re going to start. It’s so cliche it rings hollow, especially for a player who you feel needs to try to up his preparation in order to improve his chances of earning a starting job.
Then there’s Jermaine Eluemunor who Thursday gave one of the most refreshingly candid answers to that question. Namely, that he’s been dogging it for years and has finally decided to take his preparation seriously.
He went into lengthy detail about how he has squandered several previous opportunities by not keeping his weight down and doing proper conditioning.
“If I’m being honest, this is my third or fourth chance,” said Eluemunor. “Because I was starting in Baltimore my rookie year and if I did what I needed to do, I would’ve kept that spot, but it was taken from me. Third year in Baltimore I started at left guard, but I was overweight and ended up getting traded to New England. And then my second year in New England, I was starting at right tackle and once again I was overweight and I wasn’t really doing what I needed to do, and as soon as I got hurt, they replaced me. Because I didn’t earn that job. And then last year I was in there but I didn’t fully commit to it and I didn’t do what I needed to do on the field and I got replaced again, so in my eyes, this is my last opportunity to become what I want to become or I’m just going to be a backup role player the rest of my career.”
A big reason, Eluemunor sees this as a real opportunity for him was the approach from the start of this year’s camp that everyone had a clean slate and there was an open competition at most positions.
The veteran journeyman has bounced around the line as the team tries to find the right fit and combination in order to put the best five on the field. In most cases, Eluemunor has lined up at right guard and at both tackle spots.
The ideal situation for Eluemunor would be to start at tackle. The right tackle spot is still up for grabs on this team and he is very much in the mix for it.
In last Sunday’s preseason game against the Vikings, with Kolton Miller not playing, Eluemunor got his chance to start at left tackle. That’s an important opportunity for Eluemunor because the Raiders don’t just need a right tackle, they need a swing tackle.
In the first preseason game, Brandon Parker showed he was out of his depth moving to left tackle, getting beaten for several sacks. Eluemunor performed considerably better in his opportunity.
“It’s the NFL, you have to be ready for any opportunity you get. And for me to start at left tackle during that game was a hell of an opportunity to show people in this organization and around the league that if given the chance, I can do that as well and play right tackle also,” Eluemunor added.
“I got the opportunity a couple years ago and I didn’t really take full advantage of that when I was in New England. Like I said I was overweight, I was real sloppy and it left a bad taste in my mouth and everyone else’s mouth of me playing left. So, I took that as an opportunity to show people I’m doing this again, but this time I’m completely different, I’m a new player out there and I’m going to keep trying to show them every single week.”
That shot he had in New England was, of course, with his new head coach Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator. So, it’s very interesting that it’s McDaniels who is showing faith that Eluemunor is talented enough that should he get his weight and preparation in order, he could push for a starting job.
McDaniels has reiterated that every player has a clean slate and a shot to earn a starting job, saying “The best thing that you can tell them is that they’ll determine how this goes. If you’re a player, that’s all you’d ever want is an opportunity to compete to play.”
It’s that clean slate mindset that has Eluemunor with a renewed focus.
“A clean slate is especially good for me because I feel like the last five years of my career I kind of just wasn’t as serious as I should have been,” said Eluemunor. “There was nutrition, weight mentality that I wasn’t involved in and Josh coming on and knowing who I was and who I am, I’ve benefited a lot from that. I was able to recreate myself this year, recreate the type of player I am and the person I am. It’s been really good for me having him and Dave [Ziegler] here, just showing me how confident in me they are and what I can do and just keep pushing me forward has been really dope.”
Eluemunor is approaching this as if it will be the last chance he will ever have. And he could be right.
“So, I’m doing everything I can to make this happen and doing everything possible to achieve everything I want to achieve in this game, because not everyone is lucky enough to get as many opportunities and chances as I have. Josh came in here and Dave came in here and they didn’t say it, but in my mind this is my last opportunity. So, if I don’t achieve what I want to achieve this year, that’s my fault.”
