Antonio Pierce pens open letter to Raider Nation

Pierce’s football mentality was impacted by the Raiders organization when he was a kid in Compton, California. He put pen to paper in The Players’ Tribune to properly address Raider Nation and tell his Silver and Black origin tale.

He remembers seeing the Silver and Black for the first time on television when he was five years old, watching Marcus Allen reverse field on Washington as they won their third Super Bowl. Another Raiders running back, Bo Jackson, drew Pierce in as a club supporter after running 221 yards against the Seattle Seahawks inside Seattle Kingdome.

Years after seeing his gridiron idols at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, he was named interim head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders. His first game on the job was against the New York Giants, with whom he had previously won a Super Bowl.

[B]efore the game began, I walked out to midfield and shook the hand of their owner, Mr. Mara,” wrote Pierce. “And I am actually shaking that man’s hand as the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders.” It was surreal.

Pierce went on to win five games as interim head coach, including an AFC West sweep. On January 19, the temporary tag was removed, indicating that he was the proper man to head his childhood team.

Pierce made it plain in his open letter to Raider Nation that he wants to bring his “identity” and “DNA” to the locker room and facility. His goal for this club is one that is willing to do whatever it takes to win another Super Bowl while doing so with unique style.

“[L]et me just say it once and for all: we are the Raiders, dammit. We do not need to be liked. But we’ll be revered.