Hometown DL talks rookie year with Raiders: ‘It’s a really great feeling’

The Raiders unearthed quite the find when they claimed defensive tackle Jonah Laulu off waivers from the Colts on Aug. 28.

Laulu, a Centennial alum and a former standout at Hawaii and Oklahoma, was selected by Indianapolis in the seventh round of April’s draft. He was cut at the end of Colts training camp, but the Raiders swooped in to grab him.

They haven’t regretted it.

Laulu has carved out a valuable role on the defensive line and has 24 tackles and one sack as a rookie.

The Review-Journal sat down with him this week to learn a little more about him:

RJ: What has it been like playing your first NFL season in the city you grew up in?

Laulu: “It’s really hard to explain. I have played in front of my family and friends. They would come to visit and watch me play. But being home, it’s just like a different level. The fact that I’m in the city that I grew up in and I spent most of my life in, it’s a really surreal feeling. My mom doesn’t have to travel or miss work or anything like that and, you know, I get to see my nieces and nephews, my sisters and all my close friends. It’s really a great feeling. But there is also … I wouldn’t say, pressure that comes with it, but I’m really hard on myself to play to my best. So I think it’s like good and bad.”

RJ: What’s it like balancing work with spending time with family?

Laulu: “It’s kind of tough, but my friends and family understand that football takes a lot out of you physically and mentally and emotionally. So after a game or after work, I’m completely drained, and I don’t really have that much energy for anything. So, my family understands that. And that’s why they usually just come and visit me. My mom will come cook me some food, bring me some food, or just come be around me. Even though I’m not the most energetic, I can see them, and they understand that I’m trying my hardest to be able to go out there every week and play great because being in the NFL is not easy.”

RJ: When you were in high school, could you imagine playing for the Raiders in Las Vegas?

Laulu: “At that point in my career, I definitely wanted to play football at the next level, but I mean, like Raiders, I don’t even know if I ever thought about actually playing for them, just because that seemed so far away. I was still worried about college, getting into college and getting a scholarship. I mean, looking back, if I would have told myself back then that I would be playing for the Raiders, I probably wouldn’t have believed it.”

RJ: What is the difference between playing football in Hawaii and Oklahoma?

Laulu: “Hawaii is very passionate about football. Those kids play football when they’re young and might not have the best equipment, but they’re still out there working. Where like Oklahoma, they’re expected to be good at football. A great program. Win national championships and great coaches and Hall of Fame players. So I think the biggest difference is the hunger from people in Hawaii trying to make a name for themselves coming out there from the islands. Rather than Oklahoma, where you’re expected to be elite.”

RJ: As hard as it was getting cut, how big was it that the Raiders claimed you?

Laulu: “Coming here to the Raiders is probably the best thing that could happen to me. Not just because I was home, (but) the opportunity that I have here to get better every week. I was kind of thrown in the fire after (defensive tackle) Christian (Wilkins got hurt), which was good for me. When I got drafted, a lot of people were saying I was like a diamond in the rough. But I have a lot to prove and a lot to work (on) with my technique. Coming out, I was really raw. But then, coming here and being thrown in the fire, some things got exposed. Like my technique. Stuff that I need to work on. I think that was really good for me as a player because I know every week what I need to work on.”

RJ: How tough was it getting cut as a rookie by the team that drafted you?

Laulu: “I was definitely down. I was going through it for a little while, but, you know, coming here, I was home. So, I got to rely on my friends and family to keep pushing me. Because it is tough mentally, thinking that you’re gonna be in one place and end up not there anymore. … But things happen. It’s a business at the end of the day, which I understood, so it was definitely tough. But that’s really what football is. It’s overcoming adversity. Every play, something happens. You move on to the next play. That’s how I view everything going forward.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.