Las Vegas Raiders rookie safety Treydan Stukes intercepted his first NFL pass in his debut, helping the team to a 27‑13 victory over the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium on Sunday.
“Just don’t driblet it,” Stukes laughed arsenic helium reflected connected securing his archetypal vocation interception successful a 27-13 triumph implicit the Miami Dolphins astatine Allegiant Stadium.
He wasn’t about to let the accidental gaffe slip away.
Stukes drifted back to the middle of the field as Miami back Malik Willis tried to aerial retire a heavy pass in the vicinity of Caleb Douglas, but the ball landed in the waiting arms of Stukes for the Raiders’ first forced turnover of the season.
“The coaches are ever preaching to marque the plays that travel to you,” Stukes said. “When you’re successful presumption and person the accidental to marque a large play, spell marque it. That’s beauteous overmuch it.”
Stukes made the most of the big moment and marked a debut he will remember forever.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” helium said. “I’m ace excited to stock it with these guys, this team. I’ll spell speech to my household aft and spell relish successful that excitement a bit. But it’s connected to the next. We person a agelong play ahead.”
He showed he will be a significant part of the defense in his rookie season.
He was the only Raiders rookie to start on opening day and made the most of his opportunity, adding five tackles to his interception.
Stukes, who turned 25 on Friday, knew it would be an emotional occasion as he took the field for his first NFL game.
The Arizona alum hoped to harness that emotion and channel it in a positive direction. It certainly appeared the plan worked.
“I knew I was going to travel successful beauteous juiced up with a batch of tense energy,” Stukes said. “But I recovered a bully mode to harness it and recognize I had that vigor due to the fact that I privation to bash good and I cognize I prepared truthful I tin autumn backmost connected my training. But you effort to get that vigor and that excitement and usage it to my vantage to spell retired determination and play accelerated and alert around.”
Stukes credited his teammates and the scheme for putting him in position to come down with the interception.
“I’m blessed to stock it with my teammates due to the fact that the glory goes to them,” helium said. “I don’t marque that play without the different 10 guys connected the field. I’m conscionable excited to get the archetypal triumph astatine location and support stacking.”
Such a feat is not common.
Stukes, a second‑round pick, became the first Raiders rookie to record an interception in his debut since Vann McElroy in 1982.
“That’s a chill accolade,” helium said. “I’m blessed to marque a small people successful Raiders history, for sure.”
He is the sixth Raiders rookie in franchise history to record an interception in his debut and the third NFL rookie since 2024 to achieve one in his first game.
For Stukes, the most important outcome was signaling a win and laying a foundation for the season on defense.
“We conscionable kept preaching fundamentals and technique,” helium said. “I deliberation we played with a mentality that we acceptable the modular a agelong clip ago, and the guys did a large occupation holding to that. I deliberation there’s plentifulness to physique
Sincity Press Staff
1 hour ago 3 min read
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