<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Shalom Luani's awareness on onside kick jumpstarted Raiders

          • Paul Gutierrez, ESPN Staff WriterSep 12, 2017, 11:00 AM
            Close
              Paul Gutierrez joined NFL Nation in 2013 and serves as its Las Vegas Raiders reporter. He has a multi-platform role - writing on ESPN.com, television appearances on NFL Live and SportsCenter, and podcast and radio appearances. Before coming to ESPN, Gutierrez spent three years at CSN Bay Area as a multi-platform reporter, covering the Raiders and Oakland Athletics as well as anchoring the SportsNet Central cable news show. Gutierrez votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame and is also a member of the Professional Football Writers of America and currently serves as the PFWA's Las Vegas chapter president. He is also a member of the California Chicano News Media Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Gutierrez has authored three books: Tommy Davis' Tales from the Dodgers Dugout, 100 Things Raiders Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die and If These Walls Could Talk: Stories from the Raiders Sideline, Locker Room and Press Box with Lincoln Kennedy. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PGutierrezESPN
            Follow on X

          ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The first sign?

          "I could tell by his approach he wasn't trying to kick the ball," said Oakland Raiders rookie Shalom Luani as he recalled Tennessee Titans kicker Ryan Succop making his approach for the season-opening kickoff.

          Sure enough, Succop took aim at Luani on the right side of the Raiders' front line on its kickoff team. Then came the onsides kick, bouncing end over end on the orders of Titans coach Mike Mularkey.

          "I didn't expect it, to be honest," Luani said. "I was just reacting to the ball. Just see ball, get ball. Just be able to make the play, help out the team."

          Luani's background as a soccer player -- he was on American Samoa's national team and scored twice for them in international competition in 2011 -- gave him the inkling that Succop's setup was, well, different.

          With most of the Raiders turned their backs and ran for their blocking assignment, Luani stayed put, gathered the ball and took a blow from Tye Smith.

          Holding on to the kick to set up the Raiders' high-powered offense at midfield was a different way for Luani to get his first regular-season NFL action.

          It also set the tone for the team -- not just for the game ... but for the season.

          "Yeah, the awareness, we wanted to make our players aware of those types of things," Raiders coach Jack Del Rio said. "Mike had a history of looking for those opportunities, so we were alert for that possibility going into it.

          "I was impressed with [Luani's] poise. He was able to not have the moment be too big, sit there and make a heck of a play to get that ball recovered. Obviously, it set up a short field, and we go right down and score. I thought it was a big way to start."

          Four plays after Luani's recovery, Amari Cooper barreled his way into the end zone on an 8-yard catch-and-run touchdown, setting the Raiders up for their eventual 26-16 victory.

          "I just stayed there and watched him before he kicked," said Luani, whose 26 snaps Sunday all came on special teams.

          "So I was just like, 'Stay there, be patient.' And I was right."