PODCAST DE Crosby on adversity: ‘That’s just life’

and day.

Last season you experienced “Hard Knocks,” you break your hand, and now this season you have the virus happening and trying to train virtually. What have you learned dealing with this type of adversity?

I feel like that’s just life. Everything isn’t going to be mapped out and perfect and go the way that you want it to go. I think about Eastern Michigan. When I first got there, they were thinking about canceling our program. We were 1-11 my first season. But we ended up turning it around and going to multiple bowl games and being the best defense in the conference. So when I think about stuff like that, it’s like, everything isn’t going to be easy. … So it’s just about sticking to your guns and working hard because once that season comes it’s really going to show who’s been working and who hasn’t.

You have a new defensive line coach in Rod Marinelli after playing for Brentson Buckner

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last year. … Have you been able to speak yet with Marinelli and have you noticed any differences in the two coaching styles?

First of all, coach Buck was a great influence on me — on my life, on the field. That dude taught me a ton. I still talk to him till this day. I feel like I’m gonna have a close mentor for the rest of my life. … But we got Marinelli now and he’s bringing another aspect to the D-line room. It’s going to be a little bit different, but he’s a legend. He’s been coaching for 50 years, he won Super Bowls and he’s football 24/7. And that’s exactly what I am. So we get along great.

I know that you follow MMA. Who is your favorite fighter and why?

I love Nate Diaz. I like Francis Ngannou a lot. I could go on and on. I’m a humongous fan. I love UFC. I’ve been watching since I was like 4 or 5 years old. It was always on in my house. So me and my brother and my best friends, that’s all we talk about 24/7.

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So if I wasn’t playing football, I think I’d definitely be fighting.

There’s a lot of guys from the NFL that now translate that to the cage. How do you think that transition works?

NFL guys are larger than the average person. We’re athletic and big and know how to win. So when you throw a freak athlete in a ring, it definitely gets a little tricky. I think that’s something down the road, if everything doesn’t go exactly the way I want it to, it’d definitely be cool to get at least one fight under my belt just so I can say I did it.

I know you’re a rapper. Do you have any rhymes to spill for us before I let you go?

No, I do not. I’m not going to freestyle for you today. But I’m gonna tell you this, I’m going to Darren Waller’s house tonight and we’re gonna get in the studio. So it’s going to be — it’s going to be dope.

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When he accepted a People’s Choice Award in 2017, the actor Tom Hanks twice during a 33-second acceptance speech did his Ken “The Snake” Stabler impression. “Throw deep, baby,” Hanks said in a drawl befitting the Raiders’ former iconic quarterback.

While the two-time Academy Award winner and Oakland native was not exactly pleased when the Raiders announced they’d be moving to Las Vegas — “You cannot take the Silver and Black, put them in an air-conditioned dome in the desert, make them play within a stone’s throw of the fountains of Caesars Palace and call them the Raiders,” Hanks opined in 2017 — there’s no questioning his loyalty to the team and his unofficial position as its No. 1 celebrity supporter.

Here’s a list of five other A-listers who have professed a Commitment to Excellence, even in seasons when the Raiders fail to achieve it:

It’s true that Tiger Woods may prefer red and black to Silver and Black on the golf course on Sunday. But the felt on his pool table is silver rather than green, and it has the Raiders’ helmet shield emblazoned between the side pockets.

The rap about rapper Ice Cube is that his passion for the Raiders knows no bounds. Raider Nation has recognized him as its president ever since he wrote an anthem of the same name.

Hammer Time becomes Raiders Time on Sunday (and the occasional Monday and Thursday nights) when 1980s rapper, producer and entrepreneur — and former Oakland A’s bat boy — MC Hammer and his affinity for his favorite NFL side are Too Legit to Quit.

There are photos of Jessica Alba on the Internet showing her wearing Raiders caps and Raiders T-shirts and a Raiders bikini, the last of which may or may not be officially licensed. But no one has ever questioned the “Sin City” movie leading lady’s authenticity as a staunch supporter of the Silver and Black.

Just eat, baby. Diners, Drive-Ins, Dives and Defense. If there’s one thing celebrity chef and UNLV grad Guy Fieri loves to cook up more than Sashimi Won-Tacos or Guy-talian Fondue Dippers at his Vegas Kitchen & Bar in the Linq Hotel (at least until it temporarily closed when an employee tested positive for COVID-19), it’s a victory for the Las Vegas Raiders, his pro football side of choice.

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D. Ross Cameron The Associated Press Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby is not fazed by the coronavirus pandemic or an up-an-down first season. “It’s just about sticking to your guns,” the Eastern Michigan product says.