Jags coach Marrone recalls Raiders’ Davis
Shared link with late owner as Syracuse alums
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Doug Marrone is coach of the Jaguars , but he has plenty of history with the Raiders organization.
In 1986, the Raiders drafted the offensive lineman in the sixth round. While Marrone didn’t make the roster, he has positive impressions from his time with the organization
He was always good to me.”
Even when Marrone just stopped to say hello.
“Even near the end, obviously, he was very, very sharp. He was sharp enough that the first time I walked in, he said, ‘If you’re coming here and looking for me to donate money, you’re in the wrong (expletive) place,’ ” Marrone said with a laugh. “That was exactly what my intention was, so right off the bat he just threw it right out there.”
Renfrow returns to practice
Right tackle Trent Brown did not participate in practice Thursday for the Raiders, but rookie wide receiver Hunter Renfrow did.
Renfrow, who is recovering from injured ribs, was on the field for stretching and caught passes during the open portion of practice — his first in two weeks. He’s missed the last two games against the Chiefs and Titans.
He was hurt in the Week 12 loss to the Jets. Coach Jon Gruden has said the club hopes to have Renfrow back for the final two games against the Chargers and Broncos.
Brown, however, remains sidelined with a pectoral injury that kept him out of last week’s loss to the Titans.
Also, neither right guard Gabe Jackson (knee) nor linebacker Marquel Lee (toe) participated in Thursday’s session.
Whitehead Walter Payton nominee
Linebacker Tahir Whitehead was named the Raiders’ 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award nominee on Thursday.
Each team nominates one player for the honor, which is designed to recognize outstanding achievement on and off the field. The Raiders cited Whitehead’s charitable endeavors — including his participation in the Crucial Catch initiative for cancer awareness, hospital visits and support of homeless veterans — as examples of his leadership off the field. On it, Whitehead has taken over as the Raiders’ defensive signal-caller since the suspension of Vontaze Burfict and leads the team in tackles.
“For me, obviously, it’s one of the biggest honors in the NFL that you can be nominated for, and it’s extremely humbling,” Whitehead said Thursday. “At the end of the day, we’re mentors in every sense of the word. And as much as some guys don’t want to be, we’re put in certain positions that you have to be that shining light, that inspiration for those who aspire to get to this level. So for me, it’s always been you’ve got to give back.”
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Simmons at msimmons@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0350. Follow @ Mylesasimmons on Twitter.