Raiders’ North team sticks it to South in Senior Bowl win

MOBILE, Ala. — A grinning Jon Gruden reached into a pocket in his black sweatpants.

Sticker time.

Quarterback Daniel Jones capped a 10-play, 84-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown in the third quarter, providing a spark for the North All-Star squad that the Raiders coached at the Senior Bowl. Jones jogged to the sideline where Gruden found him, slapping a Raiders logo sticker onto the front-left side of his blue Duke helmet.

This was the incentive system.

Make a play. Look more like a Raider.

Former Delaware safety Nasir Adderely was the first to three stickers following a fourth-quarter interception. His takeaway set up a 21-yard touchdown for ex-Memphis running back Tony Pollard, icing a 34-24 win over the South on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Raiders coaches, seizing a chance to promote their program, dispensed dozens of stickers to North players for standout plays.

Gruden, defensive coordinator Paul Guenther and special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia handled the assignment. It started in the pregame locker room when Adderley, former North Carolina State center Garrett Bradbury and ex-Notre Dame linebacker Drue Tranquill were named captains. Each had a Raiders logo placed on the right side of their college helmet.

“It was one of my great ideas of all time,” Gruden with a smile. “Look, this is about building relationships. This whole business is about that. We had a lot of fun with these young players, and we wanted to showcase them the best way we could, and to give them a little credit after making a big play is another way to do that.”

Players seemed to embrace the concept.

Jones, who finished 8-of-11 for 115 yards and a touchdown, called the sticker reward “pretty cool.”

The Raiders’ equipment staff made customized long-sleeve shirts for every North player, who wore the gear during a Friday walkthrough. The shirts resembled a jersey, as they featured Raiders colors, a jersey number on the shirt’s back, and the player’s last name above the number. Team hats and team T-shirts were distributed during the week, too.

Adderley, a possible first-round pick, left the stadium Saturday wearing his Raiders hat and shirt.

It is unclear how early in the April 25 to 27 draft the team desires to invest in a safety. But the club possesses four selections in the top 35 picks, including No. 24, 27 and 35 overall.

“We wanted to treat them like they were our players,” Gruden said. ‘We wanted to hold them to our standards. We’re also trying to sell our brand. We’re trying to make a comeback with the Raiders. We’ve got a long way to go, but we’re proud of the Silver and Black. We’re proud of it. Hopefully some of these guys had a great experience. That was the goal when we got here.”

So was player evaluation.

The Raiders were impressed with a number of individuals. Those included former Massachusetts wide receiver Andy Isabella, who totaled seven catches for 74 yards and a touchdown along with a 14-yard run. He was named the “North Most Outstanding Player.” Dalton Risner, an offensive tackle from Kansas State who could play inside in the NFL, shut down Montez Sweat, a Mississippi State standout who was considered the top edge rusher here.

Pollard finished with eight rushes for 60 yards and the aforementioned score.

While various players left an impression on the Raiders, so did the Raiders on them.

“I grew up a Broncos fan, right?” Risner said. “But I got around Coach Gruden, and I just like the mentality of the team. They’re a team that is no nonsense. ‘Let’s just go after guys and play tough football,’ and I love that. I think that’s just my style of play. I think (we) really hit it off. … I’d be so happy if I had an opportunity to be coached by those guys.”

Maybe he’ll stick.

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