From Canada to Las Vegas: Raiders receiver living the dream

Tyreik McAllister, the longest of long shots, is trying to make the most of his opportunity.

The former Canadian Football League standout with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats is now hoping to contribute in the NFL as a wide receiver and kick returner for the Raiders.

McAllister, 26, previously spent time on the Broncos’ practice squad. But he made a name for himself — and his lightning speed — with Hamilton.

He was the CFL’s leader in kick return average and all-purpose yards last season.

The Review-Journal sat down with McAllister this week to learn a little more about him:

RJ: Forget about the coffee and delicious hot chocolate. What was it like playing at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton?

McAllister: “I liked it. It was a nice stadium. Especially, coming in and what I had heard about the CFL, I didn’t know what to really expect. I was surprised at how nice things were.”

RJ: From a small town in South Carolina to living in Canada. Culture shock?

McAllister: “It’s a little different. A lot colder up there. When I first got there, a lot of people were telling me about something called Poutine (french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy). I had never heard about it. Actually, it was pretty good. I still put gravy on my fries sometimes now. It was good. They had a lot of low-key restaurants there that I had no idea about. But the food was good.”

RJ: Will you be frustrated if teams keep kicking away from you this season?

McAllister: “I will be, man. I put a lot of hard work into my craft. Yeah, I understand it to some degree. But we’re all professionals. Hopefully, they trust their guys enough to kick it to me.”

RJ: What was the coldest game you played in Canada?

McAllister: “We actually didn’t get that cold during the season. It was probably a playoff game in Montreal. It was like 30 degrees. Not too bad.”

RJ: Would you choose 110 degrees here or 30 there?

McAllister: “That’s tough. I enjoy the warm weather, but 110 is crazy. I’d choose the 30.”

RJ: Best part about Las Vegas?

McAllister: “I’d have to say the food again. There’s a lot of different varieties of it and I like trying new stuff. I like to eat.”

RJ: You played college ball at Division II Charleston. Tell us about your journey from there to the NFL.

McAllister: “It’s a tough journey. It’s a long journey. Especially taking the route I did. It’s a process. You’re going to have some down days and some up days. You just have to stay even-keeled and keep going, no matter what.

“You dream of it, but it’s difficult. One percent of one percent make it. Division II — you rarely ever see it. So being here with the Raiders is a blessing. Every day I get here and put the pads on, I’m just grateful.”

RJ: You grew up in Latta, South Carolina. What do we need to know about it?

McAllister: “A very small town. I think we have one stoplight. Everybody knows everybody. It’s out in the country. It was fun, actually. Some schools kids go to, you probably see people every other day. We saw everyone, my friends, every day. I enjoyed it. I have people there that will be my friends forever.”

RJ: Do you have any game-day superstitions?

McAllister: “Not really. On game days, I like to listen to calming music before I go out and start running routes. Calm my nerves and don’t get too hyped before the game.”

RJ: Best thing about about being an NFL player?

McAllister: “Everything, honestly. Just being here, looking at the facilities, the stadiums you get to go into. My biggest thing is the camaraderie of the players around me. They come from all different places with different stories. You get to bond with each other. That’s one of the most important things for me being here.”

Contact Ed Graney at egraney@reviewjournal.com. Follow @edgraney on X.