Kidney stone doesn’t keep Raiders center Rodney Hudson off field

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Rodney Hudson left no doubt leading up to Sunday.

He was good to go.

Never mind the kidney stone. Never mind the excruciating pain. The Raiders center notified coach Jack Del Rio that he would be available for a crucial game against the Dallas Cowboys.

And, as promised, he ran out of the stadium tunnel Sunday night at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, not missing an offensive snap for a 30th straight regular-season game. Victory did not follow — the Raiders lost 20-17 — but acknowledgement came Thursday when he received something he hadn’t all season.

Rest.

On Thursday afternoon, Hudson missed a game-week practice for the first time all season. He was listed on the injury report with an illness and ankle injury, but neither is expected to keep the team co-captain off the field Monday evening against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hudson is regarded within the Raiders’ organization for his preparation, consistency and toughness.

With the kidney stone situation, he reaffirmed the third.

“It definitely didn’t affect him on the field,” quarterback Derek Carr said Thursday. “It affected him the night before and the morning of and the pregame and all of that, but thank the Lord that whatever reason he was able to play. I don’t know of very many people that could have done that. … For him to be able to do that, he’s one of the toughest people I’ve ever been around.”

Said Del Rio: “Pretty remarkable for a guy to be there for his teammates. There was never doubt. It was like, ‘Hey, are you going to be OK?’ He was like, ‘I’m playing.’ From the very beginning, it was like, ‘I’m going, I’m going to be there.’ … I really admire when a guy goes above and beyond like that.”

Naturally, the offensive line carried a different look Thursday.

The Raiders practiced without two of the position group’s three Pro Bowl selections. Left tackle Donald Penn underwent foot surgery earlier in the day and will miss the remainder of the season. He called the procedure “very successful” on Twitter. In his absence, rookie fourth-round pick David Sharpe took some reps at first-team left tackle.

In Hudson’s void, a new addition to the 53-man roster worked overtime. James Stone was promoted from the practice squad Wednesday.

Stone was the team’s only true center on the field Thursday. Jon Feliciano, the team’s top reserve at center and both guard positions, has returned to concussion protocol. He initially was diagnosed with a concussion from a Dec. 10 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. He cleared protocol in time to face the Cowboys, but his symptoms have returned.

Fortunately for the Raiders, Stone has been with the team since Sept. 4, long enough to see how Hudson works.

“Rodney, first of all, he is the staple that’s holding this thing together,” offensive coordinator Todd Downing said this month. “He is so smart and so gifted in terms of (identifying) defenses and making the protection calls and the run game calls and all that. He is a tireless studier, a guy that just works and grinds and is a great example to those around him. But I think that you’ve seen him grow in his comfort level even in the things we’re doing schematically, so that he’s able to ID things properly, get us into the right spots and right combinations.

“He’s a warrior. He’s an old soul. You spend some time around him, and you feel like you’re talking to your 50-year-old uncle. He’s definitely a guy that kind of is the glue of this thing.”

Hudson is one of 14 NFL centers who have blocked on 500 or more pass plays in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus.

The stat service defines a quarterback pressure as a hit, hurry or sack allowed. The other 13 qualifying centers have allowed an average of 17½ quarterback pressures. The Los Angeles Chargers’ Spencer Pulley has yielded the most at 33. The Seattle Seahawks’ Justin Britt and Miami Dolphins’ Mike Pouncey have ceded the fewest among the 13 at nine.

Then, there’s Hudson. He’s allowed one in 529 tries.

It’s no accident.

”The things that people don’t get to see is what he can do mentally,” Del Rio said. “Obviously, you can’t see that, but when certain things happen and certain blitzes are picked up and things like that, that’s a lot of hard work. I’ve never been around a guy that studies as much as a quarterback. … He’s one of those guys. The way he watches film and prepares, not only for his individual matchups, but the way he can study a defensive coordinator, it’s very special. He’s the best in football.”

Among the toughest, too.

Contact reporter Michael Gehlken at mgehlken@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GehlkenNFL on Twitter.