As a sixth-round draft pick out of tiny Georgia State, Raiders defensive tackle Christo Bilukidi arrived at training camp with the goal of getting noticed.
Bilukidi did exactly that Monday on the final snap of the Raiders’ first camp practice in Napa under new coach Dennis Allen.
The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Bilukidi stepped in front of a screen pass from quarterback Terrelle Pryor, intercepted and rumbled into the end zone.
“It’s big because, as a rookie, no matter what, you’re trying to make this team,” Bilukidi said. “Anything to impress these coaches is probably the No. 1 thing. Making plays everywhere around the field. Making plays is huge, but another big thing is hustling down the field --showing coaches that you want to play football, that you want to play for this team and that you want to make this 53-man roster.”
Bilukidi is built like anything but a defensive back, but he channeled his inner DB on that play.
“I just read it,” he said. “It seemed like everything that coach was teaching us, how to read plays, how to read the offense, saw it was a screen. I just backed up and then just had to make a play.
“I played a little tight end when I was back in high school, so, yeah, the hands are a little bit there.”
Bilukidi got a late start in football. He was born in Angola, the son of an Angolan diplomat, and lived in France and Brazil before settling in Canada. He’s fluent in English and French. He played high school football at St. Patrick’s High School in Ottawa, Ontario. After two seasons at Eastern Arizona Junior College, he played two at Georgia State, recording 89 tackles and 10 sacks.
Under the new CBA, teams can’t practice in full pads until their third day in camp. The Raiders will undergo their second non-pad practice on Tuesday afternoon. Bilukidi can't wait to show his coaches what he can do when the full-body collisions begin.
“It’s going to get real, it’s going to get even faster, it’s going to get more physical,” Bilukidi said. “Pads will really show who can play football and who can make this 53-man roster.
“I’m real excited. I haven’t been in pads since November – that’s when I ended my season at Georgia State. So I’m really excited to get into pads and show these coaches what I can do.”
Follow Raiders reporter Eric Gilmore on Twitter: @CBSSportsNFLOAK.