LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft in Las Vegas, former Raiders quarterback Jay Schroeder walks 100-yards with me reflecting on when he was drafted to the NFL.
Tina Nguyen: We're hanging out with former Raiders QB Jay Schroeder. Jay. First off, how long have you been out here in Las Vegas?
Jay Schroeder: I've been out here about three years full-time in Vegas. I was in St. George before. So spent time down here coming, going back and forth. So glad to be here.
Nguyen: You've seen the Raiders go from LA, Oakland, and now Las Vegas, what's that been like?
Schroeder: Oh, it's been a whirlwind. You know, because everywhere you think it's gonna be the permanent home. I truly believe that Vegas is now the permanent home.
Nguyen: You went in the third round of the 1984 NFL Draft. What was getting that phone call from Washington like for you?
Schroeder: It was funny. I was at my parents' house. I got the phone call. And we were watching was the first year that ESPN did the draft. And they announced Chris Berman. I remember him saying 'and the Washington Redskins, select Jay Schroeder. And we'll go to commercial.' They had nothing on me. Okay, because I hadn't been playing. So it was pretty hilarious, you know, to watch that.
Nguyen: For the guys that are going through the draft this year, give us some insight as to maybe what they're going through (and) what the process is like.
Schroeder: It's absolutely crazy because you know if your agents calling you or somebody's calling you and say 'hey, you know the Browns', 'the Bengals,' you know somebody's after you. You try to run all these scenarios through your mind, and at the end of it, you got to let all that go.
Nguyen: Well, Jay, as you approach the end zone right here on my last question for you, is for the guys that are in this draft class that will be playing in the NFL one day, what's your best advice to them?
Schroeder: Enjoy each and every moment. If you're lucky enough to play long enough, you're gonna get hurt. You just hope that it's not serious, you know that you can continue, but it is a blessing. I try to remind everybody to remember the fans. They are the ones who are there, they're the ones that get you excited in the game. So treat them right.
