Interview with Oakland Raider Matt Shaughnessy

MATTHEW SHAUGHNESSY INTERVIEW

MP: Discuss your transition from college to the NFL. How is the playing style different and do you prepare or train yourself differently in the NFL?

Matt: It was pretty smooth. The veterans helped us out a lot. Training wise, it’s a little different. They aren’t watching us as much because it’s more of a business but they know we need to get our stuff done so we make sure everything gets taken care of.

MP: What has been your most memorable moment in an NFL game so far?

Matt: I’d say when we were playing the Steelers and we were going shot to shot with touchdowns. And I remember they were kicking off to us and they were playing the song “Hangman” in the fourth quarter with a couple second left and the terrible towels were going and the bass was pumping so that was pretty good.



MP: If you could pick one quarterback to sack, who would it be and why?

Matt: Tom Brady just because I’m from New England and it’d be great to tackle him.

MP: As a teammate with All-Pro cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, what makes the guy so special on the field?

Matt: He’s smart and athletic. He’s one of the fastest players on the team. If you know what’s coming and you have the speed to get there then that’s how you make plays and then people know to stay away from him because of that.

MP: What do the Oakland Raiders have you train that is different from what you did with Chip Smith for the NFL Combine?

Matt: Chip’s stuff was more geared towards getting ready for the Combine and what I do now with the Raiders is more specific for playing. Now I do a lot of core lifts like squats, cleans, bench. I do a lot of stuff for my shoulders, chest and legs.

MP: Who do you believe is the best all-around defensive end in the NFL?

Matt: Statistically, I believe it’s Jared Allen.

MP: Who is the toughest offensive lineman you ever went against or want to go against? Why is this so?

Matt: I always thought Joe Thomas was tough just because I played with him and learned a lot of stuff from him.

MP: What’s your favorite thing about playing for the Raiders and about the city of Oakland in general?

Matt: I just like being on the West Coast. In California, people are really nice out here and especially in Oakland there’s a lot of things to do. I’m only 15-20 minutes away from the city so it’s not so bad.

MP: How much and what do you eat throughout the day to maintain a proper weight for NFL standards?

Matt: We get breakfast, lunch and a snack during the week when we are preparing. At night I’d come home and make another snack. I’d probably take a nap until around nine and then eat again.

MP: How has your family helped you become the person that you are?

Matt: They helped me with the way they raised me. If I did stuff wrong, they told me. They didn’t put me in a corner. Everything was handled right then and there. I got things that I needed but they didn’t spoil me.

MP: When your brother passed away, what valuable life lessons did you learn and how did this motivate you to become a better person and athlete?

Matt: I learned that life is short. You got to live it up while you can because you’ll never know what could happen to you.

MP: What do you enjoy doing on your spare time?

Matt: Shooting guns and hanging out with my friends and having a good time. Especially with playing football you don’t get a lot of time to hang out with them so I always like during the off-season to be able to come back and hang out with them.

MP: What are your thoughts on the Gilbert Arenas situation?

Matt: You shouldn’t bring guns into the locker-room. 

MP: How is your lifestyle different as a college athlete compared to a professional athlete and is there any temptations with coming along with being an NFL player?

Matt: I think there was more in college. With the apartment building I live in now, I thought it would be sweet and there would be chicks everywhere. No, I live next to two old people and I think I saw one hot chick in my building. In college they are everywhere because in college people are more likely to know who you are.

MP: What do you do in the off-season in order to get ready for training camp?

Matt: The main thing for me this year, especially since it was my first NFL season, I wanted to make sure everything that was bothering me was right. I took a few weeks to rest and then I got back into training slowly with dumbbells and squats without any weight and then doing agilities and stuff like that just to get ready.