There was only one thought running through the mind of Las Vegas Raiders rookie safety Treydan Stukes as the ball floated toward him during the third quarter of his NFL debut on Sunday.
“Just don’t drop it,” Stukes laughed as he reflected on securing his first career interception in a 27-13 win over the Miami Dolphins at Allegiant Stadium.
He wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip away.
Stukes drifted back to the middle of the field as Miami quarterback Malik Willis tried to air out a deep ball in the direction of Caleb Douglas, but it landed in the waiting arms of Stukes for the Raiders’ first forced turnover of the season.
“The coaches are always preaching to make the plays that come to you,” Stukes said. “When you’re in position and have the chance to make a big play, go make it. That’s pretty much it.”
Stukes made the most of the big moment and made his debut one he will remember forever.
“It’s a fantastic feeling,” he said. “I’m super excited to share it with these guys, this team. I’ll go talk to my family after and go relish in that excitement a bit. But it’s on to the next. We have a long season ahead.”
Stukes showed he will be a big part of the defense in his first season.
He was the only Raiders rookie to start on opening day and made the most of his opportunity, adding five tackles to his interception.
Stukes, who turned 25 on Friday, knew it would be an emotional day as he took the field in an NFL game for the first time.
The Arizona alum hoped to harness that emotion and channel it in a positive direction. It sure looked like the plan worked.
“I knew I was going to come in pretty juiced up with a lot of nervous energy,” Stukes said. “But I found a good way to harness it and understand I had that energy because I want to do well and I know I prepared so I can fall back on my training. But you try to get that energy and that excitement and use it to my advantage to go out there and play fast and fly around.”
Stukes credited his teammates and the scheme for helping put him in position to come down with an interception.
“I’m happy to share it with my teammates because the glory goes to them,” he said. “I don’t make that play without the other 10 guys on the field. I’m just excited to get the first win at home and keep stacking.”
It’s not a very common occurrence, however.
Stukes, a second-round pick, became the first Raiders rookie to record an interception in his debut since Vann McElroy in 1982.
“That’s a cool accolade,” he said. “I’m happy to make a little mark in Raiders history, for sure.”
He’s the sixth Raiders rookie in franchise history to record an interception in his debut and the third NFL rookie since 2024 to have one in his debut.
For Stukes, the most important thing was recording a victory and establishing a foundation for the season on defense.
“We just kept preaching fundamentals and technique,” he said. “I think we played with a mentality that we set the standard a long time ago, and the guys did a great job holding to that. I think there’s plenty to build on and plenty to correct, but the mentality and style of play are there.
“Now we have to build on it.”
Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.
