Bilukidi makes big impression to end first practice

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NAPA -- There were 89 players in the Raiders' first practice of training camp on Monday. There are 53 roster sports for the regular season.So yeah, it would behoove a younger, not-yet-established guy to make a play here and there to get in the coaches' consciousness.Ending the first practice with a pick-six would seem to do the trick, as sixth-round draft pick Christo Bilukidi did in sniffing out a Terrelle Pryor screen."Yeah, I just read it," Bilukidi 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."But Bilukidi was drafted out of Georgia State as a defensive tackle, not as a pass catcher, so the Raiders are invested in him. But making a memorable play can only help, right?"Yeah, its big because, as a rookie, no matter what, youre trying to make this team," he 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."It was only Day 1, but it seemed Bilukidi was on the right track and the stakes are raised."Exactly, because now the pads are going to come out in like two days from now," he said. "Its going to get real, its going to get even faster, its going to get more physical. So, now you really got to showwere not even in pads. Im not saying it doesnt count, but now pads will really show who can play football and who can make this 53-man roster."

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