Time couldn't tick slower for Brock Bowers as he awaited his name being called last Thursday.
He paced back and forth throughout his house for the better part of an hour, walking between his living room – packed with his family and friends – and his bedroom which his mother, DeAnna Bowers, labeled his draft "safe room." After the Los Angeles Chargers selected Joe Alt with the fifth overall pick, Bowers thought he could potentially hear his name called by the New York Jets. They instead traded back to No. 11 and selected tackle Olumuyiwa Fashanu.
The Denver Broncos, on the clock after the Jets, also expressed interest in Bowers during the draft process. They ultimately decided to go with quarterback Bo Nix. Between picks five through 12, Bowers understandably spent more time in his safe room than his living room.
With the Las Vegas Raiders on the clock at No. 13, there was a general consensus in the house that the Silver and Black would go after a defensive player.
But Raiders brass saw that the best player available on their draft board was seemingly too good to pass up.
"It was crazy. Never really expected the Raiders to call," Bowers told Raiders.com. "I was sitting there anxiously and then Las Vegas popped up on my phone. Then it all hit me. It was crazy. My agent said, 'They're probably drafting a defensive guy.' And literally as soon as he says that, the call pops up and it says Las Vegas."
After answering the call, he frantically got himself together on the couch with his parents, sister and girlfriend. With the broadcast still showing the upcoming Broncos pick, his friends passed him a Denver hat believing that's where the call was just from. He quickly tossed the hat aside, requesting it be switched out for the Silver and Black hat, kicking off a celebration within the Bowers' home in Fairfield, California. It was a team familiar with Bowers from his days attending Redwood Middle School in Napa, California, where the Oakland Raiders held Training Camp for nearly 25 years.
"The Raiders treated the Napa community really, really well," DeAnna said. "They did a lot of outreach with the kids in the community and brought them in to watch practice and they got to interact with the players. I was a teacher there when they used to come in for camp. They let the youth use the fields and it was the best fields in all of Napa with the grass trimmed just right. We have good memories of watching them there."
"They would always open up the gates to bring youth football players in," said Warren Bowers, Brock's father. "Always let them show up to be a part of it for the day. All access, tons of interactions with the players. It was really special. It built a really good bond between the community and the Raiders."
The Raiders' first-round pick and his parents boarded a non-stop, hour long flight from the Bay to Las Vegas the next day. His parents expressed their gratitude with the much shorter travel time to Las Vegas than Athens, Georgia, where their son won two national championships.
On a rare Friday morning with rain showers in the desert, the Bowers walked through the front door of Intermountain Health Performance Center for the first time. There to greet them was Head Coach Antonio Pierce, who then introduced the family to General Manager Tom Telesco and Assistant General Manager Champ Kelly.
As the Bowers walked back downstairs before lunch, Pierce was adamant the tight end make a quick pit stop by The Raider Image. He wanted to make sure he had enough new swag before he met Raider Nation for the first time. Bowers decided to go with a classic look, picking up a silver Starter Secret Weapon bomber jacket and a Raiders golf hat.
After lunch with the Raiders player engagement department, he addressed the media in person for the first time as a Raider. While keeping his answers short and sweet, he made it clear he's going to be all about ball in Vegas.
"Football has always kind of been in the back of my mind," the rookie said. "I remember watching NFL games on Sunday, Monday, and playing catch in the living room just watching games and being like, 'Man, I want to be there one day.' I think it all got kind of real after my freshman year in college and I was like, 'Man, I have a shot at this, to go do it and live out my dream.'
"I feel like I'm a hard-working guy and am always competing. I love to compete. I feel like that's something I bring to the table every day in practice; I'm going to be trying to just win every rep."
While he'd already been outfitted with a Raiders jacket, now it was time to try on the famed silver helmet. As he made his way to the equipment room, he also stopped by the weight room to meet some of his new teammates including cornerback Jack Jones, David Agoha, Janarius Robinson and Elerson Smith.
But there were even more people to meet on the indoor field. At the first ever draft pick welcome party held at Raiders HQ, Bowers stepped onto a stage to address hundreds of fans as well as local middle school students, getting his first taste of Raider Nation. After a quick speech, the students flocked to Bowers for photos and autographs. He and Jones also threw the ball around with some of them.
He had one final boss to shake hands with before he left the practice facility: Raiders Owner Mark Davis.
"We're really excited about this and I hope you are too," Davis emphasized. "We are a family. Family is really important to us, and the future looks bright."
He finished out the day by seeing his new digs: Allegiant Stadium. It was there he received a first look at his NFL locker and uniform, and took a moment to survey the field he hopes to makes plays on for years to come.
"It feels good being here," said Bowers. "It feels homey. I'm just excited to get back to football. There couldn't be a better place."
View the best photos from Las Vegas Raiders 2024 first-round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers' first day in Las Vegas.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers arrives to Intermountain Health Performance Center following his selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers arrives to Intermountain Health Performance Center following his selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers arrives to Intermountain Health Performance Center following his selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers and Head Coach Antonio Pierce during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Assistant General Manager Champ Kelly greets first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers records a podcast in Cox Studios at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers records a podcast in Cox Studios at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers records a podcast in Cox Studios at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers interviews after a press conference at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers interviews after a press conference at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers poses for a photo at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers poses for a photo at Las Vegas Raiders Headquarters.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers meets defensive end Janarius Robinson (97), defensive lineman David Agoha (62) and linebacker Elerson Smith (92) during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers meets cornerback Jack Jones (18) during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers is interviewed by broadcaster JT the Brick during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers poses for a photo with fans during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers poses for a photo with fans during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers poses for a photo with the Raiderettes during the Raiders Draft Pick Welcome Party Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers tries on a helmet in the equipment room during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers tries on a helmet in the equipment room during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers tries on a helmet in the equipment room during a tour of Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers and his parents during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
Las Vegas Raiders first round draft pick tight end Brock Bowers during a tour of Allegiant Stadium.
