'Anything is possible': Inspired by Hispanic trailblazers Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett, Raiders QBs coach Mike Sullivan comes full circle

Growing up in the 1980s in Lompoc, Calif., some 150 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Mike Sullivan felt a certain kinship to the guys who wore Silver and Black and called the L.A. Memorial Coliseum home at the time.

Especially for the duo holding the two most high-profile on-field jobs for the Raiders then - the coach and the quarterback.

Tom Flores and Jim Plunkett.

"It was special, being a Raider fan in general, but to see those two men, those two great men, that look like uncles or cousins, it added a little bit more," Sullivan said with a knowing smile. "Because it just creates that sense of pride and just excitement. That's my team and there's two people that look like a lot of my family that are on that team, and doing very, very well."

Better than that, actually.

Six days shy of his 17th birthday, Sullivan was a junior at Cabrillo High School when Flores and Plunkett helped lead the Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII, their second Lombardi Trophy in four seasons.

Sullivan, whose maternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Sonora, Mexico, was hooked.

"It makes a big impression because it's important [to know] that hard work and dedication and faith and, you know, one of the things my mom instilled in me was - I mean, she loved this country, but she was very proud of her Mexican heritage - that anything is possible, and dreams can come true. And to see those two men being so successful on my favorite team was very inspirational."

Inspired by the quarterback and head coach on his favorite team then, imagine Sullivan's satisfaction now, as he currently serves as that same team's quarterbacks coach.

It not only gives Sullivan an opportunity to work with a wily 15th-year veteran in Kirk Cousins, who is tied for the NFL lead with nine touchdown passes, but also rookie Fernando Mendoza, the first Hispanic QB to win the Heisman Trophy and be drafted No. 1 overall since…Plunkett in 1971.

All while Sullivan wears a patch of the Mexican flag on his left arm on gameday as part of the league's Heritage Program.

Indeed, that was Sullivan telling a mic'd up Cousins, "Tranquilo," or, "Don't worry," in the season opener. Sometimes he'll tell both Cousins and Mendoza, "Adelante," or, "Move forward, in the pocket," be it in games or practice.

Mendoza, meanwhile, said he "appreciates" Sullivan not only as a "great coach" but as a "great mentor" to him.

"To have the similarities between backgrounds, with being both from Hispanic descent, is something that I take a lot of respect and pride in," Mendoza said. "He has had a fantastic career and been able to do it at the highest level from Hispanic descent, it's something that I respect.

"It's funny that he's able to cut through the grain in Spanish with those quotes, because 99.9% of the time you hear English and then when he says something in Spanish, it's the same message but it hits a little differently and it resonates different."

As Sullivan put it, he "kind of stumbled" into coaching as a profession.

After all, he had already played football as a receiver, defensive back and special teams ace at Army and graduated from West Point as an Infantry Officer in 1989. He later finished Army Airborne School, Ranger School and Air Assault School before being stationed with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii.

"It was kind of a natural transition to kind of get back in the sport that meant a lot to me when I played in college," Sullivan said. "And then thinking about the leadership principles that would apply.

"There were definitely a couple of guys, certainly Coach Flores, if I was going to get into coaching, I mean he certainly set the bar very, very high with winning two Super Bowls. Certainly a great role model."

Sullivan's coaching career began in 1993 and included college stops at Humboldt State, Army, Youngstown State, his alma mater again and Ohio before the NFL beckoned in 2001.

He has worked for the Jaguars, Giants, Buccaneers, Giants for a second tour (he won a pair of Super Bowl rings with New York), Broncos and Steelers as everything from a quality control coach to a receivers coach to offensive coordinator before joining Klint Kubiak's staff this offseason.

Kubiak, 20 years and 20 days Sullivan's junior, cited Sullivan's "experience" as a major draw.

"I've been in many quarterback meetings with Mike, going back to days in Denver, and I learned so much football from him," Kubiak said. "And now he's pouring into our quarterbacks. Extremely hard worker. Obviously, Coach Sullivan is a former Army Ranger, so he doesn't mess around."

The discipline, Sullivan said, came from his mother Enriqueta Álvarez Guerrero Sullivan, who passed away nine months ago.

"These games so far this year have been the only ones where I haven't been able to call [her] and get the blessing in Spanish," he said. "She would always, we'd pray and she'd pray for me in Spanish. I still hear it, but I miss it and I know she's up in heaven and putting in a good word with the Almighty.

"She's a Raider fan, too, now up there. But that stays with you, and I miss that."​

Guerrero, his late mother's maiden name, is Spanish for "warrior," and that description flows easily from and for Sullivan.

Especially since he's part of a coaching fraternity - Latino coaches - that make up less than 3% of NFL assistants. As such, he takes immense pride in representation.

With a caveat.

"I think it's important that everything is done in the right manner and that it's for the right reasons - that it's about the team first, it's about hard work, it's about doing everything possible to get the best out of the players," Sullivan said.

"And if it's possible to set that example and then, oh, by the way, there's some young man out there, a young woman out there that wants to get into coaching and they happen to be a Latino, if they can see, 'Hey, there's someone that has that same background and can be a source of inspiration or a role model, set an example,' that's all the much more rewarding."

Like Flores and Plunkett were for Sullivan.

Flores said last week he would like to meet Sullivan one day.

Plunkett said he was honored to be thought of in such a manner.

"That's very kind of him," Plunkett said. "I appreciate it very much.

"I'm very proud that Hispanic people looked up to me. I just hope it shows that if there's something you want to accomplish and you're willing to do the work, it can happen."

Plunkett is preaching to the choir for Sullivan, who has remained as grounded as he is appreciative.

"I mean, I think that I have stress, trying to help put together the red-zone game plan and working with the quarterbacks and trying to do those things," Sullivan said with a laugh. "And yet, just to survive in the struggle, to make ends meet and try to provide for a family and to assimilate into a new country and learn the language and the obstacles that my grandparents overcame, certainly my mom, [that's stress].

"Again, hard work is just so synonymous with everything that she was and valued and instilled in me that it remains with me very strong to this day."