Raiders Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis_ NFL's Underrated Special Teams Star

Mon, Aug 3, 2026

Video Transcript

Connor Hayward gets a lot of talk as a great fullback, running back, tight end, but a little underrated in special teams.

What do you like about him as a special teams guy?

Yeah, I mean, you know, he's a guy that there's not many.

If you asked everybody on this team, hey man, how many guys have blocked punts, there's maybe 2 or 3 guys on the whole team that have blocked a punt in an NFL game, and he's one of them.

So, uh, that's good to have.

And then he's just been a great.

Sounding board for the young guys too because he's already showed them how to work, how to do things the right way.

So really, really pleased with him.

You've worked with Matt previously a couple of years separated.

Is there any way that you've seen him grow now you're reunited with him?

Yeah, he's been hitting the ball really well today, you know, obviously we had a 2 minute.

It was a longer field goal.

One of my biggest things that I like to say is closer.

It was better.

We had a lot of penalties in that, uh, two-minute period to back him up, and when he hit the ball, we needed to hit right there.

So, uh, we'd like to get that one over, but other than that, I mean, he's had a great offseason, a great camp so far.

Uh, we just got to keep him in the right groove and, and hopefully get him back to where he was when I had him in LA.

What do you want to see from in order to earn a roster spot?

OK, to get a roster spot for Conte, uh, he's in the competition, so he's got to, you know, do a great job there.

But the great thing about his situation is, um, in the, uh, international part of it, there might be an extra spot for him depending upon how it is.

So hopefully he can show enough, which, you know, knock on wood, I hope he keeps showing what he's showing right now and hopefully we get a chance to keep him at the end of game, which would be great.

Would you say Conche, Con is pushing Matt?

Yes, yes, I would, yeah, I mean, I think it's a legitimate competition.