Nnamdi Asomugha is known as one of the NFL's great cornerbacks. The former Raider and current Eagle owes much of that status to Al Davis, who recognized the raw talent of the former Cal safety. Our colleagues with Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia caught up with him Saturday, shorting after he learned of Al Davis' passing.
What did he mean to you as a player?
"It was a shock to hear this morning. Obviously I was saddened by it. I was just walking around in the morning, getting ready to go out to walk-through and then one of the players saw it on the news and told me. I tried to reach out to some guys to see how everything going. It was tough."
When you think about game-changing people, a lot of people think of the name Al Davis in terms of being an innovator and a name that's larger than life and football. I would think you see it the same way.
"Yeah, absolutely. His name will be the first that you hear. He's done so much for the game, obviously, and giving so many people opportunities -- before him, those opportunities weren't there. Obviously I'm one of those people. He took a chance on me when not too many other people were doing that. He was, throughout my career, just a great advisor and a great coach for me, and a great owner. So it's tough."
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Do you think he was misunderstood in a lot of ways? A lot of people saw him in a negative light.
"Well, I never saw him in that negative light so I don't know what they understood. I think from the outside you can always think whatever you want until you meet a guy and you know a guy. I've had nothing but the most respect for him and I've said it my entire career, so it's nothing new to anyone. He was, like I said, a great advisor to me, my entire time that I've known him.