Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr hopes his words can fire up the team's rookies.

Carr gave a motivational speech during the Raiders Rookie Academy on May 24. He said the players who excel pay attention to the little things. Carr said, “Every single thing that they do matters to them (via 247Sports.com's John Newby).” That includes attending meetings “no one wants to be at.”

Carr said he knows what some of the greatest athletes do during their off time – their nutrition habits and what they do at night, among other things. Ultimately, Carr said rookies who play to the best of their abilities impress him the most, per Newby.

“And I sit there and say, ‘Man, what a shame it is that we'll never see the best version of that guy.' Hall of Famers even. Everyone is like, ‘Hall of Fame and all that.' I'm not really impressed by all that. I'm not impressed by that stuff.

“What I'm impressed with is a first-round pick or an undrafted free agent that just busts their tail and maximizes every ounce of ability that God gave them.”

Carr has raised the bar for the Oakland rookies. He's just 340 yards and 29 touchdowns shy of eclipsing the late Ken Stabler (19,078 yards and 150 touchdowns) in the franchise record books, per 247Sports.com.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Joe Alt

Benedetto Vitale ·

Georgia Tight end Brock Bowers, Raiders

Shane Shoemaker ·

Photo: Michael Penix Jr throwing football, Mel Kiper Jr with peeping eyes looking at him, 2024 NFL Draft logo in background

Quinn Allen ·

The Raiders' draft picks this year include Clelin Ferrell, Josh Jacobs, Johnathan Abram, Trayvon Mullen, Maxx Crosby, Isaiah Johnson, Foster Moreau, Hunter Renfrow, and Quinton Bell.

Oakland seeks to bounce back from a dismal 4-12 (.250) campaign in 2019. The Raiders' rookies will play an integral role in their rebuilding efforts. Hopefully, Carr's words resonate with the first-year players for the long haul.