At the end of practice Wednesday at the Payton Center, left tackle Charles Leno joined his offensive linemates in enthusiastically greeting members of Simeon high school’s football team on the sidelines. They weren’t just going through the motions. They were lovin’ it.
“Yeah, man,” Leno said, “I remember when I was in middle school and high school and I went to the Raiders’ practice and saw those guys play. It gave me a little extra motivation. So I just had to go over there and show them.”
Leno, who graduated from San Leandro (Calif.) High School in 2009, couldn’t help but notice the impact being at an NFL practice had on those Simeon kids.