Las Vegas Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby recently made a trip with friends back to Oakland, where he began his NFL career.
With the NBA’s All-Star festivities taking place at the Chase Center and Crosby being a big NBA fan, he felt it appropriate to return to the Bay.
Crosby has grown as a football player and a person since his career began in Oakland. Sometimes, it’s good to sit and reflect on how far you’ve come.
Crosby reflected on where his career began and where he is now on the latest episode of his podcast, The Rush.
“It’s just crazy, bro,” he said. “I think certain s— happens for a reason. Timing is everything in life. I feel like that’s something even this year, 2025, you can’t control everything, and the more you’re trying to micro-manage and control your scenarios, situations, and how you want things to happen, you’re just creating stress that you have that literally is a waste of energy.
Us coming out here and doing this; it felt like it’s meant to be like we were supposed to come out here this offseason and kind of go back to square one where we started. When we found out All-Star Weekend was here, I’m like, ‘We’re going.’ I told y’all, and you were like, ‘Okay, it’s kind of two weeks away.’ I’m like, ‘We’re going.’”
Crosby said he felt like he needed to be in Oakland. He has some bad memories from his time there, but returning feels empowering.
“It’s so many memories,” he said. “We got picked up, and we’re seeing the ‘Welcome to Oakland’ sign, drove by the Coliseum, the Oracle, that’s really where it all started. You’re scared of certain places because of your last memory there. Plenty of times, being in Oakland, being out here, I had a lot of bad memories. Going out, I was damn near at my worst.
I think time heals, but also addressing and going back to places you’re like, ‘I’ll never go back. I’ll never show face back in Miami or Oakland.’ But being able to go back in a completely different headspace, the growth in my life, it’s been so dope.”
Crosby has improved his life since entering the league in 2019. He felt free to return to where it all started.
You can watch the full episode of his podcast here.
