The Las Vegas Raiders went through a very unfortunate injury situation last game in their loss to the Carolina Panthers. Not only did they lose an embarrassing game, but they lost their vocal leader and veteran in the secondary Marcus Epps , who tore his ACL. That meant that safety Isaiah Pola-Mao had to step up.
And he did just that.
Pola-Mao finished with a sack on Deshaun Watson that resulted in a loss for eight yards and then tallied six tackles with a crucial pass breakup late in the game, too. He was on another level and played better than I think most expected him to play in his first-ever start. And, he will be rewarded on Monday with the best gift anyone can get -- the gift of being a parent.
"I tried my hardest. It's especially tough with my son on the way (Monday) tomorrow," Pola-Mao said after the game in the locker room. "So, now that this (first NFL start) is over, I can start looking forward to that."
Pola-Mao is young and is going to be a very good player in this league. And, he seems like a nice enough young man that he'll be a great father too. Raider Nation will be sure to congratulate him and his family on not only having a huge game but becoming a father as well.
Then, next week, he could be ready to go against the Denver Broncos on the road. If not, it will be next man up mentality just like it was for him.
