Amik Robertson, the Las Vegas Raiders’ fourth-round pick (139th overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft, was a player the team hoped could develop into a starter or at least a key contributor. Selected out of Louisiana Tech, the cornerback showed flashes of potential during his four-year stint with the Silver and Black, but his tenure was far from smooth. After his rookie contract expired, the Raiders opted not to extend his deal, allowing him to sign with the Detroit Lions. Now, in a candid interview on the “St. Brown Podcast,” Robertson has opened up about his struggles in Las Vegas, the challenges he faced, and how he’s found a new home in Detroit.
Robertson’s transition from college to the NFL was anything but seamless. Coming from Louisiana, the bright lights and fast-paced environment of Las Vegas were a culture shock. “I don’t really gamble,” Robertson admitted, reflecting on his early years with the Raiders. “Before, I was like, partying, I’m going to be honest, I was doing that my first two years. I was doing that a lot. But it’s the reason why I was doing that, too. I don’t want to go in too deep. Vegas was tough.”
While Robertson takes accountability for his off-field choices, he also pointed to the Raiders’ organization as a factor in his struggles. Drafted as a cornerback, he was unexpectedly moved to the nickel position—a role he had never played before. “I come in, I get drafted [by the Raiders],” he said. “Everybody loves me. Then they move me to Nickel. Never played that in my life. That s— was like Chinese. They just threw me in the water to play Nickel. I didn’t even understand Nickel.”
Compounding the issue was the timing of his rookie season. The COVID-19 pandemic eliminated OTAs and limited in-person training, forcing Robertson to learn his new position through virtual means. “I had to learn from the iPad,” he explained. “It’s different when you’re looking rather than really doing it. And when I got out there, them bullets was flying. I just couldn’t handle it.” For two years, Robertson felt isolated and unsupported, which pushed him toward the Las Vegas nightlife as a way to cope. “I was in an island, I was in a bad place, and that’s what forced me to go out a lot,” he confessed.
Robertson’s experience sheds light on a broader issue with the Raiders: their struggles to draft and develop talent. Over the past two decades, the franchise has been plagued by inconsistency, with only occasional bright spots. Robertson’s story is a case study in how the organization’s shortcomings can hinder a player’s growth. Being thrust into an unfamiliar role without proper guidance or resources set him up for a steep learning curve—one that he wasn’t equipped to handle early on.
Despite these challenges, Robertson showed resilience. In his final two seasons with the Raiders, he began to turn things around. He appeared in all 17 games in both 2022 and 2023, recording improved stats, including four interceptions, 15 passes defended, two sacks, and two forced fumbles across his 52 total appearances with the team. These strides showed that Robertson was finding his footing, but it wasn’t enough to convince the Raiders to offer him a contract extension.
As Robertson’s time in Las Vegas came to an end, he reflected on what drove him to change. “When you don’t feel accepted, when you just got high school, middle school, and college, and everybody loved you,” he said, “but then, when you get to the league and they start to love you a little bit, people start turning their backs on you.” The allure of the Vegas nightlife initially filled that void. “It’s like going to the clubs, around all these people, I feel love,” he admitted. But eventually, he realized, “No, that’s not me. I had to get back to my roots.”
This self-awareness marked a turning point. Robertson’s improved performance in 2022 and 2023 caught the attention of the Detroit Lions, who signed him to a two-year, $9.25 million contract with $5.5 million guaranteed, including a $3.3 million signing bonus, according to Over the Cap. Now in Detroit, Robertson has found a fresh start and a chance to prove himself in a new environment—one that seems to suit him better than the chaos of Las Vegas.
Amik Robertson’s journey with the Raiders is a tale of untapped potential, organizational missteps, and personal growth. While he acknowledges his role in his early struggles, he also highlights how the Raiders’ lack of support and poor development strategies made his transition to the NFL unnecessarily difficult. Now with the Lions, Robertson is writing a new chapter, one where he’s left the distractions of Vegas behind and is focused on proving he’s the player he always knew he could be.
For Raiders fans, Robertson’s story is a reminder of the team’s ongoing challenges in nurturing talent. For Robertson, it’s a testament to resilience and the power of finding one’s roots. In Detroit, he’s not just a player—they’re calling him part of the pride. And that’s a roar worth hearing.