Oakland Raiders return to Bradenton for second year in a row

For Amari Cooper, he’s at the place where he burst onto the scene as a prized college football recruit in 2011.

For David Sharpe, it’s a return to where he prepped for the NFL Combine earlier this year.

And for the entire Oakland Raiders team, this week’s trip to the Sarasota/Bradenton area for practices at IMG Academy ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Miami Dolphins is a repeat of the successful Sunshine State visit just last year.

“When you do so much flying back to the west coast, east coast, how about we come down here for a week and get our work in and save our bodies from the flights,” second-year running back Jalen Richard said.

Cooper, one of Oakland’s prolific wide receivers, first visited IMG Academy for the national 7-on-7 tournament.

With how much IMG’s grown in the last five to six years, Cooper said he didn’t even realize he was back where the 7-on-7 event was.

“It definitely didn’t look like this at all when I was here,” Cooper said.

Sharpe, listed on Oakland’s depth chart as the backup left tackle, credited IMG for his combine performance, and, ultimately, his place in the NFL.

“It’s better than some colleges,” Sharpe said. “You have everything here.”

After Sunday’s loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Raiders stayed on the east coast rather than flying back to California as the team prepares for a trip to Miami.

“Those flights are killers,” Sharpe said. “Six hours each time.”

Sharpe, who spent about six weeks during combine training at IMG Academy, said he has lots of great memories of the place and area.

Back then, he went to Sarasota’s Siesta Key Beach, for example.

“It’s a really nice beach,” Sharpe said. “Very nice. Took a couple pictures. It was cool.”

Richard, who is a native of Baton Rouge, La., said he knew of IMG Academy prior to last year’s trip.

“I think you hear it moreso in the South,” Richard said. “We have a lot of guys from Louisiana that come here and sometimes play. I think we had Dylan Moses. ...

Last year, wide receiver Michael Crabtree said IMG Academy’s facilities were nice.

That was echoed for a second straight year from Richard and Cooper, especially when it comes to the high school players that currently play for the Ascenders.

“I think it’s good for the guys who are here, the players who are here,” Cooper said. “They get that kind of pre-exposure to college. They have professional training. They kind of get a head start.”

Added Richard: “It would have been cool to go somewhere like this. My school was more of a basketball school, so we didn’t always have the nicest stuff as far as football and the nicest facilities and stuff like that. But I love my high school, but nah it would have been cool to definitely come to a place like this with all the external things that you have that (can) benefit your game.”

Richard said the weight room and the cold/hot tub area are his favorites.

Last year, Oakland defeated Jacksonville and Tampa Bay with the stop to Bradenton for IMG Academy wedged between the two wins.

This year, the Raiders are coming off a loss to the Bills and will look to get back to the win column with the Dolphins looming Sunday.

And they’re starting that journey to Miami with their return to Bradenton.

“It’s like I’m back at home,” Sharpe said.

This story was originally published October 31, 2017 at 7:47 PM with the headline "Oakland Raiders return to Bradenton for second year in a row."