Receiver rises from CFL to make Raiders’ roster: ‘That dude can spin’

Maybe it’s the writer in Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah, but the magic of throwing 90 different football players with 90 different backgrounds together for training camp gets him every single time.

“One thing I love about the NFL is, every year it’s a story,” Abdullah said.

One tale that caught his and the rest of the Raiders’ attention this year is that of Tyreik McAllister, the under-the-radar signing from the Canadian Football League asked to transition from running back to wide receiver. McAllister overcame long odds to climb from the bottom of the depth chart to a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

He did so by making steady progress at wide receiver in camp. He flashed blazing speed and athletic ability. He then put together an incredible performance in the Raiders’ preseason finale Aug. 23 against the 49ers to secure his spot.

McAllister returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, showing what he could do with the ball in his hands. He then showcased his improvement as a receiver by making a 35-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter.

Abdullah could only smile from the sideline.

“To see him answer the call and make some huge plays for us the other night, it’s just one of those stories that you look back and say, ‘Whoa,’” Abdullah said. “I love the game of football because of it.”

Long journey

McAllister’s path to this point is almost unimaginable.

He played wide receiver his first two season at the University of Charleston in West Virginia. He then moved to running back when a new coaching staff arrived, which led to him getting an opportunity with the Broncos after going undrafted in 2022.

McAllister spent the next 12 months fluctuating from injured reserve to the practice squad to the waiver wire. It was a rough welcome to the NFL.

His agent then proposed a wild idea to get McAllister’s career going. He could head north and join the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats, rather than wait around for his next opportunity for playing time.

“It was tough for teams to really evaluate me,” McAllister said, knowing NFL clubs were judging him off his college tape.

McAllister was open to going to the CFL. But first, he did some research to see if there were examples of players going to Canada and still returning to the NFL at some point. He didn’t want to disappear off the radar forever.

The long list of players he found — a group that included Warren Moon, Joe Theismann, Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia and, more recently, Greg Van Roten and Alex Singleton — gave McAllister peace of mind.

“I watched those guys, and the success they had,” McAllister said. “I kind of figured I could have the same success.”

He did well his one season in Hamilton. The CFL’s larger field — it’s 110 yards long, 65 yards wide and has a 20-yard long end zone — was ideal for his skill set.

McAllister led the league in kickoff return average and all-purpose yards. It changed the trajectory of his career.

“Making that move, it was difficult, but I feel like it’s the best decision I ever made in my life,” McAllister said.

The NFL took notice.

The Raiders signed McAllister to a futures contract in January. It was one of the last moves interim general manager Champ Kelly made before Tom Telesco was hired as general manager. Kelly stayed on as assistant general manager.

“Hats off to Champ Kelly and his staff here that signed him before I got here,” Telesco said. “They saw something in him in the CFL.”

No guarantees

The Raiders didn’t make McAllister any promises. They just said he would have a legitimate chance to make the team.

There was one catch: He needed to switch to wide receiver.

McAllister, with his confidence soaring after his season in the CFL, was more than willing to do it. Abdullah was impressed by his new teammate’s speed as soon as he saw him returning punts.

“He was like a roadrunner,” Abdullah said. “And I was like, ‘That dude can spin.’”

McAllister has been a blur ever since.

He put together a great training camp and had 291 all-purpose yards in the preseason.

“During training camp, just continuing to work, I felt like I was getting better and better every day,” McAllister said. “Going through this process, it was tough, but I felt like I did a pretty good job during camp, during the preseason. I was pretty confident going into this weekend, but you never know in this league.”

McAllister should now be part of the Raiders’ return and coverage units on punts and kickoffs. He and fellow speedster Tre Tucker could alternate on punt returns.

“Two’s good,” coach Antonio Pierce said. “One is cool. Two’s better.”

The Raiders expect McAllister to be involved in the offense as well. They’ve seen him improve too much as a receiver to not use him somehow.

“McAllister’s role on offense is still to be determined, but we know what he can do,” Pierce said. “We’ve all seen that, and he did that even as a kickoff returner. So, I think he’s going to do a really good job.”

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.