ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The reality hit Oakland Raiders coach Hue Jackson as he hopped in his car Monday to drive to work after an emotional weekend.
Jackson heard a radio report about this weekend's death of longtime Raiders owner Al Davis, and it hit him that there will be no day-after-game phone calls, no more discussions of strategy and no more talks with the man who gave him his first shot at being an NFL head coach.
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"Yeah, it's different, a lot different. I'll miss it," Jackson said, his voice cracking.
The Raiders began the process of moving on following Davis' death Saturday at age 82. They learned of the death while they were in Houston and went out and beat the Texans 25-20 when Michael Huff intercepted a pass in the end zone on the final play.
Jackson fell to his knees after that play and cried, letting out a weekend's worth of emotions.
"I can't pick up the phone and call Coach anytime I want anymore," Jackson said. "I can't call Coach and ask what he thinks about this or that, or I'm not going to get any of those late-night phone calls at 11 p.m. or midnight to say, 'Hue, what are you doing?' That's different. All of that hit me at that particular moment. All of that is done. You have to move on to the next chapter."
The Raiders had an emotional return home Sunday night, with hundreds of fans welcoming them back to the team facility to congratulate them on the victory.
Jackson said Davis wouldn't want the team to still grieve over his death or use it as fuel for the rest of the season, saying instead the focus should be on preparing for Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
"That's not what he was about," Jackson said. "Don't use a rallying cry over him. Do your job. Do your job and perform because that's what he pays you to do, to be the best you can be. It was never about one person."
Jackson said he now will be the point person on personnel moves, consulting with Davis' son, Mark, and others in the organization as need be.
"We're in a great situation right now because we've laid such a good foundation," Jackson said. "Coach had laid such a good foundation with the people that are here, that we're kind of up and running and moving in that direction already."
Notes: Center Samson Satele said his injured ribs are sore, but that he intends to practice Wednesday and play this week. ... CB Chris Johnson will do individual drills on his injured hamstring this week and see how close he is to returning.
Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press
