By Greg Bates
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – Alec Ingold was all smiles getting off the Oakland Raiders team bus on game day Oct. 20.
As he walked into Lambeau Field alongside quarterback Derek Carr, Ingold was wearing his old No. 9 Bay Port football jersey, Bay Port football hat and Raiders sweatpants.
Ingold didn’t second-guess his decision not to dress up a little bit for his business trip to Green Bay.
“It was an easy decision,” said Ingold from his locker inside the visiting team locker room at Lambeau after the game. “You gotta rep where you’re from.”
Ingold, a 2015 Bay Port graduate, was proudly letting everyone know he’s a Green Bay kid.
For the first time in his professional career, he was able to play on the field where he idolized so many players during his youth.
The rookie fullback said hundreds of family, friends and former coaches attended the Packers’ 42-24 victory.
Growing up, Ingold was a big Packers fan and went to about 30-40 games, but to get a chance to play at Lambeau was a different feeling.
“It was pretty special,” Ingold said. “I hope to inspire some kids who are going through the same thing I was going through. Not a lot of people make it [to the NFL] from Green Bay, so if there are kids who push a little bit harder and follow their dreams a little bit more, that’s what it’s all about. You hope to inspire and develop some more prospects – young kids coming through the football program.”
Ingold didn’t see any of his family and friends in the stands during the game, but he heard them loud and clear.
“This community is really special,” he said. “This community is something I’m proud to be a part of, and I hope it shows we’re a tight-knit group of people who love to support each other.”
Ingold has created many bonds with teammates who were thrilled he got the chance to play against his childhood team in his first season in the league.
Raiders tight end Derek Waller was joking with him during the game about coming home.
“I was like, ‘They brought the whole Wisconsin band back for you and everything,’” said a laughing Waller. “A real-deal homecoming – that’s awesome. I saw he wore his high school jersey and everything. He’s got to be over the moon to play here, and he was out there mixing it up as he always does. It was not the result we wanted, but I’m sure there were people who cared about him here as well. That’s awesome for him.”
Ingold went undrafted after a strong career at Wisconsin.
Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who coached Ingold in the Senior Bowl, thought he had something special and picked up the hard-nosed fullback after the draft ended in April.
Ingold had an impressive training camp and beat out incumbent Kevin Smith for the lone fullback spot on the roster.
Gruden has been outspoken about his love of Ingold’s game.
At Gruden’s postgame press conference, the coach was asked about what it was like for Ingold to come back home to play.
“I’m back in the area, too, so it’s great to be back,” joked Gruden, who spent three seasons in Green Bay as an offensive assistant (1992) and wide receivers coach (1993 and ’94). “I wish I felt better right now – I’d give you more material. I don’t have much – I’m kind of numb – but Ingold is a great kid. We’re happy to have him.”
The Raiders’ offense had a strong day against the Packers, racking up 484 total yards.
Ingold didn’t get any carries, but he made some key, hole-opening blocks for rookie running back Josh Jacobs.
In his six games as a pro, Ingold has carried the ball only two times for 4 yards.
“Watching the tape, being critical of yourself, being critical of any little things we could have done better and you want to improve the best you can,” Ingold said. “One-hundred percent better every day.”
Like a true pro, Ingold didn’t get sucked into the hoopla of coming home – he was all business on the field after the first whistle blew.
“The jitters were gone,” he said. “It was playing football with your teammates. You trust your preparation at that point.”
Although Ingold was focused on the task at hand, there were a couple of moments prior to and after the game where he allowed himself to soak in the atmosphere and live out a childhood dream.
“I think it will be a cool game to look back on when it’s all over, but right now we’re watching the film and trying to get better,” Ingold said. “When that time comes, it will come.”