HENDERSON, Nev. -- Kenny Sanchez couldn't pinpoint any specific time during a practice or game when Jalen Nailor defined the type of football player he was at Bishop Gorman High School, or had the potential to be.
There were far too many to mention.
What he did remember, though, was the aura "Speedy" brought to the Gaels.
"Jalen always had a really good smile, one that lit up the room," said Sanchez, the former coach of the national prep powerhouse. "It didn't really seem like anything ever got to him, no matter what the situation was or how hard we were working - he always seemed like he had a good attitude."
It's exactly what the Raiders need as they begin a complete overhaul, from the coaching staff down.
Las Vegas is expected to take Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza with the first overall pick in the NFL draft, and first-year coach Klint Kubiak couldn't ask for a better character guy to join the wide receivers room than Nailor.
"His work ethic really seemed effortless for him," Sanchez said. "Some guys have to really push themselves and get going ... even the best of the best. Jalen was never a guy that you had to get on personally or try to motivate.
"He was always a self-motivator and quiet. Wasn't a talker, but an extremely hard worker, and he always kind of did it very effortlessly."
Sanchez's brother, Bobby, who was the receivers' coach at Gorman, said he always considered Nailor to be "Mr. Reliable."
"I knew he was going to do the work," Bobby Sanchez said. "His attitude and effort were always on point. He knew the playbook, he knew the game plan, and he knew the opponent.
"I could put him anywhere, and he would know exactly what to do."
Even if that meant playing both ways, starring on both offense and defense. It was his versatility and willingness to put his team first and do whatever was necessary that made him a leader on the field and in the locker room.
"Quietly ferocious, ultra competitive and focused," Bobby Sanchez added. "You can always count on Jalen as a player, as a teammate, as a young man. I’m just incredibly proud and happy for him and ecstatic that he’s earned the opportunity to come back to Vegas and wear the silver and black."
Nailor, who signed his contract with the Raiders on Thursday morning, said he's looking forward to potentially playing with Mendoza, who led the Indiana Hoosiers to the national championship in January.
"It'll be great to have him come in and show what he can do," Nailor said at the team's headquarters, sitting alongside fellow free agent signees Tyler Linderbaum, Kwity Paye and Quay Walker. "He's shown it on the college level; he just has to come here and do that consistently at a high level.
"I think it'd be great for the team and our receiver room to have that kind of guy throwing us the ball. That would be very exciting for me."
Nailor is also excited for the opportunity to return to Las Vegas, where he helped turn Bishop Gorman into a national powerhouse, as the Gaels won three straight mythical national championships from 2014-16.
"It means the most to me, just to be able to come back to a familiar place," said Nailor, who just enjoyed a career year with the Vikings, catching 29 passes for 444 yards, both career highs. "It didn't really hit me until a few weeks ago, just talking about it with my agent, and just felt like this was the right fit for me and the best fit for me to show what I can do on the field."
Nailor spent the first four years of his career in Minnesota, but it's been the last two seasons where his game has come full circle.
The 27-year-old Michigan State alum averages 15.4 years per reception and has 11 career touchdowns.
Nailor acknowledged that playing alongside Justin Jefferson helped grow his game, as he was able to learn from someone considered to be a top receiver in the NFL.
Echoing Sanchez's compliment about him, it didn't come as a surprise to hear what Nailor found contagious about Jefferson, besides what the all-pro wideout can do on the field.
"Just his work ethic day in and day out," Nailor said. "He’s never too high or too low. He’s literally the same person every single day. No matter what is going on in his life, he’s always going to have a smile and the joy and laughter throughout the building."
Now the 5-foot-11 former all-American prep star is looking to break free from all shadows and shine bright for his high school hometown.
"Just having that ability to play multiple positions in the offense, move around, motions and things like that, I feel like with Kubiak’s offense, he does that very well with the guys trying to get them the ball and move them around," Nailor said. "And I feel like that’s going to play right into my skill set."
Las Vegas Raiders
Former Bishop Gorman star wide receiver Jalen Nailor is all smiles after signing his contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.