Raiders center Andre James recounts his UFO encounter near Area 51 - “One of the weirdest thing I’ve ever seen”

Andre James isn't a household name in NFL circles yet, but the Las Vegas Raiders center raised eyebrows with his level of play in recent years. He signed a three-year, $24 million contract extension with the franchise, and amid the turmoil of Josh McDaniels' era, he developed into an important starter for the team.

Appearing on Maxx Crosby's podcast, The Rush With Maxx Crosby, James told one of those stories that make for excellent content during the offseason: the time when he experienced a UFO encounter while flying near the famous Area 51:

All of a sudden this light goes up and down, and it does like a circle, and we're all looking at each other like, ‘That's a satellite’. And the pilot goes, ‘Yeah that's not a satellite. I don't know what that is'. All of a sudden, another one pops out right below, and they're moving side to side, and these pilots are looking at each other.

"They're still being kind of skeptical. They're like, ‘Yeah we don't know that, we don't know what that is.’. It was one of the weirdest things I've ever seen. A little bit later, we're like, ‘Where were we flying at? And he said ‘Well, we're right in New Mexico but about 300 miles out that way is Area 51’. And I was like ‘Oh I'm sold!’

Andre James' career: Raiders center started from the bottom

If you look closely at the interior of the Raiders' offensive line, you probably won't believe it, but Andre James was undrafted back in the 2019 season. He played his collegiate career at UCLA but failed to make an impression on NFL scouts back then.

He hung around on the roster following the 53-man cuts that season, creating some familiarity for his time at UCLA with Kolton Miller. When he became a starter for the first time, in Week 9, he never again lost the job.

The Las Vegas Raiders signed Andre James to a three-year contract extension in 2021 and did the same thing in 2024. He's a bit short of the elite levels but still has more than enough quality to play in the league.