Las Vegas Raiders all-time players Mount Rushmore

By Brad Weiss | May 15, 2020

Oakland Raiders running back Arthur Whittington on a carry down field with the help of Oakland Raiders Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshawin in a 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV on January 25, 1981 at Louisana Superdome in New Orleans. Louisana. (Photo by Sylvia Allen/Getty Images) /

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Raiders DE Howie Long (Photo by Owen Shaw/Getty Images) (Photo by Owen C. Shaw/Getty Images) /

Howie Long, DE (1981-1993)

The Raiders have had their fair share of dominant defensive players in the history of their franchise, but one man stands out above the rest. Howie Long played his entire NFL career wearing the Silver and Black, a total of 13 seasons, and he developed into a physical edge rusher who had a real knack at getting after the quarterback.

Despite sacks not being counted during his rookie season, Long still finished his career with 84 of them, second to only former teammate Greg Townsend. A member of the NFL’s All-Decade team for the 1980s, Long was the face of the Raiders defense for over a decade, and helped the team to a win in Super Bowl XVIII.

An eight-time Pro Bowler, Long’s best season may have been in 1985, where he tied with Andre Tippett for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year honors. From 1983 through that 1985 season, Long was named a First-Team All-Pro each season, as he racked up 35 sacks during that time and did not miss a single game.

Long was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000, putting a bow on one of the more decorated careers in Raiders history. His legacy in the game has continued through his sons Chris and Kyle, who both played in the NFL, and in terms of his spot in Raiders history, few defensive players have had the impact he did on the franchise.

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