Las Vegas Raiders all-time players Mount Rushmore
By Brad Weiss
Gene Upshaw, LG (1967-1981)
In the first round of the 1967 AFL Draft, the Raiders selected Gene Upshaw, a dominant offensive lineman from Texas A&M-Kingsville. Upshaw played all over the offensive line during his time in college, but with the Raiders, he became arguably the best left guard in the history of the NFL.
During his decorated career with the Raiders, Upshaw became the first player in the history of the NFL to play in Super Bowls in three different decades. Uptown Gene teamed with Art Shell to form a devastating left side of the Raiders offensive line, and before all was said and done, he was the owner of two Super Bowl rings.
From 1972-77, Upshaw was named to the Pro Bowl every season, and was three-times named an All-Pro. A member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team for the 1970s, Upshaw is regarded by many as the best Raiders player of all-time, and it hard to disagree with that assessment.
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Of course, there are a number of players left off this Mount Rushmore, including guys like Jim Otto, Charles Woodson, Jim Plunkett, Art Shell, and Willie Brown to name a few. You could make a Mount Rushmore with plenty of former Raiders, and if you included individuals, Amy Trask, Al Davis, and John Madden could also be included.
This is a proud franchise, with historic players, and it shows with how many legendary people have either put on, or represented the Silver and Black.