One of the NFL’s most popular franchises has had an abundance of stars.
The franchise was born in 1960 and was one of the eight original members of the American Football League. And now the Silver and Black is once again on the move as the Raiders will call Las Vegas their home in 2020. From Oakland in ’60 to Los Angeles in 1982, back to Oakland in 1995 and now to Sin City, the franchise has quite the loyal following regardless of where they play their games.
It has also had an enormous amount of talent on their roster throughout the years, even though these days things have been a little lean when it comes to getting to the postseason. The club has reached the playoffs just once since 2003 and hasn’t won the AFC West since 2002. But head coach Jon Gruden is in his third year in his second stint with the franchise and the team is improving.
As with many of the league’s better organizations, trimming the list to 10 players isn’t easy. And in this instance, there was a unique addition.
10. Jack Tatum, S
He would eventually be the author of a book titled “They Call Me Assassin.” Former Ohio State defensive back Jack Tatum played for legendary head coach Woody Hayes while he was with the Buckeyes. Be it college or the pros, you could make a case he may have been the most physical defensive back to ever take the field. And some would say he may have played a little over the edge.
Of course, there was the big hit on Vikings’ wide receiver Sammy White in Super Bowl XI. And there were the unfortunate circumstances during the 1978 preseason in which a hit left New England Patriots’ wide receiver Darryl Stingley paralyzed. But that somber moment should never take away from the excellence of the player, who picked off 30 passes and recovered eight fumbles in nine seasons with Oakland and earned three-time Pro Bowl invitations with the Silver and Black.
Tatum finished his career in 1980 with the then-Houston Oilers. There were seven interceptions and two more fumble recoveries. And no doubt the physical enforcer no doubt found it easier to be Earl Campbell’s teammate than getting him to the ground.
9. Ray Guy, P
One would think when you have an award named after you, it would mean something in terms of prestige. Dating back to 2000, the Ray Guy Award has gone to the premier punter in college football. But it wasn’t until 2014 that the one-time first-round draft choice of the Silver and Black was actually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Game.
Yes, 14-year veteran Ray Guy remains the only pure punter to be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, and only the third pure kicker (Jan Stenerud and Morten Andersen) to have a bust in the Hall. His legacy with the Raiders was simply amazing and to this day many regard him as the greatest performer at his position in the history of the game.
The 23rd overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft, the 6-foot-3, 195-pound pro did not miss a game (207) during his NFL career and also played in 22 postseason games with the franchise. There were 1,049 regular-season punts and 111 kicks in the playoffs and only four of those attempts were blocked.
Guy was a seven-time Pro Bowler and three-time All-Pro and a part of all three of the team’s Super Bowl championship squads in 1976 (XI), 1980 (XV) and 1983 (XVIII).
8. Cliff Branch, WR
He was one of the best big-play performers from the wide receiver spot and also came up extremely large in the postseason, which the Raiders were usually a part of. Mercurial Cliff Branch is one of those names you often hear when it comes to players who have not yet been enshrined in Canton, Ohio. And perhaps one day the fleet-footed performer will get his due. There is that fabled sign in the Oakland Coliseum that says “Speed Kills” and Branch was the impetus for that.
Consider the numbers with a focus on his yards per reception. In 14 seasons with the Raiders, the 1972 fourth-round pick from the University of Colorado hauled in 501 passes for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns. That’s an imposing 17.3 yards per grab. He was putting up big numbers before the league opted for its role changes at 1978 and frustrated some of the greatest defensive backs in the game
Of course, there were also 22 playoff contests, including Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII. Branch pulled down 73 passes for 1,289 yards and five scores. And again, the yards per catch (17.7) are notable and three of his five postseason touchdown grabs came on Super Sunday. Al Davis loved the vertical game and no player in the team’s history epitomized it more.
7. Willie Brown, CB
So who was the top cornerback for the Silver and Black throughout its history? Charles Woodson with the fourth overall pick in the 1998 NFL draft, had two different stints with the franchise (his first eight at cornerback, the last three at safety) and finished with 27 interceptions in 11 seasons with the organization. Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Haynes played seven years with the Los Angeles Raiders, went to three Pro Bowls, picked off 18 passes and he and five-time Pro Bowler Lester Hayes were pivotal in the club’s Super Bowl XVIII dismantling of the Redskins.
But there was also Willie Brown, who passed away last October (via Richard Sandomir of the New York Times). He began his career with the Denver Broncos and after four seasons in the Mile High City was acquired via trade by Oakland. After picking off 15 passes with the Broncos, he finished with 39 interceptions in a dozen seasons with the Silver and Black. Seven of his nine Pro Bowl invitations and all but one of his five All-Pro nods came with the Raiders.
And who could forget Brown’s 75-yard interception return for a touchdown at the expense of Vikings’ quarterback Fran Tarkenton in Super Bowl XI? “Old Man Willie” would indeed go all the way…to Canton, Ohio.
6. Ken Stabler, QB
He was as clutch as they come in terms of playing the quarterback position. In the 1970s, there were two signal-callers that brought fear to teams late in the contest. One was Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach, who did his fair share when it came to rescuing the Dallas Cowboys when things looked bleak.
The other was “The Snake.” Raiders’ quarterback Ken Stabler also has a bust in Canton, Ohio, although it took some time for it to happen. But he also could not be counted on until the game clock read 0:00. From his toss to running back Clarence Davis (as he was being tackled by Dolphins’ defensive end Vern Den Herder) in a fourth-quarter 28-26 win over the Dolphins in the 1974 AFC Divisional Playoffs. To his clutch throws to tight end Dave Casper in the team’s double-overtime win at Baltimore in the 1977 divisional round. To rallying the Patriots in the 1976 AFC Divisional Playoffs to a win that eventually propelled the club to a Super Bowl championship.
The “Sea of Hands.” The “Ghost to the Post.” Ken Stabler epitomized the Raiders during that time, one of the best teams in the NFL despite a lack of championships.
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 20: Tim Brown #81 of the Los Angeles Raiders runs with the ball against the San Diego Chargers during an NFL football game December 20, 1992 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. Brown played for the Raiders from 1988-2003. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
5. Tim Brown, WR
In 1988, six wide receivers were selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Two of them are currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and another you could make a strong case for another despite a career shortened by injury.
The first of those choices that year was 1987 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown from the University of Notre Dame. He went sixth overall, Sterling Sharpe went to the Green Bay Packers at seven and Michael Irvin went to the Cowboys with the 11th selection. Irvin and Brown have busts in Canton, Ohio.
The former Golden Domer an immediate impact when he took the field for a Week 1 home meeting with the rival Chargers. The then-Los Angeles Raiders would come away with 24-13 victory. Brown caught just two passes for 42 yards but returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.
When it was all said and done and including 24 catches with the Buccaneers in 2004, only six players in NFL history have more receptions than Brown (1,094). He’s tied for 20th all-time with 105 total TDs, matching fabled Don Hutson. All told, he played in 240 regular-season games for the Silver and Black from 1988-2003 and is the franchise’s all-time leader in both receptions (1,070) and touchdowns (104).
4. Howie Long, DE
When you think of Villanova University, basketball and fabled coach Rollie Massimino come to mind. It’s not been known as a football factory but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t produced a star player along the way. Case in point is Raiders’ defensive end Howie Long, a second-round pick by the organization in 1981 and a performer who epitomized the spirit of the organization.
He played in all 16 games as a rookie, one year before the NFL recognized individual sacks, but was credited with 7.5 QB traps that year. He would record 5.5 sacks in the league’s strike-shortened nine-game season in 1982. He would officially finish with 84 sacks (91.5 if you include the aforementioned 1981 campaign) and 10 fumble recoveries in 13 seasons with the Silver and Black. The Raiders made seven playoff appearances during his tenure with the club and he totaled four sacks in 12 playoff contests.
Long would wind up being named to a total of eight Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors twice. He was also part of the Raiders’ last Super Bowl championship team in 1983 when Tom Flores’ squad humbled the Redskins, 38-9, in Tampa. He would be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, in 2000.
3. Art Shell, T
Besides being one of the premier players at his position during his era, he served as the head coach of the Silver and Black on two different occasions. But make no mistake about it, Pro Football Hall of Fame tackle Art Shell is on this list because of his prowess on the field and his domination of opposing defensive linemen. Just ask Minnesota Vikings’ defensive end Jim Marshall, who failed to make a single tackle in Super Bowl XI in Pasadena during Oakland’s dominating 32-14 victory.
The Raiders of the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s were spearheaded upfront for the most part by Shell and two other Hall of Famers in guard Gene Upshaw and center Jim Otto. Shell was a third-round find in 1968 from Maryland-Eastern Shore. He made just one start during his first two seasons in the league but it was just a matter of time before he became a Pro Bowl mainstay. He would eventually earn eight invitations to that all-star game and was also named All-Pro twice. He was not only a part of the team’s Super Bowl title team of 1976 but the wild card Raiders also capture Super Bowl XV.
Shell played in 207 regular-season contests and 23 postseason tilts for the organization. And including playoffs, was also the Raiders’ sideline leader for 113 games.
2. Gene Upshaw, G
It was a huge part of one of the greatest offensive lines in NFL history and a total of two of his contemporaries are obviously included on this list as well (stay tuned). Pro Football Hall of Fame guard Gene Upshaw played 15 seasons with the Silver and Black after being the 17th overall pick in the 1967 NFL Draft. He honed his craft at Texas A&M-Kingsville and in his first 14 seasons in the league(s), he did not miss a game or start. That’s 212 contests and 24 playoff appearances.
He was a physical presence on an offensive front that included two other Hall of Famers in the aforementioned Art Shell as well as center Jim Otto (stay tuned). As a rookie, he was part of an Oakland team that fell short to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. But the seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro also was part of two championship teams in 1976 and 1980, when the club came away with wins on Super Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings (XI) and Philadelphia Eagles (XV), respectively. That latter title made history as the Raiders became the first wild card team to take home a Lombardi Trophy.
1. Marcus Allen, RB
He wound up not ending his career as a member of the Raiders. Pro Football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen had a huge impact on the franchise that made him the 10th overall pick in the 1982 draft. The 1981 Heisman Trophy winner from USC had a tremendous debut campaign during the NFL’s strike-shortened season. He totaled an impressive 1,098 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns in only nine games.
He came back the following year and so did the Los Angeles Raiders. Led by head coach Tom Flores, the team finished 12-4, won the AFC West and eventually rolled to an impressive 38-9 win over the then-defending Super Bowl champion Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. It was there that Allen really put on a show, his amazing 74-yard TD run the second of his two scores and part of his 191-yard rushing day on 20 carries.
Allen would have a monster year in 1985 with 2,314 yards from scrimmage and 14 scores on the way to earning NFL MVP honors. In 11 seasons with the franchise, there were 12,083 scrimmage yards and 97 touchdowns. His final five seasons in the league would be spent with the rival Chiefs. But there’s no denying the greatness of the versatile weapon.
00. Jim Otto, C
Not a lot of NFL players have worn the number zero, much less double zero. One of the most notable was wide receiver Ken Burrough, who actually began his career with the New Orleans Saints but eventually blossomed with the Houston Oilers after one season in the Big Easy.
But without question, the most famous of them all was also one of the premier players in the history of the American Football League and eventually the NFL. He entered pro football in 1960 and wore the No. 50, played for 14 more seasons and never missed a game or start. It adds up to 210 regular-season contests and 13 additional postseason games, including Super Bowl II at Miami’s Orange Bowl against the Green Bay Packers. Including AFL All-Star Games, Otto was a 12-time Pro Bowler and 10-time All-Pro.
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Yes, there were a few liberties taken with this list when it came to the Silver and Black. But Jim Otto was not only a phenomenal player but his uniform number made him even more memorable. And it is somewhat ironic that he would eventually choose zeroes considering the numbers he put up in terms of excellence and longevity.