80 Fun Facts About Raiders

What name did the Oakland franchise use for nine days in 1960, after a Tribune contest, before switching to Raiders?

Señors won the Oakland Tribune's name-the-team contest but drew so much ridicule that the club dropped it after nine days in favor of Raiders.

The Raiders played their first regular-season AFL game in which year?

The Raiders' first AFL regular season was 1960: Oakland was the league's eighth and final original franchise, awarded on January 30, 1960, after Minneapolis backed out to join the NFL.

Before going silver and black in 1963, the Raiders wore hand-me-down uniforms from which college?

The team's original 1960 owners could not even secure a Bay Area stadium, so second-hand college kit fit the shoestring operation.

Who was the Raiders' first head coach when the franchise debuted?

Eddie Erdelatz, who had coached Navy through the 1950s, was the Raiders' first head coach; he was fired two games into his second season and replaced by Marty Feldman.

How old was Al Davis when hired as Raiders head coach and general manager after the 1962 season?

Al Davis was 33 when Oakland hired him in January 1963; born July 4, 1929, he won AFL Coach of the Year that season after turning a 1–13 team into a 10–4 one.

In 1966 Al Davis briefly left the Raiders for which job, abolished within months by the AFL-NFL merger?

Al Davis became AFL commissioner in April 1966 and began signing NFL quarterbacks; the June 1966 merger agreement eliminated the post, and he returned to Oakland as a part-owner.

In the 1968 "Heidi Game", NBC cut away from the Raiders' final-minute comeback against which opponent?

The Heidi Game was Raiders versus New York Jets on November 17, 1968; Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to win 43–32 after NBC had already switched to the film.

The 1968 Heidi broadcast that pre-empted the end of the Raiders-Jets game was sold entirely to which sponsor?

Timex sponsored the Heidi telecast, which NBC was contracted to start at 7 p.m. Eastern; a watch company cutting off a game for reasons of time became a lasting irony for sportswriters.

The Raiders' first Super Bowl appearance ended in a 33–14 loss at the Orange Bowl to which team?

The Green Bay Packers beat Oakland 33–14 in Super Bowl II on January 14, 1968, at Miami's Orange Bowl, and Bart Starr became the first back-to-back Super Bowl MVP.

Which position group did Al Davis hire John Madden to coach in 1967 before making him head coach?

Linebackers were John Madden's first Raiders charge: Al Davis hired him as linebackers coach in 1967, and he became head coach in 1969 at 32, never posting a losing season in ten years.

Among NFL head coaches with at least 100 games, John Madden holds which distinction?

Highest winning percentage: John Madden went 103–32–7 over ten regular seasons from 1969 to 1978, the best winning percentage of any NFL head coach with at least 100 games.

On the 1972 Immaculate Reception, Bradshaw's pass may have deflected off which Raiders safety?

Jack Tatum collided with John Fuqua as the ball arrived; under the rules of the day, if it had touched only Fuqua the pass would have been incomplete and Oakland would have won 7–6.

Which running back caught the game-winning "Sea of Hands" touchdown against Miami in the 1974 playoffs?

Clarence Davis wrestled Ken Stabler's desperation pass away from three Dolphins for the 28–26 win; the catch ended Miami's run of three straight Super Bowl appearances.

Ken Stabler earned his nickname "Snake" from his high school coach after what?

A long, winding touchdown run in a Foley High School game earned Ken Stabler the nickname "Snake" from his coach, and the left-hander carried it through college and 15 pro seasons.

Ken Stabler played college football at which university before the Raiders drafted him?

Alabama was Ken Stabler's school: he quarterbacked the Crimson Tide to an 11–0 season in 1966 and a Sugar Bowl rout of Nebraska before Oakland drafted him in 1968.

Which tight end fell on the ball in the end zone to complete the 1978 "Holy Roller" against San Diego?

Dave Casper batted and kicked the loose ball into the end zone before falling on it for the 21–20 win; the NFL then ruled that only the fumbling player may advance a fumble in the final two minutes.

Chargers fans have their own name for the Holy Roller play. What do they call it?

Stabler later admitted he fumbled on purpose, and running back Pete Banaszak did not exactly try to recover it before pitching it toward the goal line.

Who was named MVP of Super Bowl XI despite gaining only 79 yards on four catches?

Fred Biletnikoff was Super Bowl XI MVP with four catches for 79 yards, three of them setting up Oakland touchdowns in the 32–14 win over Minnesota.

Which Raiders cornerback returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XI?

Willie Brown's 75-yard return of a Fran Tarkenton interception sealed Super Bowl XI; acquired from Denver in 1967, he shares the Raiders' career interception record of 39 with Lester Hayes.

The Raiders' first NFL title, a 32-14 win over Minnesota in January 1977, was played where?

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosted Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977, eight days after the college Rose Bowl game on the same field; the Vikings became the first team to lose four Super Bowls.

Ray Guy, the Raiders' 1973 first-rounder, was the first player at what position taken that early?

Punter Ray Guy, taken 23rd overall in 1973, was the first punter ever chosen in the first round; in 2014 he became the first pure punter elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Which former Raiders quarterback replaced John Madden in 1979 as the NFL's first Hispanic head coach?

Tom Flores, the Raiders' original starting quarterback, succeeded John Madden in 1979, won Super Bowls XV and XVIII as head coach, and entered the Hall of Fame in 2021.

Which team took Jim Plunkett first overall in the 1971 draft?

The New England Patriots, then named the Boston Patriots on draft day, took Jim Plunkett, the 1970 Heisman winner from Stanford, first overall in 1971; he later won two Super Bowls as the Raiders' starter.

By winning Super Bowl XV, the Raiders became the first champion to have entered the playoffs how?

As a wild card entrant in 1980, Oakland beat Houston at home, then won at Cleveland and San Diego before beating Philadelphia 27–10 in Super Bowl XV, the first wild-card team to win the title.

Which Raiders linebacker set a record with three Super Bowl XV interceptions of Ron Jaworski?

Rod Martin intercepted Ron Jaworski three times in Super Bowl XV, a record; the pregame storyline was whether Pete Rozelle would hand the trophy to Al Davis, who was suing the league over the move to Los Angeles.

Which halfback turned a Jim Plunkett pass into an 80-yard touchdown in Super Bowl XV?

Kenny King took a short Jim Plunkett pass 80 yards for a touchdown in Super Bowl XV, then a Super Bowl record, in a game played five days after the Iran hostages were freed.

The Raiders played their home games in Los Angeles from the 1982 season through which final season?

The 1994 season was the Raiders' last in Los Angeles; Al Davis signed a letter of intent to return to Oakland on June 23, 1995, after failing to get a new Southern California stadium.

How many rushing yards did Marcus Allen gain in his record Super Bowl XVIII performance?

Marcus Allen's 191 rushing yards in Super Bowl XVIII set a record, including a 74-yard reverse-field run, and he became the third Heisman winner named Super Bowl MVP.

Which Ridley Scott-directed commercial aired during the Raiders' Super Bowl XVIII win?

Apple's "1984" Macintosh ad, directed by Ridley Scott, aired in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, as the Raiders routed Washington 38–9.

After his public feud with Al Davis, Marcus Allen finished his career with five seasons for which team?

Marcus Allen joined the Kansas City Chiefs in 1993 and played five seasons there, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year that first season before retiring after 1997.

In which round did the Raiders take Bo Jackson in the 1987 draft?

Seventh round, 183rd overall, is where the Raiders took Bo Jackson in 1987, a year after he refused to sign with Tampa Bay as the first overall pick; he famously called football a hobby.

During his 221-yard Monday Night game in 1987, Bo Jackson ran over which Seattle linebacker?

Brian Bosworth, the rookie who had talked trash all week, was bowled over at the goal line as Bo Jackson ran for 221 yards on November 30, 1987, just 29 days after his first NFL carry.

After spurning Tampa Bay, Bo Jackson signed with which MLB club, the defending champions who drafted him in 1986?

The Kansas City Royals, fresh off the 1985 World Series title, drafted Bo Jackson in the fourth round in 1986; he debuted that September and was the 1989 All-Star Game MVP.

Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, a second-round pick in 1981, played his college football where?

Villanova, where Howie Long also won the Northern Collegiate heavyweight boxing title, sent him to the Raiders as a second-round pick in 1981; he made eight Pro Bowls and the Hall of Fame in 2000.

When Art Shell was hired in 1989 he became the NFL's first Black head coach since which man in 1925?

Fritz Pollard, who coached the Hammond Pros in 1925, was the last Black NFL head coach before Art Shell; Shell, a 15-season Raiders left tackle, entered the Hall of Fame the same year he was hired.

Whom did Art Shell replace as Raiders head coach four games into the 1989 season?

Mike Shanahan was fired after a 1–3 start in 1989, his second season; he went on to win two Super Bowls in Denver while feuding with Al Davis for years over unpaid salary.

At which school did Tim Brown become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy?

Notre Dame's Tim Brown won the 1987 Heisman, the first wide receiver to do so, and retired with 14,934 receiving yards, then second in NFL history behind Jerry Rice.

The towering seating structure added to the Oakland Coliseum for the Raiders' 1995 return got what nickname?

Mount Davis is the nickname, after Al Davis, of the upper deck built in the Coliseum's outfield for the 1995 return; it blocked the view of the Oakland hills and was tarped for A's games from 2006.

What were sections 104–107 of the Oakland Coliseum, home to the rowdiest costumed fans, known as?

The Black Hole was sections 104–107 behind the Coliseum's end zone, its fans famous for spiked shoulder pads and face paint; the name followed the team to a dedicated section at Allegiant Stadium.

Which rapper recorded a song titled "Raider Nation" for the team?

Ice Cube, a lifelong Raiders fan who directed ESPN's 30 for 30 film Straight Outta L.A. about the team's Los Angeles years, recorded the song "Raider Nation" for the club.

Which NFL Films figure wrote 'The Autumn Wind', the Raiders' unofficial anthem?

Steve Sabol wrote "The Autumn Wind" as a poem for NFL Films' 1974 Raiders highlight film; John Facenda's narration made it the "Battle Hymn of the Raider Nation."

The helmeted pirate on the Raiders logo was reportedly modeled on which Western film actor?

Randolph Scott, the square-jawed star of 1950s Westerns, is the actor the logo's pirate is said to resemble; the eye-patched pirate with crossed swords has been on the helmet since 1963.

Hall of Fame Raiders center Jim Otto, who played 210 straight games, wore which number?

00 was Jim Otto's number from his second season, a play on his surname ("aught-O"); he wore 50 as a rookie and never missed a game in 15 seasons.

How old was George Blanda, pro football's oldest ever player, when he retired in 1976?

George Blanda was 48 when he retired before the 1976 season; born September 17, 1927, he had played 26 pro seasons, the most in the sport's history, beginning in 1949.

Lester Hayes coated his hands and arms in which substance, banned by the NFL in 1981?

Stickum, the gummy substance Lester Hayes slathered on his hands and arms, was outlawed in 1981 under a rule named for him; in 1980 he intercepted 13 passes in the regular season and five more in the playoffs.

Ted 'the Mad Stork' Hendricks was the first NFL player born in which country?

Guatemala is where Ted Hendricks was born in 1947, in Guatemala City, his father working for Pan American Airways; his 6-foot-7 frame earned him "the Mad Stork" at the University of Miami.

Hall of Fame Raiders guard Gene Upshaw later ran which organization?

The NFL Players Association was run by Gene Upshaw as executive director from 1983 until his death in 2008; on the field he was the first player to reach Super Bowls in three different decades.

Whom did Al Davis make Raiders chief executive in 1997, the first woman to run an NFL club?

Amy Trask, who started with the Raiders as a legal intern, became chief executive in 1997 and held the job for 16 years; fans called her the "Princess of Darkness" and she later became a CBS Sports analyst.

At which school did Charles Woodson become the first primarily defensive player to win the Heisman?

Michigan's Charles Woodson won the 1997 Heisman as a cornerback who also returned punts and caught passes; the Raiders drafted him fourth overall in 1998 and he returned for his final three seasons.

Which referee reversed Tom Brady's fumble into an incomplete pass in the January 2002 'Tuck Rule Game'?

Walt Coleman, after reviewing the play under the hood, ruled Brady's arm was moving forward; Charles Woodson had forced the fumble, and Adam Vinatieri then kicked a 45-yard field goal through the snow to force overtime.

In what year did NFL owners finally abolish the tuck rule that cost the Raiders their 2001 playoff game?

2013 is when the owners scrapped the tuck rule, voting 29–1 at the March meetings; the January 2002 game it is named for was the last ever played at Foxboro Stadium.

Which quarterback was 2002 NFL MVP after leading the league in passing yards and taking the Raiders to the Super Bowl?

Rich Gannon was the 2002 NFL MVP after leading the league with 4,689 passing yards; a 1987 fourth-round pick out of Delaware, he did not join the Raiders until 1999.

How much cash, plus four draft picks, did the Raiders get for Jon Gruden in 2002?

$8M in cash came with two first-round picks and two second-round picks when Tampa Bay acquired Jon Gruden in February 2002; he beat his old team in the Super Bowl a year later.

How many interceptions did the Raiders' quarterback throw in the 48–21 Super Bowl loss to Tampa Bay?

5 interceptions by the Raiders' quarterback, three of them returned for touchdowns by Dwight Smith (two) and Derrick Brooks, set a Super Bowl record; Tampa Bay players said Jon Gruden had taught them Oakland's audibles.

Which Raiders starting center went missing for most of the day before Super Bowl XXXVII?

Barret Robbins, the Raiders' Pro Bowl center, disappeared the day before Super Bowl XXXVII and was left off the roster; he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Adam Treu started in his place.

In which country was Sebastian Janikowski, the franchise's all-time leading scorer, born?

Poland is Sebastian Janikowski's birthplace; born in Wałbrzych in 1978, he was the Raiders' first-round pick in 2000 and kicked a 63-yard field goal in 2011 that tied the NFL record at the time.

Derek Carr's older brother David was the first overall pick of the 2002 draft by which expansion team?

The Houston Texans made David Carr the first pick of their inaugural 2002 draft; younger brother Derek was taken by the Raiders in the second round in 2014 and left in 2023 as their career passing-yards leader.

In 2018 the Raiders traded holdout pass-rusher Khalil Mack for two first-round picks to which team?

The Chicago Bears sent two first-round picks for Khalil Mack in September 2018; in 2015 he had become the first player named first-team All-Pro at two positions in one season, defensive end and outside linebacker.

Maxx Crosby played college football at which school, the only program to offer him a scholarship?

Eastern Michigan, the only school that offered him a scholarship, sent Maxx Crosby to the Raiders as a fourth-round pick in 2019; that November he sacked Cincinnati's Ryan Finley four times in one game.

NFL owners approved the Raiders' move to Las Vegas on March 27, 2017, by what vote?

31–1 was the vote at the owners' meeting in Phoenix on March 27, 2017, with Miami's Stephen Ross the lone dissenter; the Coliseum's problems by then included sewage backups in the locker rooms.

How much public money did Nevada approve in 2016 toward the domed Las Vegas stadium?

$750M in hotel-tax-backed public funding was approved by the Nevada legislature in October 2016; Mark Davis pledged $500 million of the team's own money after Sheldon Adelson first proposed the project.

Mark Davis gave Allegiant Stadium what nickname at the team's first closed-door practice there in 2020?

The Death Star is the nickname Mark Davis gave the $1.9 billion black-and-silver dome beside the Strip, a Star Wars reference to the Empire's planet-killing battle station.

The 85-foot Al Davis memorial torch in Allegiant Stadium was reported in 2019 to be the world's largest what?

3D-printed object is the superlative reported for the 85-foot torch, built from 3D-printed panels, which holds a flame honoring Al Davis and stands before the retractable lanai doors facing the Las Vegas Strip.

Allegiant Stadium's translucent roof, which lets in natural sunlight, is made of which material?

ETFE, a translucent fluoropolymer film, forms Allegiant Stadium's roof; the same material covers Beijing's Water Cube and Munich's Allianz Arena, and the Raiders' 2020 season underneath it was played with no fans.

Which team did the Raiders beat 33–27 in overtime in their first Allegiant Stadium home game with fans, in 2021?

The Baltimore Ravens lost 33–27 on Monday night, September 13, 2021, when Derek Carr hit Zay Jones for the overtime winner; fans had to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter.

Al Davis, the face of the franchise for half a century, was born in which state?

Massachusetts, specifically Brockton, is where Al Davis was born on July 4, 1929; the family moved to Brooklyn when he was five, and he graduated from Syracuse before starting his coaching career.

Besides the Raiders, owner Mark Davis also bought which WNBA team in 2021?

The Las Vegas Aces were bought from MGM Resorts by Mark Davis in January 2021; a season-ticket holder before the purchase, he saw the team win WNBA titles in 2022 and 2023.

Which former quarterback and his business partner bought a 10% stake in the Raiders in 2024?

Tom Brady and his partner Tom Wagner, co-founder of Knighthead Capital, were unanimously approved by NFL owners as 10% owners of the Raiders in 2024, while Brady was also working as Fox's lead NFL analyst.

Jon Gruden quit as Raiders coach in 2021 after which newspaper published his old emails?

The New York Times published a second batch of Jon Gruden's emails on October 11, 2021, and he resigned that night, under four years into a ten-year, $100 million contract; Rich Bisaccia finished the season and reached the playoffs.

What was the Raiders' record in Pete Carroll's one season before his January 2026 firing?

He had left Seattle after 15 years and traded for his old Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith, but the reunion produced the franchise's worst season in Las Vegas.

In 1960 and 1961 the Raiders played San Francisco home games at Candlestick Park and which other venue?

Kezar Stadium, at the edge of Golden Gate Park, hosted Raiders home games in 1960 before the team shifted to Candlestick Park; Oakland's temporary Frank Youell Field was not ready until 1962.

Frank Youell, namesake of the Raiders' first Oakland home, was a councilman who worked in what trade?

Undertaking was Frank Youell's trade; the Oakland undertaker and city councilman lent his name to the 22,000-seat temporary stadium that served from 1962 until the Coliseum opened in 1966, on land now part of Laney College.

Which running back came out of retirement in 2017 to play for his hometown Raiders?

Marshawn Lynch, an Oakland Technical High School product, returned in 2017 after a year away; Seattle retained his rights and traded him to Oakland for a swap of late-round draft picks.

Which Raiders running back led the NFL in rushing in 2022 with 1,653 yards?

Josh Jacobs led the NFL with 1,653 rushing yards in 2022, the first Raider since Marcus Allen in 1985 to top 2,000 yards from scrimmage, and he signed elsewhere in free agency in 2024.

The Oakland Coliseum was the last US stadium shared by an NFL team and a team from which sport?

Baseball's Athletics shared the Coliseum with the Raiders until the football team left after 2019, the last such NFL–MLB arrangement in the country; the A's stayed until 2024 on a surface named Rickey Henderson Field in 2017.

Which Los Angeles Chargers owner's threat to forfeit his franchise led to Oakland getting an AFL team?

Barron Hilton, the hotel heir who owned the Los Angeles Chargers, threatened to pull his franchise unless the AFL placed a second team on the West Coast, and Oakland civic leaders assembled investors to take the slot.

Who was managing general partner of the original 1960 Raiders ownership group?

Chet Soda, an Oakland real-estate developer, was managing general partner of the original 1960 ownership group, which also included Ed McGah and Wayne Valley; Soda left the partnership after the first season.

How long was the losing streak that spanned the Raiders' 1961 and 1962 seasons?

19 games: the Raiders' losing streak ran from late in the 1961 season through the first 13 games of 1962, ending only with a win in the season finale, before Al Davis was hired in January 1963.

Where was Wayne Valley in 1972 when Al Davis's lawyers rewrote the partnership to give Davis total control?

At the Munich Olympics in the summer of 1972, Wayne Valley was abroad when Al Davis had a new partnership agreement drawn up; Ed McGah signed it, the general partners approved it 2–1, and Valley sued and lost.

Which California city paid Al Davis a $10 million good-faith deposit in 1987 for a stadium that was never built?

Irwindale, a small San Gabriel Valley city, paid Al Davis a nonrefundable $10 million deposit in 1987 for a stadium in a gravel pit that was never built; Davis kept the money and later flirted with Sacramento.