Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders were founded in 1960 and entered the National Football League (NFL) in 1970. One man who has always been part of their franchise is Al Davis. Davis was named the Raiders’ head coach and general manager in 1962. After a brief absence from the team, Davis re-joined the Raiders in 1966 as part owner. In 1972, Davis found a way to take complete control of the organization and became the official owner of the Raiders.

The Raiders won their first Super Bowl in 1976 against the Minnesota Vikings by a score of 32-14. The Raiders were led by Ken Stabler at quarterback, who is one of the best quarterbacks in Raiders history. He was fortunate enough to be able to throw the ball to wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff, a Hall of Fame receiver who spent his entire career (1965-1978) with the Raiders. Since 1994, college football presents the best receiver with the Fred Biletnikoff Award in honor of his outstanding career. John Madden was the head coach of the Super Bowl winning team, but left to pursue a career in broadcasting the following season.

The Raiders next Super Bowl appearance came in 1981 when the defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10. The Raiders were led by Jim Plunkett, who had suddenly revived his career after a slow start with other teams. From 1982 to 1994, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles. Davis had wanted The Coliseum to be expanded in Oakland before the move, but it did not happen. The move did not affect the team’s chemistry too much, as the Raiders won the Super Bowl again in just their second season in Los Angeles. Once again, Plunkett was quarterbacking the Raiders, this time over the Washington Redskins. Although Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen never played in Oakland, he was one of the best running backs of all time during his career with the Raiders. The Raiders were also led by Hall of Fame defensive end Howie Long, who is now a pre-game analyst for FOX.

In 1995, the Raiders finally moved back to Oakland, pleasing thousands of fans. Things didn’t start well for the “new” Raiders, as they failed to make the playoffs in five straight seasons in Oakland. From 2000 to 2002 though, the Raiders finally returned to their form. They made the Super Bowl in 2002 behind quarterback Rich Gannon and wide receiver Jerry Rice. They came up short though, falling to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 48-21.

Following their Super Bowl season, the Raiders went into turmoil. They have had numerous coaching changes, and Davis hopes that Art Shell can lead the team in the right direction. Last year, the team acquired controversial wide receiver Randy Moss and running back LaMont Jordan. They are still trying to settle on a quarterback for the future, but the team believes they have the components to move in the right direction. The team’s logo consists of a shield with a raider wearing a football helmet.

California Team Information

Oakland Raiders Information