There’s a new era of Raiders football in Las Vegas, but the franchise has one of the most storied pasts in the game’s history. Leaving Oakland behind for the second time to become the Las Vegas Raiders is just like turning a page.
Here’s a quick look at five of the greatest Raiders in franchise history, according to writers and bookmakers at safe betting sites:
Marcus Allen
Allen is one of the most remarkable Raiders of all time, having won the NFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP, and Rookie of the Year awards all in 1985. With 1,759 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, Allen took home the MVP award in the 1985 NFL.
On the all-time list, he sits within the top 15 in both running and receiving touchdowns and in the top 14 in rushing yards. He has scored the third most rushing touchdowns in history, after only LaDainian Tomlinson and Emmitt Smith.
Marcus Allen produced two All-Pro First Team seasons and five visits to the Pro Bowl. After amassing more than 12,000 yards rushing and setting a new mark with 123 rushing touchdowns, Allen was voted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 2003.
Willie Brown
A real Raider for life, Willie Brown spent the first four years of his career in Denver. After being sold to Oakland in 1967, he quickly established himself as one of the league’s premier shutdown corners.
In his 12 years with the team, 10 of them were spent as defensive captains. He played five times in the AFL All-Star Game and four times in the NFL Pro Bowl.
Perhaps Brown’s most notable play for the Raiders was his interception of a Fran Tarkenton throw in Super Bowl XI, in which he returned 75 yards for a score. This set a new Super Bowl record at the time. In 1978, Brown left as the Raiders’ all-time leader in interceptions.
Jim Otto
It might be argued that Jim Otto is the best center in NFL history. For fifteen seasons, he was the Raiders’ unmovable centerpiece. He never got hurt., and was one of only twenty people to play in the American Football League during its full ten seasons.
He was also renowned for his squad number, “00”, and got inducted into the NFL hall of fame in 1980. Otto was also rated no. 78 on the Sporting News’ list of the 100 greatest football players.
Tim Brown
With a lead of roughly 6,000 yards over Biletnikoff, Brown is now the all-time leader in receiving yards for the team. In addition to leading the team in touchdown passes and catches, he is second in franchise history in games played, trailing only Sebastian Janikowski. Brown is the most accomplished receiver in club history, setting franchise records in nearly every major statistical category.
Howie Long
Long was a formidable defensive lineman for the Raiders, thanks to his unique mix of size, strength, and quickness. Howie finished his career with 91.5 sacks. The Washington Redskins were the victims of five of his thirteen sacks in a single game that year (1983). Long was instrumental in the later Super Bowl dominance against Washington. As a result, John Riggins averaged fewer than three yards on his rushing attempts throughout the game.
One of Long’s trademark defensive moves was the “rip,” a rapid, uppercut-like motion meant to free yourself from the hold of an opponent blocker. By the time he retired in 1993, he had already been named to eight pro bowls and five all-pro squads.