It's not as if the Silver and Black isn't well represented in Canton, Ohio. Be it in Oakland, Los Angeles, or currently Las Vegas, the Raiders are one of the league's most popular franchises. This is despite the fact that the team's last Super Bowl championship came 40 years ago in 1983.
The club also hasn't won a postseason contest since the 2002 AFC Championship Game. Still, this is an organization that has had many great players take the field. The following five players had some stellar moments and may be worth a mention when it comes to the Hall of Fame.
No. 5 Raiders legend that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration: LB Phil Villapiano
During the 1970s, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Oakland Raiders clashed in the playoffs for five consecutive years. To this day, that's something that has still not been matched by any two clubs. Both teams had their share of stars on both sides of the ball each team. The mantra for both the Black and Gold and the Silver and Black was physical football.
Raiders' linebacker Phil Villapiano epitomized that style. He was paired with other solid linebackers such Monte Johnson, Willie Hall and Hall of Famer Ted Hendricks. A second-round pick from Bowling Green, he was an immediate starter and was runner-up for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. Villapiano didn't miss a game in each of his first six seasons and was routinely around the football.
In nine seasons with the franchise, the heady defender racked up 28 takeaways and 15.0 sacks. The 6'2", 225-pound pro was named to fourth straight Pro Bowls from 1973-76. In Oakland's 32-14 Super Bowl XI win over the Vikings, he and Johnson tied for the team lead with seven tackles and Villapiano also came up with a sack.
In 1980, Villapiano was traded to the Buffalo Bills (see Tom Lamarre of Si.com). He spent four seasons in Orchard Park and was a member of two playoff teams in 1980 and '81.
No. 4 Raiders legend that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration: TE Todd Christensen
He was a very solid running back at Brigham Young University and the Dallas Cowboys thought so highly of him in 1978 that they made him a second-round draft choice. However, Todd Christensen was injured that summer and missed the season. Reportedly, the Cowboys wanted to convert him to tight end and when that idea wasn't well received, he was released. He signed with the Giants and played in one game and was cut again.
He joined the Raiders and while he appeared in the final 12 games for the team in 1979, he didn't catch a pass. There was a similar story in 16 contests for the team the following year. He finally got on the board during the playoffs. He came up with his only reception in the wild-card round vs. the Oilers, catching a one-yard TD pass for a team that would eventually defeat the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. In 1981, he again played in all 16 games but caught just eight passes for 114 yards and a pair of scores.
Christensen started to open some eyes during the strike-shortened season of 1982. He totaled 42 receptions for 510 yards and four touchdowns, plus added 11 grabs for 124 yards in the playoff split with the Browns and Jets.
Starting in 1983, Christensen would be named to five consecutive Pro Bowls. Over that five-year span, he amassed 396 catches for 5,057 yards and 35 TDs. He led the NFL in receptions in 1983 (92) and '86 (95) and earned All-Pro honors in both of those seasons. During the Raiders' three-game run in 1983 which culminated in a Super Bowl XVIII title, Christensen caught 14 passes for 134 yards.
No. 3 Raiders legend that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration: S Jack Tatum
He's not often mentioned in the discussion of great safeties in NFL annals. He is usually a subject of one of the hard-hitting players in football. His style epitomized the physical game of many decades. Safety Jack Tatum made his mark as one of football's great intimidators. There are certainly more highlights of his vicious hits than his numerous takeaways. Perhaps that has worked against him when it comes to being a Pro Football Hall of Fame candidate.
A look at some numbers. In nine seasons with the Raiders and one with the Houston Oilers, Tatum picked off 37 passes. Seven of those thefts came in his final season with Houston. The three-time Pro Bowler's (all with the Raiders) lone touchdown of his 10-year career came in 1972 when he set an NFL record for the longest fumble return (104 yards) in a 20-14 win over the Packers (the mark was tied 28 years later by Cardinals' defensive back Aeneas Williams).
Of course, there were the hits. Many a wide receiver or running back (Earl Campbell in 1979) paid the price when they were in his vicinity. There was the unfortunate set of circumstances in the 1978 preseason when a midfield collision with New England Patriots wideout Darryl Stingley left the receiver paralyzed.
All told, the former Ohio State Buckeye and 19th overall pick in the 1971 NFL Draft was far more than just a hitting machine.
No. 2 Raiders legend that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration: DB Dave Grayson
He began his career in 1961 with the AFL's Dallas Texans, who would soon become the Kansas City Chiefs. Ball-hawking defensive back Dave Grayson spent four seasons with Hank Stram's team. He picked off 19 passes (returning 1 for a touchdown), was named to three Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors in 1964. He also excelled on special teams, taking back a kickoff for a touchdown in 1963.
Then Grayson was a member of the Oakland Raiders, where he really thrived. "That was one of the best trades Al Davis ever made," once explained Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Willie Brown (via Tom LaMarre of SI.com). He wasn't the biggest guy, but he could really play and he had a nose for the ball.
"That was two years before I went to Oakland, but everybody could see that the secondary was definitely improved right away when we got Dave, and he helped everyone else get better, too. He was a great player and teammate."
That "great teammate" was named to three more Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors three times in six years with the Silver and Black. Grayson totaled 29 interceptions with the Raiders, returning four of those thefts for scores. He led the AFL with 10 picks in 1968 and wound up that league's all-time interception leader (47).
No. 1 Raiders legend that deserves more Hall of Fame consideration: CB Lester Hayes
How times have changed when it comes to the play of quarterbacks. Over the past 15 seasons dating back to 2008, only two players, Miami's Xavien Howard in 2020 (10) and Dallas' Trevon Diggs in 2021 (11), reached double digits when it came to picking off passes.
Meanwhile, the single-season NFL record for interceptions has stood the time for basically 70 years. Back in 1952, Los Angeles Rams' rookie Dick "Night Train" Lane set a new mark with 14 picks. Three players have reached 13 interceptions in a season, the last time by a defender who was one of the game's top cover corners of his era.
The Oakland Raiders used a fifth-round draft choice in 1977 on Texas A&M defensive back Lester Hayes. He spent all 10 of his NFL campaigns with the Silver and Black. His breakout year came in 1979 when he picked off seven passes and returned two for scores.
In 1980, he enjoyed a magical season when he totaled 13 interceptions, earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. More importantly, the wild card Raiders would go on to beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10, in Super Bowl XV. Hayes proved that his regular-season performance was hardly a fluke. During Oakland's four-game postseason run, he picked off five more passes.
The 10-year pro finished his career with 39 interceptions, four returned for touchdowns, and scored on one of his seven fumble recoveries. The five-time Pro Bowler and 1980 All-Pro played in 13 postseason contests and picked off eight more passes.
