The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t had a lot of success over the last few decades. But, if you take a trip down memory lane, a number of Raiders players have left their stamp on the franchise as well as the NFL as a whole.
Let’s break down the top 10 Raiders players in franchise history, starting with No. 10.
*Note: All titles, awards and stats listed below are from each player’s tenure with the Raiders only. All stats are from Pro Football Reference unless otherwise credited.
10. Art Shell, T
Wikimedia CommonsFormer Raiders T Art Shell in 2006.
Years as a Raider: 1968-1982
Titles & awards:
2-time First-Team All Pro
8-time Pro Bowler
3-time Super Bowl champion
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1989)
Career regular season stats:
207 games
169 starts
Career postseason stats:
23 games
18 starts
It took two seasons for Shell to earn the starting left tackle job in Oakland. But once he did he didn’t let go of it. Playing alongside fellow Raider great Gene Upshaw, Shell had many dominant performances that don’t show up on the stat sheet, which included bottling up Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall in the 1977 Super Bowl. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1989.
9. Jim Otto, C
Wikimedia CommonsFormer Raiders center Jim Otto.
Years as a Raider: 1960-1974
Titles & awards:
9-time First-Team All AFL
First-Team All Pro (1970)
9-time AFL All Star
3-time Pro Bowler
AFL champion (1967)
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
AFL All-Time Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1980)
Career regular season stats:
210 starts
Career postseason stats:
13 starts
Otto was the epitome of consistency, which is evident in him never missing a game during his 15-year career with the Raiders. His accolades speak to how exceptional he was compared to his peers, and he is still considered one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history.
8. Fred Biletnikoff, WR
Wikimedia CommonsFormer Raiders WR Fred Biletnikoff during his time at FSU.
Years as a Raider: 1965-1978
Titles & awards:
First-Team All Pro (1970)
4-time Pro Bowler
2-time AFL All Star
NFL receptions leader (1971)
Super Bowl champion (1977)
AFL champion (1967)
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988)
Career regular season stats:
589 receptions
8,974 yards
76 touchdowns
Career postseason stats:
70 receptions
1,167 yards
10 touchdowns
Iconic performance: December 22, 1968 vs. Kansas City Chiefs
7 receptions
180 yards
3 touchdowns
Biletnikoff is second in franchise history in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns. He’s also 11th all-time in postseason receiving yards, which is incredible when considering that all but one player ahead of him played after 1980. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
7. Marcus Allen, RB
GettyMarcus Allen at his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction on January 24, 2003.
Years as a Raider: 1982-1992
Titles & awards:
2-time First-Team All Pro
5-time Pro Bowler
2-time NFL rushing touchdowns leader
NFL rushing yards leader (1985)
NFL scoring leader (1982)
Super Bowl champion (1984)
Super Bowl MVP
NFL Most Valuable Player (1985)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1985)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1982)
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1993)
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2003)
Career regular season stats:
8,545 rushing yards
79 touchdowns
587 receptions
4,258 yards
18 touchdowns
Career postseason stats:
961 yards
8 touchdowns
38 receptions
375 yards
2 touchdowns
Iconic performance: 1984 Super Bowl vs. Washington Redskins
191 yards
2 touchdowns
Allen is the Raiders’ franchise leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He’s also seventh among all Raiders pass-catchers in career receiving yards, which speaks to his exceptional dual-threat nature. His status as one of the Raiders greats was cemented during his iconic Super Bowl performance, which included a 74-yard touchdown run that helped him cement his one and only Super Bowl MVP award.
6. Howie Long, DE
GettyHowie Long, former Raiders DE, in 1990.
Years as a Raider: 1981-1993
Titles & awards:
2-time First-Team All Pro
8-time Pro Bowler
Super Bowl champion (1984)
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2000)
Career regular season stats:
91.5 sacks
10 fumble recoveries
Career postseason stats:
4 sacks
2 fumble recoveries
Iconic performance: October 2, 1983 vs. Washington Redskins
5 sacks
Long has the second-most sacks in Raiders history. But what doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is how effective he was as a run stopper and defending passes at the line of scrimmage. He was an all around exceptional player, which is why he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
5. Ted Hendricks, LB
GettyLegendary linebacker and former Raider Ted Hendricks shows off his Hall of Fame ring in 1990.
Years as a Raider: 1975-1983
Titles & awards:
2-time First-Team All Pro
4-time Pro Bowler
3-time Super Bowl champion
NFL 75th Anniversary Team
NFL 100th Anniversary Team
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 1980s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1990)
Career regular season stats:
42 sacks
10 interceptions
10 fumble recoveries
3 safeties
Career postseason stats:
9 sacks
4 fumble recoveries
To understand Hendricks’ playmaking ability, look no further than his further than his four career safeties, which is tied for the most in NFL history. In his first season with the Raiders he recorded seven blocked kicks and five interceptions, which speaks to him being one of the most versatile players in NFL history. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
4. Gene Upshaw, G
GettyFormer Raiders guard and NFL Players Association executive director Gene Upshaw at a Capitol Hill hearing on steroid use in 2005.
Years as a Raider: 1967-1981
Titles & awards:
3-time First-Team All Pro
2-time First-Team All AFL
6-time Pro Bowler
AFL All Star (1968)
2-time Super Bowl champion
AFL champion (1967)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
NFL 75th Anniversary Team
NFL 100th Anniversary Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1987)
Career regular season stats:
217 games
207 starts
Career postseason stats:
24 starts
Upshaw missing just one game during his 15-year career speaks to his all-time consistency and durability. He’s one of the best offensive line to ever sport a Raiders jersey and was a driving force behind the Raiders’ potent offenses during the late 1960s and 1970s.
3. Willie Brown, DB
Wikimedia CommonsFormer Raiders CB Willie Brown at a signing session at the Pearl Harbor Navy Exchange in 2007.
Years as a Raider: 1967-1978
Titles & awards:
3-time First-Team All AFL
3-time First-Team All Pro
5-time AFL All Star
4-time Pro Bowler
Super Bowl champion (1977)
NFL 100th Anniversary Team
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
AFL All-Time Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1984)
Career regular season stats:
39 interceptions
4 fumble recoveries
2 pick-sixes
Career postseason stats:
7 interceptions
3 pick-sixes
Iconic performance: October 29, 1972 vs. Los Angeles Rams
3 interceptions
Brown is tied for the most interceptions in Raiders history. His ability to shut down opposing cornerbacks made him one of the best cornerbacks in AFL and NFL history. Having multiple interceptions returned for a touchdown during the regular season and yet having even more during the playoffs is a clear example of how clutch a performer Brown was. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1984.
2. Ken Stabler, QB
GettyQuarterback Ken Stabler of the Oakland Raiders prepares to pass the ball during a game against the Cleveland Browns in 1979.
Years as a Raider: 1970-1979
Titles & awards:
First-Team All Pro (1974)
4-time Pro Bowler
2-time NFL passing touchdowns leader
2-time NFL completion percentage leader
NFL passer rating leader (1976)
Super Bowl champion (1977)
NFL Most Valuable Player (1974)
NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1974)
NFL 1970s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2016)
Career regular season stats:
19,078 yards
150 touchdowns
143 interceptions
Career postseason stats:
2,398 yards
19 touchdowns
11 interceptions
Iconic performance: 1974 Divisional Round vs. Miami Dolphins
293 yards
4 touchdowns
1 interception
Stabler is second all-time in franchise history in passing yards and passing touchdowns. His career-best season in 1976 in which he led the league in passing touchdowns, completion percentage and quarterback rating was the catalyst that helped guide the Raiders to their first ever Super Bowl victory.
1. Tim Brown, WR
GettyTim Brown after a victory over the New York Jets in 2002.
Years as a Raider: 1988-2003
Titles & awards:
2nd-Team All Pro (1997)
9-time Pro Bowler
NFL receptions co-leader (1997)
NFL kickoff return yards leader (1988)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (2015)
Career regular season stats:
1,070 receptions
14,734 yards
99 touchdowns
Career postseason stats:
45 receptions
581 yards
3 touchdowns
Iconic performance: August 31, 1997 vs. Tennessee Titans
8 receptions
158 yards
3 touchdowns
Brown is the most decorated Raiders receiver of all-time, and it’s not close. He’s the franchise leader in catches, yards, and touchdowns and is also ninth all-time in NFL history in receiving touchdowns. He’s elite speed and quickness helped him rattle off nine straight 1,000-yard seasons during his time with the Raiders.
What do you think, Raiders fan? Sound off on your top picks in the comments.
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