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Al Davis: A legend remembered
By Tony Renteria October 8, 2011 |
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Al Davis was an American Success story. A man with unequaled vision and a never ending drive. Al was the Oakland Raiders. In 1963 when the Raiders were predicted to come in dead last it was the leadership of new head coach and general manager that produced a 10-4 record and barley missed the Championship game. That was the start of what would become the Raider Nation. Davis had been a college coach at USC before becoming an assistant with San Diego Chargers. Davis took the reins of the Raiders and built a long lasting football power in the AFL. It was Davis who six weeks after becoming AFL Commissioner that helped for the modern day Nation Football league. Davis who did not want the position because it took him away from what his heart loved most, Coaching. Davis who was always accused of calling in plays from the owner’s box and sending in players off the bench he thought were better than the starters, it lead back to one thing. He was a coach. Current head coach Hue Jackson always referred to Al as Coach Davis. Success can be measured by wins and losses but value as man, coach and owner can be showed by the fact that nine Hall of Famers have has Al Davis give them their introduction speeches at Canton. Davis built a Nation of fans, thru super bowls wins, but it was the, us versus the word mentality that formed Raider Nation into a close knit family. Al passed away today and while the football will be played tomorrow, the first true Maverick of NFL is gone. Al believed in one thing, that winning cured everything. It would be peotic if his headstone just said Al Davis Oakland Raider, “Just Win Baby” |
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