ESPN Former Oakland Raiders CB Willie Brown.
The mantra “once a Raider, always a Raider” is one that’s been repeated a great many times. Few teams have fostered familial bonds quite like the Raiders have over the decades. Even players that only donned the silver and black for just a season hold a special place in Raider land. Many Raider legends didn’t start or finish their careers with the Raiders, but they identify with the team. Players like Tim Brown and Nnamdi Asomugha may have spent the ends of their careers with other teams, but they both signed one-day deals with the Raiders before they retired and are still revered by Raider nation. The Raider organization also likes to hire their own. Many Raiders have worked for the team in a coaching capacity or an administrative role. Below we’re going to go through some Raider legends that still are employed by the team, according to the team website.
Raiders Alumni
There are several big names Raiders that help out with the Raiders Alumni. Hall-of-Famers Jim Otto and Fred Biletnikoff are the most notable names that are part of the group. It’s nice to see that two of the men who helped turn the Raiders into a legendary franchise are still involved with the team. The two legends shared the field for many years in Oakland. Unfortunately, Otto retired just a couple of years before the Raiders won their first Super Bowl, but the center was only the second Raider to ever get inducted in the Hall-of-Fame.
Biletnikoff was an integral part of the Raider team that eventually won the Super Bowl in 1976. He is one of only seven wide receivers that have won the Super Bowl MVP. He was inducted into the Hall-Of-Fame in 1988 and was the only Raiders wide receiver inducted until James Lofton was in 2003.
Joining Otto and Biletnikoff are George Atkinson and Jim Plunkett. Plunkett is widely considered to be one of the biggest Hall-of-Fame snubs around. The former quarterback led the Raiders to two Super Bowl wins in the 80s, winning MVP in one of them. Plunkett has been one of the Raiders voices in the broadcast booth for a long time, also. Hopefully, the big guy gets into the Hall-of-Famer sooner rather than later. While George Atkinson isn’t as notable a name as some of the previously mentioned players, he was a two-time pro bowler that was part of one of the three Raider Super Bowl teams. It’s not exactly clear what these legends do in their roles, but Raider Nation should be more than happy to have these guys around.
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Willie Brown
Former Raiders cornerback Willie Brown is one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history. Brown was part of all three Raiders Super Bowl Teams as a player and a coach. Brown was also a member of the All-Decade Team for the 70s. Brown was undrafted but somehow still became a legend. He was also the Raiders’ defensive backs coach when they had one of the greatest cornerback tandems in history with Lester Hayes and Mike Haynes. Now, in his later years, Brown serves as the Director of staff development. Considering his track record, Brown probably excels at that role too. Brown is a great example of a player who didn’t start as a Raider but became a legend while wearing the silver and black.
Zack Crockett
The former fullback for the Raiders, Zack Crockett, may have never lit up the stat sheets, but he was a great contributor in the blocking game for the team. He was part of the team during the first Jon Gruden tenure in Oakland. He was also an important member of the team that went to the Super Bowl in 2002. He stuck around for a few of the dark years, but eventually retired as a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Well, now he’s back with the team as a scout working for Mike Mayock. How much impact Crockett has on decisions is unclear, but the Raiders are putting together a solid roster and he’s part of the team that’s doing that. Crockett will likely be a member of the silver and black for a long time to come.
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