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The saying “once a Raider, always a Raider” has always meant a lot to players that have donned the silver and black. Even players who only spent a brief time with the team find themselves drawn back. Count Lamarr Houston among the players who revered the Raiders in the brief time they played with the team.
The former second-round pick by Al Davis has decided to hang up the cleats, but he wanted to make sure to retire the right way.
“Today’s a great day – I’m retiring a Raider,” Houston said on Wednesday. “I felt like throughout my career… my best days were here in Oakland with the Raiders. I really take pride in being one of the last hand-picked players by Al Davis.”
The Raiders announced that Houston will be signing a one-day deal so that his status as retiring with the team is official. It’s certainly a big move to honor the silver and black and Al Davis. Houston joins a number of legendary players who returned to Oakland to retire a Raider.
Tim Brown & Nnamdi Asomugha Also Returned to Retire as Raiders
Consider that some football careers can last over a decade, it’s very rare for a player to spend their entire career with one team. Even “Mr. Raider” himself, Tim Brown, spent some time away with another team. However, all roads lead back to the silver and black. Similar to Houston, when Brown retired, he signed a one-day deal with the Raiders, so that he could retire with the team.
More recently, 3-time Pro Bowl cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha did the same thing. He had his best years in Oakland but left once it was clear the team wasn’t going to be winning a lot of games. He never found the same success elsewhere and retired relatively young, but he did so as a Raider.
Few franchises revere their alumni the same way the Raiders do. That’s why legendary players have joined the team late in their careers like Jerry Rice and Ronnie Lott. Even John Lynch, who has spent almost his entire life hating the Raiders, admitted that every player wants to don the silver and black.
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Houston Was Once the Raiders’ Sack Leader
Houston was drafted by the late Al Davis back in 2010. He played four years for the team and was one of their only defensive bright spots at that time. In his last year with the team, he led them in sacks with six. Unfortunately for Houston, he was with the Raiders when their struggles were at their highest. When he became a free agent, the Chicago Bears gave him a massive contract that Oakland couldn’t have matched.
He had one great year with the Bears in 2015 but was hampered with injuries a lot of the time. He didn’t play in 2018 or 2019 and it became clear that it was time for him to retire. Though he wasn’t the longest-tenured or most statistically dominant Raider ever, his move to retire as one will certainly resonate with the fan base.
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