Al Davis
A graduate of Syracuse University, Davis became an assistant coach with the Baltimore Colts at age 24; and was an assistant at The Citadel and then Southern California before joining the Los Angeles Chargers of the new AFL in 1960. Only three years later, he was hired by the Raiders and became the youngest general manager-head coach in pro football history with a team he called "the Raid-uhs" in 1963.
Elected in 1992 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Davis was a trailblazer. He hired the first black head coach of the modern era (Art Shell, in 1988); he hired the first Latino coach (Tom Flores); and the first woman CEO (Amy Trask). And he was infallibly loyal to his players and officials: to be a Raider was to be a Raider for life.
Until the decline of the Raiders in the first decade of the 21st century, Davis was a winner, the man who as a coach, then owner-general manager-de facto coach, established what he called "the team of the decades" based on another slogan: "commitment to excellence."
And the Raiders were excellent - winning three Super Bowls during the 1970s and 1980s and contending almost every other season - an organization filled with castoffs and troublemakers who turned into trouble for opponents.
Davis was one of the most important figures in NFL history. His rebellious nature was evident during the 1980s when he went to court (and won) for the right to move his team from Oakland to Los Angeles - and more so in the 1990s, when when he moved the Raiders BACK to the Bay Area in 1995, and sued for $1.2 billion to establish that he still owned the rights to the L.A. market.
Once a constant presence at practice, training camp and in the locker room, Davis was rarely seen in public beyond the bizarre spectacles to fire and hire coaches where he spent more time disparaging his former coach than praising his new one. He did not appear at a single training camp practice this summer and missed a game in Buffalo last month, believed to be only the third game he missed in 49 seasons with the franchise. Davis did Attend Oakland's home game last week against New England.
Although he was no longer as public a figure, he was still integrally involved in the team from the draft to negotiating contracts to discussing strategy with his coaches.
"Al was a football man - his entire life revolved around the game he loved," said Tennessee Titans owner Bud Adams.