Oakland Raiders: Connections, Calculations, and Conquest Of Titans

After a visit to the Oakland Raiders website, I noticed a posting of "Connections." I read the post carefully.

I thought that it is curious to post these connections. The only reason they may be important is to remind the coaches and players to be conquerors and to have conquest over their opponents even if those opponents are former contacts or colleagues. 

Reflecting back on a game in 1970, I remember that Winston Hill, W. K. Hicks, and Warren Wells were friends in college. They played for Texas Southern University and they often socialized together during offseason.

They encountered each other on the professional football field. On the football field, they were fierce competitors. Their former connections did not matter. What mattered to them was winning the game.

Hill and Hicks played against Wells in the Jets-Raiders game on Dec 6. 1970. Wells and the Oakland Raiders played hard and smart. The Raiders won during the last eight seconds.

No doubt after the game, they may have all met somewhere in New York or New Jersey to remember their friendship during college. During the game, however, nothing mattered to Wells but catching the ball, getting to the endzone and winning that game.

So here is a record of some connections. Yet, what matters is that the Oakland Raiders defeat the Titans on Sept 12. Nothing else matters.

The List of Connections from www.raiders.com

RAIDERS: Head Coach Tom Cable coached Titans G Jake Scott at the University of Idaho...

T/G Daniel Loper played for the Titans from 2005-08...

DT John Henderson is from Nashville, attended Pearl-Cohn High School and went to the University of Tennessee...

Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown, in charge of Raiders Squad Development, began his career with the Houston Oilers...

Quarterbacks coach Paul Hackett served in the same capacity at USC while Ttians Head Coach Jeff Fisher played there from 1977-80...

LB Quentin Groves and CB Walter McFadden were college teammates of Titans DT Sen’Derrick Marks at Auburn...

K Sebastian Janikowski and Titans SS Chris Hope were teammates at Florida State...

DE Richard Seymour and Titans MLB Will Witherspoon were college teammates at Georgia...

C Samson Satele and Titans CB Ryan Mouton played together at Hawaii...

CB Jeremy Ware played with Titans RB Javon Ringer at Michigan State...

DT Tommy Kelly and Titans T David Stewart played at Mississippi State together...

FS Michael Huff played with Titans FS Michael Griffin, FB Ahmard Hall, TE Bo Scaife, and QB Vince Young at Texas...

QB Bruce Gradkowski was college teammates with Titans P Brett Kern at Toledo...

RB Michael Bennett and Titans DT Jovan Haye were teammates with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2007-08...

Gradkowski also played with Haye in Tampa Bay from 2006-07...

LB Kamerion Wimbley was a teammate of Haye with the Cleveland Browns in 2006...

DT John Henderson and T Khalif Barnes were teammates with Titans LB Jamie Winborn in Jacksonville in 2005...

T Erik Pears and Winborn were teammates with the Denver Broncos from 2007-08...

QB Kyle Boller and Titans MLB Will Witherspoon played together with the St. Louis Rams in 2009...

Conclusion

As you can see, there are many connections and affiliations between the Oakland Raiders and the Tennessee Titans.

What matters most to the Raider Nation is a victory on Sept 12.

Go Raiders! Once you win the game then you can have a heart and connect with your former colleagues or affiliates. For now, remember your mantra: Just win, baby!

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