Al Davis (1929-2011) How He'll Be Remembered

Today, a true sports icon has left us. Al Davis died Saturday morning at his Oakland home. The man who built the Oakland Raiders will now watch his black and silver from the heavenly skies. NFL commissioner said it best, “He is a true legend of the game whose impact and legacy will forever be part of the NFL.”

Though at times Davis may have rubbed many owners, coaches, players and fans the wrong way, he is undoubtedly a man none will forget. So what will people remember Allen “Al” Davis for?

A Young Al Davis

In 1962, Al Davis was hired to be General Manager and Head Coach of the Oakland Raiders at the age 33—at the time the youngest head coaching hire in NFL history. His implementation of the West Coast offense led the Raiders to a 10-4 season, the first winning season in franchise history.

Al Davis and the Oakland Raider journey had just begun. 

The Jon Gruden Drama

In 1998 Al Davis made Jon Gruden the youngest head coach in the NFL at age 34. Al Davis eventually traded Gruden to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a rare transaction to say the least.

Ironically, the Rich Gannon-led Raiders met Jon Gruden’s new squad in 2003 in Super Bowl XXXVII and got destroyed by them 48-21.

The Slick-Backed Hair

No single owner in the NFL has been more of the face of his franchise than Al Davis. Though Davis looked like quite the “boss” earlier in his life, most will remember the frustrated and aged face we've all grown used to seeing during press conferences.

The L.A. Raiders

When Al Davis didn't get upgrades to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (where the Raiders played), he pursued the option of moving his team to the Los Angeles area. Los Angeles eventually became home to the Raiders for 13 seasons ('82-'94). 

The Raiders made the playoffs seven of those seasons, and won Super bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins in 1984. Though times were great in L.A., Al Davis packed up the Raiders and moved them back to Oakland after changes were finally made to the stadium there.

The Recent Losing

Since the Raiders last appeared in the Super bowl (2002), they have yet to reach the playoffs. They have one 8-8 season, and that was in 2010. Not including this season, in the previous eight seasons the Raiders had a record of 37-83. During that eight-year span, they burned through five coaches.

Davis and Raider fans have also had a rough go lately on the draft front, dealing with disappointing picks such as JaMarcus Russell and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

The Classic Success

Although the Oakland Raiders have been rather pathetic the last nine years, many will look back and remember the success that Al Davis built. Under Davis' ownership, the Raiders appeared in five Super Bowls, winning three of them, and compiled a record of 388-296-8.

There is no question that Al Davis built this franchise and is directly responsible for its successful past.

Just Win, Baby!

Though younger Raider fans may have forgotten what Davis did for this franchise, the older generations cannot forget what he did. One shouldn't allow the recent losing and embarrassment to tarnish the memory of a true winner. Nothing was more important to Al Davis than winning.

He himself said it best, “Just win, baby!”