Raiders “Commitment in Excellence” Evidenced Again

The National Football Foundation and the CFB Hall of Fame announced the list of former players who would be on the 2021 ballot for the hall of fame. Several Raiders from various eras were picked as candidates.

One of the more notable former pros on the list is former Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer. Palmer had a star-studded career as the quarterback for USC for five seasons, including winning a Heisman Trophy, becoming a consensus First Team All-American and setting other school records.

Arguably the best Raider in recent memory, kicker Sebastian Janikowski, also makes a list. Seabass holds the record for most career points in Raider history with 1,799. Before he was a Raider, Janikowski became the only two-time recipient of the Lou Graza award, which is presented annually to the top college football placekicker, after helping win a national championship at Florida State.

Steve Wisniewski, a guard for the Raiders for 13 years, is also on the ballot. A three-year starter at Penn State, he was selected to the 1988 First Team All-American squad and was a member of the Penn State team that in 1986 went undefeated at 12-0 and won a national championship.

Among the rest of the candidates are Robert Gallery, a No. 2 overall pick of the Raiders in the 2004 draft, who was 2003 consensus First Team All-American and the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the year in his senior season at Iowa.

David Fulcher, who played for the Raiders in 1993, recorded 14 interceptions as a defensive back at Arizona State and was a two-time First Team All-American.

Willie Gault, who played for the Raiders for six seasons in the late 1980s and early '90s, was a 1982 First Team All-American at Tennesse. Gault set several school and SEC records for punt/kick returns and tied the NCAA record for most kick return touchdowns in a single season in 1980.

Bob Golic, who was with the Raiders for four seasons, was a unanimous First Team All-American at Notre Dame. He was a finalist for the Lombardi Award given to the best college football player regardless of position in 1978.

Tyrone Poole, who played one season in Oakland in 2006, was a First Team All American in 1994 for Fort Valley State and was a two-time Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year (1993-94).

Former Raiders coach Jack Del Rio, was a consensus First Team All-American for USC in 1984 and was Co-MVP of the 1985 Rose Bowl as well as two-time First Team All-Pacific 10 Conference selection.

The final nominee is former Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr., who was a First Team All-American for UCLA in 1987, helped lead the team to four straight bowl victories and is sixth in school history with 339 career tackles.

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