Raiders Cliff Branch Next Up for the Hall?

Raider Nation diehards have been venting their frustration on social media since the 2021 Class of the Pro Football Hall of Fame was announced last Saturday, the day before the Super Bowl.

Sure, Raiders fans are happy that defensive back Charles Woodson was elected to the HOF in his first year of eligibility and that Tom Flores, the Raiders’ first quarterback in 1960 who later coached them to victories in Super Bowls XV and XVIII, finally made it.

Knowing that wide receiver Cliff Branch, who should have been in the Hall of Fame long ago, was not going to make it this year because he wasn’t on the list of semifinalists didn’t make things any easier.

That’s because, adding insult to injury for Raiders fans, wide receiver Drew Pearson of the Dallas Cowboys was selected for induction. While Pearson was a fine receiver who belongs in the HOF, Branch deserved election before he did, and the numbers tell the story.

The 6-foot, 212-pound Pearson caught 489 passes for 7,822 yards and 48 touchdowns in his 11-year career, was a three-time first-team All-Pro, and played in three Pro Bowls. In playoff games, he caught 68 passes for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns, while playing on one Super Bowl champion.

The 5-11, 170-pound Branch made 501 receptions for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns in 15 seasons with the Silver and Black, including an NFL record-tying 99-yard TD, was a three-time first-team All-Pro, played in four Pro Bowls, and played a key role as the Raiders won Super Bowls XI, XV and XVIII.

In addition, Branch caught 73 passes for 1,289 yards and five touchdowns in the post-season, with the catches and yardage standing as NFL records until Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers came along.

Not only that, Branch had to share the ball with wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff and tight end Dave Casper, both already in the Hall of Fame, for part of his career.

“Cliff made it possible for us to do so many things in not only our passing game but the running game, too, because defenses routinely tried to cover him with two and sometimes three defenders,” quarterback Kenny “Snake” Stabler said. “And Cliff was still able to get open, with his speed and great moves.

“ … When we broke the huddle, the first thing the defense looked for was where Cliff was lined up. He opened things up for the rest of our offense because they had to pay so much attention to him."

Branch set the then-NCAA record for the 100-meter dash by running 10 seconds-flat at the 1972 NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., but passed up a chance to try out for the Olympic Games that year to attend Raiders rookie and training camps.

Strictly a deep threat at Colorado, Branch benefited by being drafted in the fourth round (No. 98 overall) of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Raiders, because he was able to learn some deceptive moves from Biletnikoff, the master of his craft.

“The way Cliff played overshadows a lot of us,” Biletnikoff said.
Branch has been eligible for the Hall of Fame since 1991 and has twice been a semifinalist. A few years ago, NFL Network selected Branch as one of the top five players worth of selection who had not yet selected for induction in Canton, Ohio.

“I don’t want to hear about all these things, this or that, but he didn’t do this, he didn’t do that,” Hall of Fame Coach Mike Ditka said. “He’s a Hall of Famer.”

Added Hall of Fame cornerback Mel Blount of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who had some classic battles with Branch: “He changed the game, in the way a game is played as a wide receiver. People started going out and looking for speed, and looking for guys like Cliff Branch.”

If and when Branch finally is selected to the Hall of Fame, he won’t be in Canton for the induction ceremony. He died unexpectedly on Aug. 3, 2019, at the age of 71.

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