Raiders Went Deep With Branch, Gault
Cliff Branch is recognized as the fastest wide receiver in the history of the Oakland-Los Angeles-Las Vegas Raiders, but had they been able to race in the primes of their careers, Willie Gault would have been right with him.
The 5-11, 170-pound Branch, who played football and ran track at Colorado, set a then-NCAA Championship record of 10.00 seconds in the 100-meter semifinals of the 1972 meet in Eugene, Ore., before finishing fifth in the final but passed up a chance to run in the Olympic Games that summer in Munich, Germany, to attend Raiders training camp.
“This is my last track meet, since I expect to sign a pro contract with the Oakland Raiders within the next two weeks,” said Branch, who also ran the 200 meters in 20.5 seconds.
The 6-foot, 180-pound Gault, who was on the football and track teams at Tennessee, ran the 100 meters in 10.10 and the 200 in 20.6 and was on the United States Olympic team ahead of the 1980 Games in Moscow, but the United States boycotted the event in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
Gault was a member of the U.S. 400-meter relay team, which also included the great Carl Lewis, that set a then-world record of 37.86 seconds in the 1983 World Track and Field Championships in Helsinki, Finland.
Last year, Sportsgeeks.net ranked Branch and Gault in the top 10 on its list of the fastest players in NFL history.
Obviously, their track speed translated into big things on the football field.
Branch was a steal as a fourth-round pick (No. 98 overall) of the Raiders in 1972, and ranks third on the Raiders’ all-time receiving list with 501 catches for 8,865 yards, a 17.3-yard average, and 67 touchdowns—including a long of 99 yards—in 14 seasons.
After making All-Pro three times and starring for the Raiders as they won Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII, he finally will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in August. Sadly, Branch won’t be enshrined posthumously because he passed away on Aug. 3, 2019, at the age of 71.
“I had him from his first day ever as a Raider,” said fellow Hall of Famer Tom Flores, who was Branch’s first wide receivers coach and head coach of the Silver and Black in two Super Bowl victories. “I watched him grow up, watched him make big plays, and just watched him grow as a person.
“I was so proud of him and what he became. He was a game-changer. He not only had incredible speed, he changed the game. I’m very happy for him. I loved him. My kids loved him. I hope our busts are close by (in Canton), so we can talk.”
Gault, an All-American as a senior at Tennessee, was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the first round (No. 18 overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft, and in Super Bowl XX he caught four passes for 129 yards, including a 70-yarder, as the Bears routed the New England Patriots, 48-10, at the Louisiana Super Dome in New Orleans.
After playing five seasons for the Bears, he was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 for a first-round draft choice and played six more seasons with the Silver and Black, for whom he averaged 20.0 yards per reception.
“He’s one of the most explosive receivers in the NFL,” Raiders Coach Mike Shanahan said when the deal was made. “You don’t get a chance to sign a player like Willie every day. This move can only strengthen our team.”
During his 11 NFL seasons, Gault caught 333 passes for 6,635 yards, a 19.9-yard average, and 44 touchdowns—with a long of 87 yards. He also returned 44 kickoffs for 1,088 yards, a 24.8-yard average, including a 99-yard touchdown.
However, he was so valuable as a receiver that he returned fewer kicks as his career went on because of the injury risk.
“I’m just happy to have the opportunity to come here and hopefully contribute to the greatness of the Raiders,” Gault said when he was traded. “I’m sure Mr. (Managing General Partner Al) Davis saw something in me.”
What Davis saw was another Cliff Branch.
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