Fred Biletnikoff Talks Al Davis
Legendary Raiders players have great stories about the late Al Davis, and Raider Maven had the honor to have one of the best players ever step on the field share one of his favorite stories.
The great Fred Biletnikoff said he was fortunate enough to play for Davis, recalling him as the ultimate winner; he always wanted to win, which meant that he expected his players to feel the same way.
Raiders Hall of Fame wide receiver Fred Biletnikoff joined Sports Illustrated's Raider Maven's Editor and Publisher Hondo Carpenter on the radio, co-hosting with Clay Baker on the "Pritch & Clay" morning show on Raider Nation Radio (LINK TO LISTEN LIVE).
"I had a horrible game, it was an exhibition game, and at that time, you played all the second half when you're a rookie. And I dropped like two or three balls, came back later I caught a touchdown. I was coming off the field, this was when Al was the head coach, and he looked at me and said: 'I don't know why I drafted you,' and that was my introduction to professional football," Biletnikoff recalled.
After a stellar career at Florida State University, Bilennikoff entered both the AFL and NFL drafts, where the Oakland Raiders selected him in the second round of the 1965 AFL Draft. He also was selected by the Detroit Lions in the third round of the 1965 NFL Draft, with the 39th overall selection.
Biletnikoff would sign with the Raiders, where he played for 14 seasons. He learned early as a rookie that professional football was a business and not just a game.
"What (Davis) was saying is, 'You know what, what you did early, it hurt the team. At the end, yeah OK, fine that's all well and good but what you did at the end is what I expect from you all the time, what you did in the beginning, don't ever do that again,'" Biletnikoff szaid of the lesson he learned from Davis.
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