Several Ex-Broncos Starred for the Raiders

The Las Vegas-Oakland-Los Angeles Raiders have played their AFC West rival, Denver Broncos, at least twice every season since both teams were part of the inaugural American Football League season in 1960.

In addition, the Raiders have added several players from Denver who have contributed to the greatness of the Silver and Black.

The best, of course, was Willie Brown, who many consider the greatest cornerback of all time. He played his first five NFL seasons with the Broncos before Raiders owner Al Davis acquired him in a 1967 trade for quarterback Mickey Slaughter.

It was a virtual steal.

“Willie Brown delivered fear and interceptions upon all the great wide receivers of his time,” Davis said several years later. “For more than three decades and in the years to come, he will be the standard of excellence by which cornerbacks are judged.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Brown invented the “Bump-and-Run” coverage defense, and in 12 seasons with the Raiders, he intercepted 39 passes and returned for 277 yards and two touchdowns, including seven picks in 1967.

However, Brown had fewer picks as the seasons went on because quarterbacks would not throw the ball his way.

Brown’s signature play with the Raiders was a 75-yard interception return of a pass by quarterback Fran Tarkenton of the Minnesota Vikings that put the finishing touches on the Silver and Black’s 32-14 victory in Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, Calif.

“Jack, cover my back because I think Tarkenton is going to throw an out pass here, and I’m going for it,” Brown told safety Jack Tatum before the play.

Chortled the Raiders' legendary play-by-play radio announcer Bill King as Brown sprinted down the sidelines toward the end zone: “Old man Willie, he’s going all the way.”

Brown was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1984, his first year of eligibility.

The Raiders picked up another defender who played a big role in their success in 1982 when they acquired defensive end Lyle Alzado, who played the first four seasons of his career with the Broncos.

The 6-foot-3, 255-pound Alzado solidified the defensive line. Although we again don’t know how many tackles he made because they were not an official NFL statistic then, he made seven sacks in each of his first two seasons with the Raiders and had a total of 23 in his four seasons with the Silver and Black.

“If me and King Kong went into the alley, only one of us would come out,” Alzado once said. “And it wouldn’t be the monkey.”

Alzado, a three-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler who was the 1982 NFL Comeback Player of the Year, played a big role in the Raiders’ 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Fla., by helping shut down quarterback Joe Theismann and running back John Riggins.

Before the game, Alzado said: “I’m going to tear off Riggins’ head. … I’ll promise to pick up his head if he promises to take the cleat marks off my chest.”

The Raiders acquired fullback Hewritt Dixon from the Broncos in 1966, and he proved to be a valuable member of Al Davis’ “Vertical Passing Game,” especially when halfback Clem Daniels sustained a career-ending knee injury in the 10th game of the 1967 season.

The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Dixon played five seasons for the Raiders and rushed for 2,960 yards and 13 touchdowns, in addition to catching 190 passes for 1,750 yards and 10 more scores.

In the 1967 AFC Championship Game, Dixon rushed for 144 yards on 21 carries, including a 69-yard touchdown run as the Raiders trounced the Houston Oilers, 40-7, before losing to the Green Bay Packers, 33-14, in Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Dixon had perhaps his most fantastic game in 1966, when he caught five passes for 129 yards and touchdowns of 76 and 10 yards, in addition to rushing for 38 yards and a one-yard score in a 34-13 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs at Kansas City Municipal Stadium.

Other players who stood out for the Raiders after coming from the Broncos include linebacker Bill Romanowski, defensive back Lionel Washington, tight end Ricky Hunley, wide receiver Ted Washington and wide receiver Javon Walker.

The Silver and Black open the regular season at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Sept. 10, at 4:25 p.m. EDT/1:25 p.m. PDT.

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