He was a great evaluator of talent, drafting greats like Stabler, Woodson, Brown, Shell, Upshaw the list is endless. He could also see talent in veterans who were perceived to be on the downside of their careers or completely done altogether. His vision and knack for player evaluation made the Raiders a perennial contender and world champions three times. Building teams that hit harder, were bigger, stronger, and faster than the rest of the league.
He was a trailblazer of diversity. Giving opportunities to candidates who deserved a chance regardless of their race, color, creed, or gender. He hired the first Latino head coach who then went on to be the first minority head coach to lead a team to a superbowl championship. And under Davis the Raiders were also the first team to hire an African-American head coach, and a female CEO.
Davis was loyal to those he was close to and was intimidating to those who got on his bad side, creating the controversial persona that followed him the rest of his career. He was a players owner who guys loved to play and win for and the games greatest innovator. Al Davis was the most important man in the history of professional football along with his fierce rival commissioner Rozelle.
The sport lost one of it's greatest minds, characters, and villains today, and Coach Al Davis will be forever missed. The sport and the Raiders will never be the same again. But rest assured if there is a heaven up there Big Al will be looking down every Sunday watching over one of the greatest loves of his life. His Raiders.
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