Al Davis, the legendary owner of the Oakland Raiders, has died at the age of 82, according to Raiders.com. Davis first joined the Raiders as its head coach and general manager in 1963. He had been with the club ever since, save for a few months spent as the commissioner of the American Football League in 1966.
He first bought a stake in the Raiders in 1966, taking just a 10 percent share while taking over football operations. Having been the most powerful man in the organization since then, Davis has led the Raiders to three Super Bowl victories. Known as an enigmatic, offbeat manager, Davis had taken a lot of heat for the team’s futility since the Raiders’ last Super Bowl appearance in 2002. He took a great interest in the NFL Draft — perhaps to a fault — and had definite “types” that he liked, with speed being at the top of the list.
Davis, of course, broke Oakland’s hearts by taking the Raiders to Los Angeles in 1982, but healed those wounds by bringing them back to the Bay in 1994.
The Raiders will have a statement on Davis later Saturday.
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