For a total of 100 days, we'll take a look at the men who have played for the Raiders jersey number by jersey number. This series will highlight some of the greatest players in NFL history. In some cases, the player and jersey number are synonymous. In other cases, the jersey number represents sustained greatness at a particular position. Some players are superstitious about their jersey number. Whatever the case may be, jersey numbers are an important part of the fabric of professional football.
Tyrone Wheatley is the 8th leading rusher in Raiders history. AP Photo.
Nine players have worn No. 47 in Raiders history. From ball-hawking defensive backs to a bruising running back, many of the players who have worn it have been very productive.
Alex Bravo – DB – 1960-61
Bravo played in 28 games for the Raiders after two years with the Rams. He recorded 6 interceptions for 64 yards.
Kent McCloughan – DB – 1965-70
McCloughan was originally drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1965. He played for the Raiders for six seasons and played in 67 games with 18 starts. He grabbed 15 interceptions for 96 yards. He was named 1st Team All-AFL by the AP in 1966 and 1967. McCloughan spent many years as a scout with the Raiders and his son, David, currently works as a scout for the team. David also played pro football from 1991-94.
Jeff Queen – RB/TE – 1972-73
Queen joined the Raiders after three years with the Chargers. He played in 23 games and carried the ball 4 times for 10 yards.
Charles Phillips – DB – 1975-79
The Raiders selected Phillips in the 2nd round of the 1975 NFL Draft out of USC. He played in 67 games with 23 starts and picked off 19 passes (11th in team history) for 304 yards and 1 TD, and recovered 7 fumbles for 159 yards and returned 2 for TDs. His 96-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Houston in 1978 is the second longest in team history. He was a member of the Raiders Super Bowl XI championship team.
Don Bessillieu – DB – 1983, 1985
Bessillieu played in 8 games for the Raiders (four in 1983 and four in 1985) after playing for the Dolphins for three seasons and the Rams for one year.
Jim Browne – RB – 1987
Browne played in 2 games with 1 start and rushed twice for 1 yard and caught 2 passes for 8 yards.
Donald Frank – DB – 1994
Frank joined the Raiders after four years with the Chargers. He played in 16 games and grabbed one interception for 8 yards and recovered one fumble and returned it 30 yards.
Tyrone Wheatley – RB – 1999-03
Wheatley joined the Raiders after four years with the New York Giants. He played in 78 games with 36 starts and gained 3,682 yards with 32 touchdowns. He also caught 92 passes for 682 yards and 5 TDs. Wheatley was the lead tailback in 2000 when the Raiders led the NFL in rushing and was a key part of the Raiders leading the NFL in total offense in 2002.
Eric Harper – LB – 2013-present
Harper was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013. Harper was waived at the end of training camp and re-joined the team on the practice squad in early December. He was signed to a reserve-future contract December 30, 2013.
