The list of Modern Era nominees for the Class of 2016 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame was announced yesterday and several former Raiders made the list. Each had a storied career with impressive credentials. Here is a closer look.
Steve Wisniewski – Guard – 1989-01
Steve Wisniewski, a 2nd round pick out of Penn State, started all 206 games he played in and only missed two games in his entire career. He was selected for the Pro Bowl eight times, and named first-team All-Pro twice. Known as a tenacious blocker with a nasty reputation, Wisniewski also played in nine postseason contests. He was part of an offense that led the NFL in rushing in 2000.
Matt Millen – Linebacker – 1980-88
A second round draft choice out of Penn State in 1980, Millen won two Super Bowls as the Raiders starting middle linebacker. He played in 133 games with 127 starts with the Silver and Black. He recorded seven interceptions and four fumble recoveries. He was selected for the Pro Bowl after the 1988 season. He went on to also play for the San Francisco 49ers and the Washington Redskins, winning a Super Bowl with the 49ers after the 1989 season.
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There are 26 Raiders enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Eric Allen – CB – 1998-01**
Eric Allen joined the Raiders as after seven seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and three with the New Orleans Saints. He played in 58 games with 56 starts for the Raiders and recorded 15 interceptions and returned three of them for touchdowns. He played in four playoff games in Silver and Black. For his career, he played in 217 games with 204 starts and chalked up 54 interceptions with 826 return yards and eight touchdowns. He also recovered seven fumbles with one returned for a score.
Albert Lewis – CB – 1994-98
Albert Lewis joined the Raiders after 11 seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. He played in 75 games with 60 starts for the Raiders and recorded four picks with 74 yards in returns and one pick six. For his career, he played in a total of 225 games with 188 starts, and recorded 42 interceptions.
Roger Craig – RB – 1991
Roger Craig played one season for the Raiders after eight with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in 15 games with 13 starts and carried the ball 162 times for 590 yards and one TD, and caught 17 passes for 136 yards. He finished his career with the Minnesota Vikings. In all, Craig played in 165 games with 133 starts, and carried the ball 1,991 times for 8,189 yards and 56 TDs. He also caught 566 passes for 4,911 yards and 17 scores. He played in 18 postseason games with 16 starts and won three Super Bowls as a key member of the 49ers.
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Tom Flores – Head Coach – 1979-87**
Tom Flores led the Raiders to two Super Bowl titles, Super Bowls XV and XVIII respectively, after taking over for John Madden. He led the team to five playoff appearances overall, winning eight postseason contests. He went 83-53 as head coach of the Raiders. He is one of three retired coaches with two Super Bowl wins who are not in the Hall of Fame. He won a total of four during his football career; one as a player (1969 with Kansas City), one as assistant coach (1976 with Oakland), and two as head coach.
Ken Stabler – Quarterback – 1968-79 (Senior Committee Nominee)
Originally drafted by the Raiders in the second round in 1968, the late Ken Stabler didn't see action with the team until 1970 and became the full-time starting quarterback in 1973. He finished his time in Silver and Black as and is still the all-time leading passer in franchise history. As a Raider, he completed 1,486 of 2,481 pass attempts for 19,078 yards and 150 touchdowns. He was named NFL MVP in 1974, led the Raiders to five straight AFC Championship game appearances and a victory over the Vikings in Super Bowl XI. He played in 130 regular season games with 96 starts in Silver and Black. He was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1980 and finished his career with the New Orleans Saints.
