The Raiders Family mourns the passing of John Vella, a standout on the dominant Raider offensive lines of the 1970s and a starter on Oakland's Super Bowl XI Championship team. Vella originally joined the Raiders as a second-round draft selection in 1972 out of USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors as a tackle in 1971. A versatile performer and a ferocious competitor, Vella played both guard and tackle, seeing action in 84 games with 48 starts in eight seasons with the Silver and Black. He finished his career with Minnesota in 1980. The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with the Vella family at this time.
Raiders mourn the passing of John Vella
Apr 02, 2025 at 11:51 AM
