Cliff Branch, the dynamic receiver who won three Super Bowls in a 14-year career with the Raiders, has died, the team confirmed late Saturday.
Branch, a Houstonian who attended Worthing High School, had just turned 71 on Aug. 1. A cause of death was not immediately known. The Raiders released a short initial statement from owner Mark Davis on Saturday evening:
“Cliff Was My Best Friend.. I Will Miss Him Dearly,” Davis wrote.
Branch is arguably one of the most accomplished receivers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and compiled his numbers in an era when passing offenses were far less prevalent.