In the early 1970s when he was a star cornerback with the Denver Broncos, Billy Thompson would often take the short drive to Boulder on Saturdays to watch the University of Colorado play. The Buffaloes featured a speed receiver from Houston by the name of Cliff Branch.
Thompson was blown away by the kid wide out. Little did he know that Branch would later haunt him on Sundays twice a year.
“Normally, when we were getting ready to play a team, the coaches were very general. But when we got to play against the Raiders, my coach would say plenty of the things about Cliff.