The Raiders certainly have no shortage of legendary figures in the 65-year history of the franchise. Al Davis, the team's larger-than-life owner, became synonymous with making bold moves that bucked the trends of the current AFL or NFL landscapes.
So, before the 1969 AFL season, after coach John Rauch left the Silver and Black to go lead the Buffalo Bills, it was no surprise that Davis took a chance on John Madden. Madden, who had merely been a linebackers coach at the NFL level, became the youngest coach in AFL or NFL history.
Just eight years prior, he was an offensive line coach at a junior college in California, still coping with the fact that injuries may negate any chance he had at a professional football career.