Raiders All-Decade Team: Offense of the 70’s
By Mario Tovar
Offensive Line
Shell and Upshaw with custom padding, likely invented by Chiefs Equip mgr Bobby Yarborough . then others copied pic.twitter.com/z8D7wa2U4b
— ᑭᖇO ᖴOOTᗷᗩᒪᒪ ᒍOᑌᖇᑎᗩᒪ 🏈 (@NFL_Journal) March 7, 2017
The offensive line the Raiders had in the 70’s is arguably one of, if not the greatest of all-time. The big fellas up front were crowded with future Hall of Famers, and for those weren’t inducted into Canton, they still are legends in team history and were fantastic players in their own right.
- Center – Dave Dalby
- Guard – Gene Upshaw
- Guard – Steve Sylvester
- Tackle – Henry Lawrence
- Tackle – Art Shell
Jim Otto might stand out as a snub, but he was in the latter part of his career by this point, having retired in 1974. Dalby, on the other hand, started 135 out of 205 possible games in his career, which spanned from 1972 to 1985. He earned Pro Bowl honors in 1977, and was the anchor of the line that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in 1977.
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Upshaw is a no-brainer, and was a mainstay for the Raiders from 1967 to 1981. The peak of his career came in the 70’s, as he dominated opposing defensive lineman with his 6’5″ 250+ pound frame, which was quite large for this day. Upshaw was also a big part of football off the field, serving as a union leader from his playing days until his death in 2008.
The second no-brainer on this list is Art Shell, who defined what it meant to be the Raider. From being a Hall of Fame player to the first African-American Head coach in NFL history, Shell is a staple in NFL history. Alongside Upshaw, the two formed one of the most monstrous duos the Raiders trenches have ever had. Shell earned seven Pro Bowl selections during the decade.
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Sylvester is the often forgotten guard who played alongside Upshaw from 1975 to 1983. As a tenth round drat pick, he played his entire career in Silver and Black. Henry was a consistent presence on the right side of the offensive line during the decades, and while unheralded, he was a quality, reliable player in his own right.