Oakland Raiders 2019 season jersey countdown: No. 94
By Brad Weiss
There are 94 days until the start of the 2019 NFL season for the Oakland Raiders, and we take a look at those players who wore No. 94 in the Silver and Black.
The Oakland Raiders now officially have less than 100 days before kicking off their 2019 season, where they will look to become a contender in the AFC West. The combination of Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden brought in a ton of talent this offseason, and with 94 days left before Week 1, we continue our jersey number countdown.
We continue our countdown with jersey No. 94.
Who wears No. 94 now?
The Oakland Raiders made Eddie Vanderdoes, a powerful defensive tackle from UCLA, their third round pick during the 2017 NFL Draft. Playing very well as a rookie, Vanderdoes tore his ACL in the final week of the season, as the team lost to the Los Angeles Chargers in Jack Del Rio‘s final game as a head coach.
Last season, Vanderdoes was put on the injured reserve in September, and never made his way back into the lineup in his recovery from the torn ACL. He will get a chance to retain his place on this roster this summer, but there is a lot more competition at the position than there was when the Raiders drafted him.
Who wore No. 94 in the past?
Elvis Franks (1985-1986)
A fifth round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Elvis Franks came to the Raiders for the 1985 season, and was the first to wear No. 94. However, he is best known for his time with the franchise by getting arrested for allegedly trying to sell drugs to an undercover FBI agent.
Anthony Smith (1991-1997)
The Raiders made Anthony Smith the 11th overall pick out of Arizona during the 1991 NFL Draft, and he actually had some solid seasons in the Silver and Black, racking up over 57 sacks. However, Smith had serious issues off the field, and was convicted of murder in 2011.
Tony Bryant (1999-2002)
With the 40th overall selection in the 1999 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected Tony Bryant, a good-looking defensive end out of Florida State. Bryant would become a full-time starter with the Raiders, starting 40 games over a four-year span, while getting to the quarterback 17.5 times.
Dana Stubblefield (2003)
At one point, Dana Stubblefield was one of the better defensive linemen in the NFL, going to three Pro Bowls, while being named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1997. However, when he played with the Raiders, he was a shell of himself, appearing in only eight games in the Silver and Black during his final NFL season.
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila (2004)
After wearing No. 98 during his rookie season with the Raiders, Akbar Gbaja-Biamila switched to No. 94 in what would be his final season with the team. Unfortunately for Gbaja-Biamila, injuries ended his tenure with the Raiders.
Kevin Huntley (2006)
Signing with the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, Kevin Huntley would end up sticking with the team for two seasons. He appeared in his only NFL games with the team wearing the No. 94 in 2006, and in six games, he notched 2.5 sacks.
Jon Alston (2007)
Jon Alston was a third round pick of the St. Louis Rams back in 2006, but after being mostly a special teams guy, he made his way to Oakland. Alston began on the practice squad, but quickly moved up, and was one of the better special teams guys the Raiders had during his time. Unfortunately, a concussion ended his Raiders career.
Robert Thomas (2008)
Robert Thomas spent nearly half of his NFL career with the Raiders, and wore No. 94 in his final season with the team in 2008. Thomas, who was mostly a reserve linebacker, did start ten of his 14 appearances in 2007, racking up 62 tackles along the way.
William Joseph (2009)
William Joseph played his final two seasons with the Oakland Raiders, switching his jersey number from 96 to his classic No. 94 for the final year of his career. Joseph was a former first round pick of the New York Giants, but never really lived up to that billing.
Jarvis Moss (2010-2011)
During his time at Florida, Jarvis Moss helped the Gators to the BCS National Championship, and would go on to be the No. 17 overall pick of the Denver Broncos in the 2007 NFL Draft. After three years in Denver, Moss would finish out his career in Oakland, replacing Trevor Scott at defensive end.
Jay Alford (2010)
Jay Alford began the 2010 NFL season with the Oakland Raiders, but ended up being waived in early October. For his career, Alford had his high point during the 2007 season, when he helped the New York Giants to an unbelievable victory over the previous undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
Kevin Burnett (2013)
A second round pick of the Dallas Cowboys back in 2005, Kevin Burnett finished up his NFL career in the Silver and Black during the 2013 season. For the Raiders, he started all 16 games, racking up over 100 tackles from his linebacker position.
Antonio Smith (2014)
Antonio Smith had a very long NFL career, playing 13 seasons, including one with the Oakland Raiders during Derek Carr‘s rookie year in 2014. Smith started all 16 games that season, notching three sacks, while forcing one fumble. He was a Pro Bowler with Houston in 2011.