The Oakland Raiders clipped the New York Jets’ wings this past Sunday and stunned many around the NFL with a gutty 16-13 overtime victory.
But what many didn’t see or know about were the pre-game happenings that the organization set-up for the team in hopes of motivating, re-directing and inspiring the current crop of players donning the Silver & Black.
Owner Al Davis flew in over 100 Raider legends for a weekend celebration honoring the late Gene Upshaw. One of those legends, former linebacker, Phil Villapiano, talked exclusively to SBReport.net to let us in on the events that occurred and the remembrance of Raider lore.
SB Report: What was the process like this weekend, setting up the events and getting all you greats out to Oakland?
PV: [An employee of the Raiders contacted me and informed us that] Mr. Davis would like to have me come out for the Gene Upshaw celebration. Not a memorial, it was a celebration. And there was going to be 100 or so Raiders there.
It has become customary for the Raider owner to take care of those that played for him, giving back to this former players and recognizing their achievements of the past, which has always been something Davis acknowledges. “Mr. Davis flew everyone in. We had a big party on Saturday night”, said Villapiano.
“It was a beautiful thing.”
Villapiano, who was part of the Raiders Super Bowl XI winning club, even got a chance to get on the field with the team. He commented, “It felt just like the old days.”
And prior to the contest, the boisterous great addressed the team along with other past greats to give insight on what it means to play football as a Raider.
“Kenny Stabler, Ray Chester and myself; Willie Brown. Coach Cable invited us. And Tom was a big Raider fan.”
He continued, “He felt like there’s a little disconnect where these guys really need to understand a little more about the Raiders.”
“Ken Stabler talked a lot about the 70’s teams and the make up of the guys. Ray Chester got up and talked about toughness.”
The Raiders responded with a gritty win. And with such a young team with many key players still in development, Villapiano observed a club that may not be far from turning the page on one of their worst eras in team history.
“There was no quit in those guys. And if they do that every week, this team is going to do something. This is a good football team. A good young football team. When you are good and young, and can get on a roll, you can be unstoppable.”
Villapiano was able to loosen up the team as well by addressing their franchise passer, and giving him some advice.
“I welcomed JaMarcus Russell to the team…
But I asked him if he forgot, how to run the football. The team all started cracking up and I said, ‘Jamarcus…you are such a weapon. ‘”
In all, the fleet of old Raiders parading around the locker room and throughout the weekend just reinforced the motto ‘Once a Raider, always a Raider”, while for week, it injected the 2008 Raiders with some pride and passion.
“I enjoyed every second of being with those players”, stated Villapiano.
And he felt that this team has what it takes to move forward, but he emphasized the reason why some of those teams of the past had such great accountability and leadership.
“These guys are pretty motivated. These guys are tremendous football players. But they don’t have a George Blanda, or a Jim Otto on your team, or a Gene Upshaw. These guys have been around many years. They made it very easy to understand how to be a Raider.”
http://www.sbreport.net/raider_news/008/605.html
having the Raider greats there really did show us fans that this team showed no quit on Sunday... any other game the Raiders would have given the game up in the last mins of 4th qtr or at least OT.... but the D was puttin pressure on Favre all day! Looks like havin our ex Raider greats tell these young guys what it means to be a Raider really helped their game
But what many didn’t see or know about were the pre-game happenings that the organization set-up for the team in hopes of motivating, re-directing and inspiring the current crop of players donning the Silver & Black.
Owner Al Davis flew in over 100 Raider legends for a weekend celebration honoring the late Gene Upshaw. One of those legends, former linebacker, Phil Villapiano, talked exclusively to SBReport.net to let us in on the events that occurred and the remembrance of Raider lore.
SB Report: What was the process like this weekend, setting up the events and getting all you greats out to Oakland?
PV: [An employee of the Raiders contacted me and informed us that] Mr. Davis would like to have me come out for the Gene Upshaw celebration. Not a memorial, it was a celebration. And there was going to be 100 or so Raiders there.
It has become customary for the Raider owner to take care of those that played for him, giving back to this former players and recognizing their achievements of the past, which has always been something Davis acknowledges. “Mr. Davis flew everyone in. We had a big party on Saturday night”, said Villapiano.
“It was a beautiful thing.”
Villapiano, who was part of the Raiders Super Bowl XI winning club, even got a chance to get on the field with the team. He commented, “It felt just like the old days.”
And prior to the contest, the boisterous great addressed the team along with other past greats to give insight on what it means to play football as a Raider.
“Kenny Stabler, Ray Chester and myself; Willie Brown. Coach Cable invited us. And Tom was a big Raider fan.”
He continued, “He felt like there’s a little disconnect where these guys really need to understand a little more about the Raiders.”
“Ken Stabler talked a lot about the 70’s teams and the make up of the guys. Ray Chester got up and talked about toughness.”
The Raiders responded with a gritty win. And with such a young team with many key players still in development, Villapiano observed a club that may not be far from turning the page on one of their worst eras in team history.
“There was no quit in those guys. And if they do that every week, this team is going to do something. This is a good football team. A good young football team. When you are good and young, and can get on a roll, you can be unstoppable.”
Villapiano was able to loosen up the team as well by addressing their franchise passer, and giving him some advice.
“I welcomed JaMarcus Russell to the team…
But I asked him if he forgot, how to run the football. The team all started cracking up and I said, ‘Jamarcus…you are such a weapon. ‘”
In all, the fleet of old Raiders parading around the locker room and throughout the weekend just reinforced the motto ‘Once a Raider, always a Raider”, while for week, it injected the 2008 Raiders with some pride and passion.
“I enjoyed every second of being with those players”, stated Villapiano.
And he felt that this team has what it takes to move forward, but he emphasized the reason why some of those teams of the past had such great accountability and leadership.
“These guys are pretty motivated. These guys are tremendous football players. But they don’t have a George Blanda, or a Jim Otto on your team, or a Gene Upshaw. These guys have been around many years. They made it very easy to understand how to be a Raider.”
http://www.sbreport.net/raider_news/008/605.html
having the Raider greats there really did show us fans that this team showed no quit on Sunday... any other game the Raiders would have given the game up in the last mins of 4th qtr or at least OT.... but the D was puttin pressure on Favre all day! Looks like havin our ex Raider greats tell these young guys what it means to be a Raider really helped their game