A former track star at … “In Branch retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in postseason receptions and receiving yards. “(former Raiders head coach) Madden, Al Davis, and 14 Raiders players who played alongside Branch are enshrined in Canton. ... Cliff Branch 3X Champs Fred Biletnikoff Oakland Raiders Signed Photo JSA W795666. We were already in shape because of tennis,” Branch said.Branch said he learned how to be an NFL wide receiver from Biletnikoff, whom he referred to as “Father”. These players include Branch was denied an opportunity to play in the Southwest Conference because teams didn’t regularly recruit African-American players until the late 1970s. The players eligible for induction as a Senior have to be retired at least 25 years. He also got his education from his defensive teammates.On this episode, Ian and Chris discuss the NHL near return, Bruins vs […]Ian and Chris are joined by two-time Stanley Cup winning Bruins goaltender […]Former Bruins Bob Sweeney joins the show. The call from Canton never came but he took it all in stride.“I’m still hoping and wishing,” Branch told the Houston Chronicle. Cliff Branch: Speed Kills #21 Cliff Branch was one of the greatest players in Raider history. He is ranked third in Raiders franchise history in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns trailing only the Hall of Famers Branch became the fourth of 13 players in NFL history with a 99-yard touchdown reception in Branch saved his best for the postseason. He was one of a number of future NFL players in the final days of segregation in the Prairie View Interscholastic League. In the three Super Bowl wins, Branch had a combined 14 receptions for 181 yards and three touchdowns.Branch spoke of his Super Bowl memories in a 2017 Houston Chronicle interview.“Getting to Super Bowl XI and winning it after four straight years of being in the title game and not getting there was something to remember,” Branch said. If you are a talented writer and have a passion for football, or Best Offer. Police said an initial investigation found no foul play and Branch died of natural causes.“Cliff Branch touched the lives of generations of Raiders fans.

He not only earned the respect of teammates but also from some of the men who had to defend him.“When you were across from him, there was definitely fear there,” Hall of Fame safety “He changed the game and the way the game was played as a wide receiver. He was tailor made for what Al Davis termed the vertical passing game and his motto “Speed Kills” couldn’t have described him better. Team: Oakland Raiders. He also was a standout track and field athlete, setting a school and NCAA record in the 100 meters with a time of 10 seconds in the 1972 NCAA Championship semifinal.It was this combination of hands and lightning speed that caught the eye of Al Davis, who selected him “My goal has always been to win the NCAA 100-meter championship,” Branch said after the NCAA final. touchdowns in Oakland three Super Bowl Victories. We weren’t. Cliff’s on-field accomplishments are well documented and undeniably Hall of Fame worthy, but friendship and smile are what the Raider Nation will always cherish,” the statement read.There was an additional statement from Raiders owner “Cliff was my best friend…I will miss him dearly,” Mark Davis’ statement read.Davis cancelled plans to attend a function in Las Vegas upon receiving news of Branch’s death.Clifford Branch Jr. was born Aug. 1, 1948 in Houston, Tex.

In 2020, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will induct 20 players in honor of the NFL’s 100th anniversary, including 10 Senior inductees. Branch had a big heart, a big mouth and a non-stop motor. As first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates on Sunday, tight end Matt LaCosse has decided to... Please like and follow on He showed patience during his lifetime when it came to the Hall of Fame but recognized the significance of enshrinement.“All my peers that I played against and that are in the Hall of Fame, they tell me that I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame,” Branch said in an interview posted on the Raiders’ website.