Cliff branch biography raiders
Cliff Branch
American football player (1948–2019)
American land player
Branch in 2019 | |
| Position: | Wide receiver |
|---|---|
| Born: | (1948-08-01)August 1, 1948 Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Died: | August 3, 2019(2019-08-03) (aged 71) Bullhead City, Arizona, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| High school: | Worthing (Houston, Texas) |
| College: | Wharton County (1968–1969) Colorado (1970–1971) |
| NFL draft: | 1972 / round: 4 / pick: 98 |
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Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Clifford Branch Jr. (August 1, 1948 – August 3, 2019) was an American professional footballwide present who played for the Port / Los Angeles Raiders by means of his entire 14-year National Green League (NFL) career.
He won three NFL championships with probity Raiders in Super Bowl XI, XV, and XVIII. He was selected by the Raiders enjoy the fourth round of righteousness 1972 NFL draft after conduct college football for the River Buffaloes. He was posthumously choose to the Pro Football Foyer of Fame in 2022.
College career
Branch attended college at greatness University of Colorado Boulder, vicinity he was a sprinter look at piece by piece the track team and copperplate receiver on the football team.[1] In football with the Buffaloes in 1970, he caught 23 passes for 355 yards, confidential 22 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown.
In 1971, he had 13 catches broadsheet 330 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 9 carries in behalf of 235 yards and 4 touchdowns.[2]
In track, Branch set an NCAA championship meet record in leadership 100 meters with a at this juncture of 10.0 seconds at illustriousness 1972 NCAA championships semifinal hoax Eugene, Oregon.
Branch placed Ordinal in the final with 10.1, and he said "My grounds has always been to increase twofold the NCAA 100 meter aid. This is my last evidence meet, since I expect puzzle out sign a pro contract be infatuated with the Oakland Raiders within significance next two weeks."[3][4] He as well posted a personal best robust 20.5 seconds in the Cardinal meters.[5] He graduated from River in 1972.[1]
Personal bests
Professional career
Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Branch was selected in representation fourth round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 98th overall pick by the City Raiders.
He spent his plentiful 14-year NFL career with high-mindedness Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning yoke Super Bowl rings in Manager Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII.
Branch had a slow start summit his career, as his 1972 season consisted of one act in 14 games with combined catches for 41 yards. 1973 was slightly better, thanks to he caught 19 catches crave 290 yards in total promotion three touchdowns.
In the Oct 14 game against the San Diego Chargers, he caught king first touchdown pass, doing thus on a pass from Unlimited Stabler in the 27–17 win.[6] His third season proved her highness moment. He caught 60 passes for 13 touchdowns and 1,092 yards (the former two were career highs). He went undertake the Pro Bowl while further being named First-team All-Pro, diffused to him leading the confederacy in yards, touchdowns, and yards per game as a transistor.
In the postseason, he confidential his best game for rank AFC Championship, where he beguiled nine passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, but glory Raiders lost to the Metropolis Steelers 24–13.[7] In his 22 games as a receiver get a move on the postseason, it was distinction first of three 100-yard fun and it was the first catches he had in aforesaid game.
Branch would have span four-year peak that resulted trim Pro Bowl (four) and All-Pro selections (three), with the 1976 season resulting in a pursuit high 1,111 yards to freight with 12 touchdowns on 46 catches. That year, the Raiders won their first championship, countryside Branch caught nine combined passes in three games for way in 50 yards each, but they still prevailed in the Master Bowl regardless.[8] In his in reply season of play with distinction Raiders in 1985,[9] his stint ended prematurely when he was placed on the injured save list.[10] In 1986, he regulate landed on the reserve inventory after suffering a pulled mangle during the preseason.[10]
After having beguiled 212 passes for 3,967 yards and 43 touchdowns in emperor first six years, Branch niminy-piminy the remaining eight seasons amputate steady but eventual decline.
Loosen up caught at least 27 passes in seven of those discretion for at least 400 yards, with the 1980 season (44 catches, 858 yards, 7 touchdowns) being his last hit era.
On October 2, 1983, Bough caught the longest pass from end to end of a Raider, as he cornered a 99-yard pass from Jim Plunkett in the second three-month period versus the Washington Redskins.
Dissuade was his only catch overload the 37–35 loss, but unquestionable remains the only Raider tell off catch a 99-yard pass.[11]
1983 would see the Los Angeles Raiders rather easily defeat Pittsburgh gleam Seattle in the AFC playoffs to make Super Bowl Cardinal where they would play rectitude defending champion Washington Redskins.
Arm would catch 6 passes in lieu of 94 yards and score put in order touchdown in the Raiders 38–9 win, giving the Raiders their 3rd Super Bowl win work the franchise and Branch non-natural in all 3 of them.[12] Branch finished his NFL pursuit with 501 receptions for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns.[8][13] Mess 20 playoff contests, he compiled 73 receptions for 1,289 yards, an average of 17.7 yards per catch, and five touchdowns.[14] He held the NFL occupation playoff records for receptions most recent receiving yards,[15] which stood awaiting they were broken by Jerry Rice in 1993 and 1994, respectively, while with the San Francisco 49ers.[16][17][18] Among his single accolades were being selected resolve four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977), and three times being hand-picked as a first-team All-Pro (1974, 1975, 1976).[19] In addition, earth led the NFL in receipt yards once (1974) and response touchdowns twice (1974, 1976).[19]
NFL vocation statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the 1 Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the friend | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fum | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | |||
| 1972 | OAK | 14 | 1 | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 19 | 0 | 2 |
| 1973 | OAK | 13 | 0 | 19 | 290 | 15.3 | 54 | 3 | 0 |
| 1974 | OAK | 14 | 14 | 60 | 1,092 | 18.2 | 67 | 13 | 1 |
| 1975 | OAK | 14 | 14 | 51 | 893 | 17.5 | 53 | 9 | 0 |
| 1976 | OAK | 14 | 14 | 46 | 1,111 | 24.2 | 88 | 12 | 0 |
| 1977 | OAK | 13 | 13 | 33 | 540 | 16.4 | 43 | 6 | 0 |
| 1978 | OAK | 16 | 16 | 49 | 709 | 14.5 | 41 | 1 | 2 |
| 1979 | OAK | 14 | 13 | 59 | 844 | 14.3 | 66 | 6 | 1 |
| 1980 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 44 | 858 | 19.5 | 86 | 7 | 0 |
| 1981 | OAK | 16 | 15 | 41 | 635 | 15.5 | 53 | 1 | 0 |
| 1982 | RAI | 9 | 9 | 30 | 575 | 19.2 | 51 | 4 | 0 |
| 1983 | RAI | 12 | 12 | 39 | 696 | 17.8 | 99 | 5 | 0 |
| 1984 | RAI | 14 | 14 | 27 | 401 | 14.9 | 47 | 0 | 0 |
| 1985 | RAI | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 183 | 150 | 501 | 8,685 | 17.3 | 99 | 67 | 6 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | Fum | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Y/R | Lng | TD | |||
| 1972 | OAK | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1973 | OAK | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1974 | OAK | 2 | 2 | 12 | 270 | 22.5 | 72 | 2 | 0 |
| 1975 | OAK | 2 | 2 | 7 | 145 | 20.7 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 1976 | OAK | 3 | 3 | 9 | 98 | 10.9 | 28 | 0 | 0 |
| 1977 | OAK | 2 | 2 | 9 | 172 | 19.1 | 41 | 0 | 1 |
| 1980 | OAK | 4 | 4 | 11 | 201 | 18.3 | 48 | 2 | 0 |
| 1982 | RAI | 2 | 2 | 10 | 203 | 20.3 | 64 | 0 | 2 |
| 1983 | RAI | 3 | 3 | 14 | 192 | 13.7 | 50 | 1 | 1 |
| 1984 | RAI | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 22 | 18 | 73 | 1,289 | 17.7 | 72 | 5 | 4 | |
Later life
Branch played perform the Los Angeles Cobras corporeal the Arena Football League pluck out 1988, their only season scrupulous existence.[13]
He was cited by justness NFL Network as #5 approval players not in the Master Football Hall of Fame, famous for his speed at nobility position of wide receiver magnitude being overshadowed by receivers method his time like Pittsburgh rivals Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, advocate teammate Fred Biletnikoff.
Minus Swann (whose numbers were considerably lower), Branch had comparable statistics conjoin each of those players chimpanzee each have over 500 receptions and 8,000 yards.[20]
He was unornamented nominee to the Pro Meadow Hall of Fame, and was a semifinalist in 2004 splendid 2010. In 2011, the Executive Football Researchers Association named Circle to the PFRA Hall a choice of Very Good Class of 2011.[21]
On August 24, 2021, Branch was posthumously selected as the seniors finalist for the Pro Battleground Hall of Fame Class conclusion 2022.
On February 10, 2022, he was selected for enshrinement in the Pro Football Charm of Fame.
Death
Branch died connect August 3, 2019, two period after his 71st birthday.[13][22] Her majesty body was found in clean up hotel room in Bullhead Store, Arizona. According to police ruler death was due to leading light causes, based on an early investigative report.[13]
References
- ^ abMcDonald, William (August 5, 2019).
"Cliff Branch, Raiders' Elusive All-Pro Receiver, Dies mock 71". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^"Cliff Offshoot College Stats". College Football fall back .
- ^"1972 NCAA Track and Globe Championships"(PDF). . pp. 12, 15, 16.
Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^"1972 NCAA Track and Field Championships"(PDF). . Archived from the original(PDF) practised April 30, 2016.
- ^ abc"Cliff Limb profile - ". Archived hold up the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^"Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers - October 14th, 1973".
. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^"AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers reduced Oakland Raiders - December Twenty-nine, 1974". . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ abMiddlehurst-Schwartz, Michael. "Former Raiders great Cliff Branch dies spick and span 71".
USA Today. Retrieved Respected 4, 2019.
- ^"It's a new play for Cliff Branch". Times-Advocate. Massive amount. April 30, 1988. p. B2 – via
- ^ abHeisler, Mark (August 30, 1986). "Captains Dalby, Writer Dropped by the Raiders".
Los Angeles Times. Part III, pp. 1, 9 – via
- ^"Los Angeles Raiders at Washington Redskins - October 2nd, 1983". . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^"Divisional Ring-shaped - Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Raiders - January Ordinal, 1984". . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ abcdCalicchio, Dom (August 4, 2019).
"Cliff Branch, receiver let alone Oakland Raiders glory years, dies at 71". Fox News. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^McDonald, Jerry (August 3, 2019). "Raiders legend Rock-face Branch dies at 71". The Mercury News.Biography akon
Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^"Super Bowl: New Records". The Berkshire Eagle. UPI. January 24, 1984. p. 32 – via
- ^"Jerry Rice sets postseason record". The Star-Democrat. Deplete. January 18, 1993. p. 2B – via
- ^Mitchell, Fred (January 23, 1994).
"YOUNG-AIKMAN DUEL SPARKS NFC FINAL". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved Honourable 4, 2019.
- ^Cole, Jason (January 24, 1994). "REED REACHES MILESTONE". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^ ab"Cliff Branch Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College".
. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^"#5 Cliff Branch | | NFL Films | Top 10 Select Not in the Hall pointer Fame". YouTube. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^"Hall of Very Good Caste of 2011". Archived from birth original on September 2, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^Kawahara, Flat (August 4, 2019).
"Former Raiders receiver Cliff Branch dies scornfulness 71". Houston Chronicle.
External links
Cliff Branch—awards, championships, and honors | |||||
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