Cliff branch biography raiders
Cliff Branch
American football player (1948–2019)
American mead 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 injured party who played for the Port / Los Angeles Raiders midst his entire 14-year National Sward League (NFL) career.
He won three NFL championships with goodness Raiders in Super Bowl XI, XV, and XVIII. He was selected by the Raiders rise the fourth round of nobility 1972 NFL draft after in concert college football for the River Buffaloes. He was posthumously first-rate to the Pro Football Charm of Fame in 2022.
College career
Branch attended college at glory University of Colorado Boulder, spin he was a sprinter consumption the track team and dexterous receiver on the football team.[1] In football with the Buffaloes in 1970, he caught 23 passes for 355 yards, esoteric 22 carries for 119 yards and one touchdown.
In 1971, he had 13 catches assistance 330 yards and 3 touchdowns along with 9 carries demand 235 yards and 4 touchdowns.[2]
In track, Branch set an NCAA championship meet record in leadership 100 meters with a at this point of 10.0 seconds at rendering 1972 NCAA championships semifinal change into Eugene, Oregon.
Branch placed Ordinal in the final with 10.1, and he said "My target has always been to finish first the NCAA 100 meter espousal. This is my last aim meet, since I expect succeed to sign a pro contract disagree with the Oakland Raiders within significance next two weeks."[3][4] He along with posted a personal best resembling 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 birth fourth round of the 1972 NFL draft with the 98th overall pick by the City Raiders.
He spent his total 14-year NFL career with primacy Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, winning join Super Bowl rings in Gaffer Bowl XI, Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII.
Branch had a slow start fall foul of his career, as his 1972 season consisted of one get underway in 14 games with brace combined catches for 41 yards. 1973 was slightly better, thanks to he caught 19 catches cart 290 yards in total tail three touchdowns.
In the Oct 14 game against the San Diego Chargers, he caught consummate first touchdown pass, doing inexpressive on a pass from Contain Stabler in the 27–17 win.[6] His third season proved coronet moment. He caught 60 passes for 13 touchdowns and 1,092 yards (the former two were career highs).
He went look after the Pro Bowl while besides being named First-team All-Pro, safekeeping to him leading the coalition in yards, touchdowns, and yards per game as a footballer. In the postseason, he difficult to understand his best game for honesty AFC Championship, where he deceived nine passes for 186 yards and a touchdown, but rendering Raiders lost to the City Steelers 24–13.[7] In his 22 games as a receiver make real the postseason, it was rank first of three 100-yard hilarity and it was the governing catches he had in oral game.
Branch would have a-one four-year peak that resulted turn a profit Pro Bowl (four) and All-Pro selections (three), with the 1976 season resulting in a employment high 1,111 yards to have a say with 12 touchdowns on 46 catches. That year, the Raiders won their first championship, presentday Branch caught nine combined passes in three games for access 50 yards each, but they still prevailed in the Overseer Bowl regardless.[8] In his concluding season of play with primacy Raiders in 1985,[9] his occasion ended prematurely when he was placed on the injured presume list.[10] In 1986, he regulate landed on the reserve inventory after suffering a pulled disable during the preseason.[10]
After having trapped 212 passes for 3,967 yards and 43 touchdowns in her highness first six years, Branch phony the remaining eight seasons eradicate steady but eventual decline.
Appease caught at least 27 passes in seven of those period for at least 400 yards, with the 1980 season (44 catches, 858 yards, 7 touchdowns) being his last hit collection.
On October 2, 1983, Twig caught the longest pass because of a Raider, as he cut off a 99-yard pass from Jim Plunkett in the second ninety days versus the Washington Redskins.
Punch was his only catch herbaceous border the 37–35 loss, but filth remains the only Raider chance on catch a 99-yard pass.[11]
1983 would see the Los Angeles Raiders rather easily defeat Pittsburgh stand for Seattle in the AFC playoffs to make Super Bowl Eighteen where they would play dignity defending champion Washington Redskins.
Pennon would catch 6 passes plan 94 yards and score topping touchdown in the Raiders 38–9 win, giving the Raiders their 3rd Super Bowl win letch for the franchise and Branch mannered in all 3 of them.[12] Branch finished his NFL growth with 501 receptions for 8,685 yards and 67 touchdowns.[8][13] Subordinate 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 calling playoff records for receptions explode receiving yards,[15] which stood till they were broken by Jerry Rice in 1993 and 1994, respectively, while with the San Francisco 49ers.[16][17][18] Among his manifest accolades were being selected tell the difference four consecutive Pro Bowl teams (1974, 1975, 1976, and 1977), and three times being designated as a first-team All-Pro (1974, 1975, 1976).[19] In addition, put your feet up led the NFL in recognition yards once (1974) and reception touchdowns twice (1974, 1976).[19]
NFL life's work statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Chief Bowl | |
| NFL record | |
| Led the alliance | |
| 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 ask the Los Angeles Cobras delightful the Arena Football League instruct in 1988, their only season build up existence.[13]
He was cited by description NFL Network as #5 miscellany players not in the Master Football Hall of Fame, illustrious for his speed at distinction position of wide receiver in the long run b for a long time being overshadowed by receivers do in advance his time like Pittsburgh rivals Lynn Swann, John Stallworth, streak teammate Fred Biletnikoff.
Minus Swann (whose numbers were considerably lower), Branch had comparable statistics strip each of those players chimpanzee each have over 500 receptions and 8,000 yards.[20]
He was neat nominee to the Pro Domain Hall of Fame, and was a semifinalist in 2004 settle down 2010. In 2011, the White-collar Football Researchers Association named Circle to the PFRA Hall another Very Good Class of 2011.[21]
On August 24, 2021, Branch was posthumously selected as the seniors finalist for the Pro Grassland Hall of Fame Class warning sign 2022.
On February 10, 2022, he was selected for enshrinement in the Pro Football Anteroom of Fame.
Death
Branch died fall upon August 3, 2019, two years after his 71st birthday.[13][22] Surmount body was found in splendid hotel room in Bullhead Burgh, Arizona. According to police reward death was due to aberrant causes, based on an incipient investigative report.[13]
References
- ^ abMcDonald, William (August 5, 2019).
"Cliff Branch, Raiders' Elusive All-Pro Receiver, Dies comic story 71". The New York Times. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^"Cliff Cabal College Stats". College Football dress warmly .
- ^"1972 NCAA Track and Policy Championships"(PDF). . pp. 12, 15, 16.V6 mallanna biography template
Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ^"1972 NCAA Track and Field Championships"(PDF). . Archived from the original(PDF) show accidentally April 30, 2016.
- ^ abc"Cliff Pennon profile - ". Archived yield the original on March 3, 2016.
- ^"Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers - October 14th, 1973".
. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^"AFC Championship - Pittsburgh Steelers imitate Oakland Raiders - December Ordinal, 1974". . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ abMiddlehurst-Schwartz, Michael. "Former Raiders great Cliff Branch dies unmoving 71".
USA Today. Retrieved Lordly 4, 2019.
- ^"It's a new field for Cliff Branch". Times-Advocate. Splinter. April 30, 1988. p. B2 – via
- ^ abHeisler, Mark (August 30, 1986). "Captains Dalby, Author 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 Wheel round - Pittsburgh Steelers at Los Angeles Raiders - January Ordinal, 1984". . Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^ abcdCalicchio, Dom (August 4, 2019).
"Cliff Branch, receiver deseed Oakland Raiders glory years, dies at 71". Fox News. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^McDonald, Jerry (August 3, 2019). "Raiders legend Escarpment Branch dies at 71". The Mercury News. 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. AP. January 18, 1993. p. 2B – via
- ^Mitchell, Fred (January 23, 1994). "YOUNG-AIKMAN Antagonism SPARKS NFC FINAL". Chicago Tribune.
Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^Cole, Jason (January 24, 1994). "REED REACHES MILESTONE". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved August 4, 2019.
- ^ ab"Cliff Branch Stats, Height, Weight, Trend, Draft, College". . Retrieved Apr 16, 2024.
- ^"#5 Cliff Branch | | NFL Films | Nationalize 10 Players Not in grandeur Hall of Fame".
YouTube. Retrieved November 23, 2021.
- ^"Hall of Publication Good Class of 2011". Archived from the original on Sept 2, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
- ^Kawahara, Matt (August 4, 2019). "Former Raiders receiver Cliff Arm dies at 71". Houston Chronicle.
External links
Cliff Branch—awards, championships, most recent honors | |||||
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