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Raiders legend Daryle Lamonica, nicknamed 'The Mad Bomber,' dies at 80

Daryle Lamonica, the star Oakland Raiders quarterback known for his deep passes, died at his Fresno, Calif. home on Thursday. He was 80. His death is considered to be from natural causes.

A Fresno native, Lamonica went to college at Notre Dame, and in 1963 was drafted by two teams: the Green Bay Packers of the NFL, and the Buffalo Bills of the AFL. The AFL and NFL wouldn't merge until 1970, so Lamonica had his pick. He went with the Bills, who had drafted him in the 23rd round.

His career really got started in 1967 when the Bills traded him to the Raiders. They had the perfect offense for Lamonica's powerful arm, and after just four games in Oakland, he earned the nickname "The Mad Bomber." That season he led the Raiders to a 13-1 record, the best of his eight years in Oakland, and his incredible numbers — completing 220 of 425 passes for 3,228 yards with 30 touchdowns — earned him his first MVP award and First-Team All-Pro honors.

https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-legend ... 26087.html

Lamonica was also the "setup man" for George Blanda in a remarkable run in the 1970 season. The 43-year-old Blanda came off the bench to relieve an injured Lamonica and rallied the Raiders to a five-game unbeaten streak during that period (he was also the Raiders placekicker and won one game on a late field goal).

I grew up in Oakland. There was a huge fuss made when he joined the Raiders.