For a total of 100 days, we'll take a look at the men who have played for the Raiders jersey number by jersey number. This series will highlight some of the greatest players in NFL history. In some cases, the player and jersey number are synonymous. In other cases, the jersey number represents sustained greatness at a particular position. Some players are superstitious about their jersey number. Whatever the case may be, jersey numbers are an important part of the fabric of professional football.
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| Napoleon Kaufman, the 4th leading rusher in team history, is the new head football coach at Bishop O'Dowd high school in Oakland. AP Photo. |
Nyle McFarlane – RB – 1960
McFarlane played in 13 games and carried the ball 4 times for 52 yards and caught 5 passes for 89 yards and 2 TDs. He returned 5 kickoffs for 71 yards.
Nemiah Wilson – DB – 1968-70
Wilson joined the Raiders in 1968 after 3 years with the Denver Broncos. He played for the Raiders from 1968-74 and switched from No. 26 to No. 48 in 1971. In all, he played in 81 games with 67 starts as a Raider and intercepted 19 passes for 213 yards. He returned 1 punt for 0 yards and 4 kickoffs for 84 yards. He finished his career with one season with the Chicago Bears.
Skip Thomas – CB – 1972-77
A member of the famed Soul Patrol defensive backfield with Willie Brown, Jack Tatum and George Atkinson, Dr. Death played in 82 games with 56 starts and intercepted 17 passes for 222 yards and 1 TD. He was a member of the Raiders Super Bowl XI Championship team.
Clarence Hawkins – RB – 1979
Hawkins played in 7 games and carried the ball 21 times for 72 yards and caught 2 passes for 24 yards and 1 TD. He returned 1 kickoff for 25 yards.
Keith Moody – DB – 1980
Moody joined the Raiders after four years with the Buffalo Bills. He played in 5 games and returned 8 kickoffs for 150 yards. He was a member of the Raiders Super Bowl XV Championship team.
Vann McElroy – S – 1982-90
Originally selected in the 3rd round of the 1982 NFL Draft out of Baylor, McElroy played in 101 games with 88 starts and intercepted 31 passes for 296 yards and 1 TD. His 31 INTs rank 4th all-time in Raiders history. He was a member of the Raiders Super Bowl XVIII Championship team.
Napoleon Kaufman – RB – 1995-00
Kaufman was selected in the 1st round of the 1995 NFL Draft out of the University of Washington. He played in 91 games with 46 starts and carried the ball 978 times for 4,792 yards and 12 TDs. He caught 127 passes for 1,107 yards and 5 TDs and returned 98 kickoffs for 2,149 yards and 1 TD. Kaufman is the 4th all-time leading rusher in team history and holds the team record for most rushing yards in a game with 227.
Rod Woodson – S – 2002-03
Woodson spent the last 2 seasons of a Hall of Fame career with the Raiders. He played in 26 games with 26 starts and picked off 10 passes for 243 yards and 2 TDs and recovered 4 fumbles for 64 yards. He was a key member of a Raiders team that played in Super Bowl XXXVII. His 98-yard interception return for a TD at Denver in 2002 is the 3rd longest in team history. He was named 1st Team All-Pro and selected for the Pro Bowl after recording 8 interceptions in 2002. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. He recently re-joined the Silver and Black as assistant defensive backs coach.
Stanford Routt – CB – 2005-11
Routt was selected in the 2nd round of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Houston. He played in 110 games with 53 starts and recorded 10 interceptions for 66 yards and 1 TD.
Pat Lee – DB – 2012
Lee played in 8 games with 7 starts with the Raiders in 2012. He recorded 1 interception and 1 forced fumble.
Usama Young – S – 2013-present
Young joined the Raiders after four years with the Saints and two with the Browns. He played in 12 games with 1 start and recorded 1 interception before his season was cut short by injury. He appeared in 6 games with 3 starts in 2014 before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. Before the injury he recorded 21 solo tackles, 1 sack and 2 passes defensed.
