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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| Carl Weathers wore the Silver and Black from 1970-71. |
Thirteen players have worn No. 49 in Raiders history, including a linebacker who became famous for playing a boxer in the movies.
Jackie Simpson – LB – 1962-63
Simpson joined the Raiders after a season with the Denver Broncos. He played in 30 games from 1962-64 and racked up five interceptions for 39 yards. Simpson also made 3 of 10 field goal attempts and 6 of 7 extra point attempts. He returned one kickoff for 11 yards. He wore No. 49 from 1962-63 and No. 50 in 1964.
Willie Williams – DB – 1966
Williams joined the Raiders after a year with the New York Giants. He played in six games and returned two kickoffs for 52 yards. He went on to play for the Giants from 1967-1973.
Dave Morrison – DB – 1968
The Raiders selected Morrison in the 16th round of the 1968 Draft out of Southwest Texas State. He was added to the active roster for the 1968 AFL playoffs as the Raiders defeated the Chiefs. He was not on the team in the loss to the Jets in the AFL title game.
Carl Weathers – LB – 1970-71
Renowned actor Carl Weathers of Rocky fame wore the Silver and Black before donning Apollo Creed's red, white and blue boxing trunks. He played in a total of eight regular season games before hanging up his cleats and pursuing a film career.
Mike Siani – WR – 1972-77
The Raiders selected Siani in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft. He played in 74 games with 32 starts and caught 128 passes for 2,079 yards and 13 TDs. He went on to play three seasons with the Baltimore Colts.
Billy Taylor – RB – 1982
Taylor joined the Raiders after splitting time between the Giants and Jets from 1978-81. He played in one game and gained 3 yards on 4 carries.
Earl Cooper – TE – 1986
Cooper joined the Raiders after six years with the San Francisco 49ers. He played in five games in 1986.
Victor Jackson – DB – 1987
After playing in two games with the Indianapolis Colts in 1986, Jackson saw action in two games for the Los Angeles Raiders in 1987.
Wes Bender – RB – 1994
Bender played in nine games and caught two passes for 14 yards. He went on to play for the New Orleans Saints in 1997.
Marquez Pope – S – 2001
Pope played for the Raiders from 2000-01 and wore No. 49 in 2000 and 23 in 2001. He played in 31 regular season games with 26 starts and recorded 3 INTs for 47 yards.
Jeremy Brigham – TE – 2002
Brigham wore No. 87 for the Raiders from 1998-2001. But, he wore No. 49 for Super Bowl XXXVII. Brigham missed the regular season due to injury but returned to the Raiders after the team suffered a rash of injuries at the tight end position late in the campaign. More on Brigham when we get to No. 87.
John Paul Foschi – FB/TE – 2005-06
An undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech, Foschi played in 11 games with five starts and caught 6 passes for 37 yards. He went on to play for Kansas City and Cincinnati.
Jamize Olawale – FB – 2012-present
An undrafted free agent out of North Texas, Olawale has played in 35 games with one start and has caught 12 passes for 81 yards and gained 6 yards on 5 carries. He has also retuned one kickoff for 6 yards.
