They gathered at the entrance to Raiders HQ, a receiving line for the ages.
Hall of Famers (paging Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Marcus Allen and Charles Woodson).
A Super Bowl MVP (Jim Plunkett, to the Silver and Black courtesy phone, please).
A regular season NFL MVP (Rich Gannon, your table is ready).
All to welcome the new Raiders head coach on Tuesday. And yet…
Klint Kubiak, born three years and 26 days after Haynes, Long, Allen and Plunkett won Super Bowl XVIII, and who was 25 days shy of his 16th birthday when Woodson and Gannon played in Super Bowl XXXVII, was anything but intimidated by, as colleague Levi Edwards referred to them, the Raiders Avengers.
After all, they were assembled to greet Kubiak as the 27th coach in franchise history. Not to haze him, or berate him for coming from Broncos stock (remember, his dad Gary was John Elway's backup at quarterback from 1983-91).
"It's not daunting at all; it's a blessing," Kubiak said. "That's what you want to be. That's what I want our players to want to achieve.
"I want them to see these guys, be surrounded by these guys, because that's what their goals should be - win Super Bowls. The MVPs and Hall of Fame, that takes care of itself when the team wins. So, that's what we're going to be about, winning."
And with that, flanked on both sides of the dais by Raiders royalty and with the team's three Lombardi Trophies in the foreground – the stoic Kubiak got the first victory of his Raiders tenure.
He won the press conference. But the real challenge, obviously, is winning games, while embracing a past sliding into a warm memory.
So what does Plunkett hope the Kubiak hiring brings?
"More victories," Plunkett said, with a twinkle in his eye. "Bring the team together. Make it a solid unit of offense, defense and special teams, you know? Get them to perform."
It's Day 1 of the Kubiak Era. He still needs to hire a staff, get with general manager John Spytek to evaluate the roster, utilize the expected $90 million-plus of salary cap space and, oh yeah, figure out what to do with that No. 1 overall draft pick.
But first, Kubiak will be back in Seattle for the Seahawks' Super Bowl championship parade on Wednesday before returning to work on Thursday. So to borrow an unfortunate phrase, it's not just concepts of a plan Kubiak has to address; it's all about X's and O's.
Already. Thankfully.
And that has Allen and Long more than intrigued. Because as Long said, competitive teams are built "from the inside out" when it comes to roster construction.
"Offensive line's an issue; defensive front has to be better," Long told me in the Raiders' meal room, before getting personal, so to speak. "I played against this coach's dad. We all played against his dad. And if I were going to hire a coach, you think about their family, that system, that scheme is the predominant scheme [in the NFL today]. There are different variations of it - [Sean] McVay runs it one way. [Kyle] Shanahan runs it another way. The guy in Minnesota [Kevin O'Connell] runs it another way.
"This is the new…world order of offense. How do we get there? Build from within - both from the defensive front and the offensive front."
Allen, sitting across the table, nodded his head in agreement.
"I think we're all on the same page about building the line of scrimmage first," Allen said. "If you have guys up front, players like myself get all the credit, Todd Christensen and Cliff Branch. But you can basically run any system you want to if you have the guys up front."
Long chimed back in: "If you can run it, you can throw it. Just look at the Super Bowl."
"Success really rides on the line of scrimmage," Allen added. "On both sides."
Addressing the offensive line is a no-brainer, a thought brought home by a pair of Raiders Hall of Famers.
But Allen also leaned into the notion of philosophy. Specifically, how it felt like everyone was on the "same page" going forward.
Because as Allen said, and as evidenced by the 'Raiders Avengers' joining Kubiak, "culture" is just as important as "stability" for a roster headed by a first-time coach reporting to a first-time GM in his second year.
"With stability, guys can buy into a system," Allen said. "And not only buy into it, but own it."
Yes, like the sextet of Raiders legends surrounding Kubiak did in their playing days. After all, they represented the last two Raiders teams to play in a Super Bowl.
"There was some method to the madness," Raiders owner Mark Davis laughed.
"These gentlemen represent what it means to be a Raider…they know what it means to be a Raider. That's a reflection of what this organization is about and I think for Klint to see that, and see support from them, is important. And to let him know that he's part of this now."
Talk about a welcoming party.
Head inside Intermountain Health Performance Center to view photos from Head Coach Klint Kubiak's first full day as a Raider.
Signage welcoming Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumni Jim Plunkett, Charles Woodson, Rich Gannon, Howie Long, Marcus Allen and Mike Haynes pose for a photo before welcoming Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Owner Mark Davis with alumni Jim Plunkett, Howie Long, Mike Haynes and Marcus Allen before welcoming Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Owner Mark Davis welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Howie Long welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Jim Plunkett welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Marcus Allen welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Rich Gannon welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Brock Bowers (89) welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Darnay Holmes (30) welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV (99) welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) welcomes Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is welcomed by alumni, players and staff to Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Mike Haynes during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Rich Gannon during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Howie Long during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders alumnus Marcus Allen during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak and General Manager John Spytek during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak, General Manager John Spytek and alumni during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak, General Manager John Spytek and alumni during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders guard Caleb Rogers (76) during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty (2) during Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak during an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak, General Manager John Spytek and alumni pose for a photo following an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak with alumni following an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak's custom jersey following an introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders General Manager John Spytek is interviewed following Head Coach Klint Kubiak's introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak and his children are interviewed following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is interviewed following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak is interviewed following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak and his family pose for a photo following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak in the team room following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak in the team room following his introductory press conference at Intermountain Health Performance Center.
