Out of the 54 senior, coach and contributor candidates named semifinalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2023, four of them have Silver and Black ties.
The spotlight of the four Raiders candidates is lit on Lester "The Judge" Hayes. The cornerback spent his entire 10-year career with the Raiders and won two Super Bowls with the team. He was the 1980 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, with six All Pro selections and five Pro Bowl selections. His 39 interceptions are tied with Willie Brown's mark for the all-time team record.
One more Silver and Black player made the cut as a senior semifinalist in Roger Craig. The running back spent the 1991 season with the Raiders, seeing action in 15 games (13 starts) and accumulating 162 yards for 590 yards and one touchdown. He totaled more than 8,000 rushing yards across his 11-year career.
The other Raiders semifinalists fall in the coach/contributor category: Mike Shanahan (Head Coach of the Los Angeles Raiders from 1988-1989) and Amy Trask (CEO of the Oakland Raiders from 1997-2013).
The respective selection committees will now vote to send 12 seniors and 12 coach/contributors through to the finalists stage, with those results set to be announced July 27.
For the full list of semifinalists, click here.
