Raider Nation Origin Stories: Meet Michael Parker, aka Raider Claus

Dec 18, 2025 at 12:25 PM

Levi Edwards

Digital Team Reporter

It's the most wonderful time of the year for Michael Parker.

As the scorching hot Nevada days of the summer transition to brisk afternoons in December, the San Francisco, California, native dusts off his custom black Santa Claus regalia for gamedays. Parker, an accountant by trade, jokingly admitted it's too hot to wear a full Santa costume to Allegiant Stadium during the first half of the season, instead opting for a personalized jersey with his name.

But as soon as the calendar turns to December, Parker embodies Raider Nation's jolliest fan – Raider Claus.

"It's kind of blown up to where if you need Raider Claus to show up, if it's humanely possible, I'm going to show up," Parker told Raiders.com. "Anything I can do to help the community, I'm going to do."

Parker became a Raiders fan at 10 years old, with his eyes glued to the television set as the Raiders took the American Football League by storm. Soon after the merger with the NFL, the Silver and Black's dominance bled over into the new league as they won their first Super Bowl title in the 1976 season.

It was the Raiders that helped Parker find his love for the game of football, playing tight end in high school and donning No. 87 for his favorite player Dave Casper.

"Who wouldn't love the Raiders?" Parker said. "The mavericks, the cast-offs and just the aura of the Raiders and Al Davis. The mystique of all the rejects from other teams came and had careers with the Raiders. As a young boy growing up in the Bay Area, the Raiders were the draw. You can't resist it."

Despite being from San Francisco, his first game in attendance was ironically at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for Week 6 of the 1982 strike-shortened season where he watched the Raiders defeat the Kansas City Chiefs, 21-16. Howie Long, Parker's other favorite Raider alongside Casper, had 3.5 sacks in that outing.

Thirteen years later, the Raiders relocated back to Oakland, prompting Parker to become a season-ticket member, which he remains to this day even with the team's relocation to the desert.

As for Parker's alter-ego Raider Claus, the character is actually an homage. When tailgating in Oakland, he would often see another member of The Black Hole wearing a Santa Claus costume. He's since passed away, but left a huge influence on Parker.

"He was just this nice guy," he said, "and it just stuck with me with how much joy it brought us and we could see how much joy he was bringing to the other fans. ... I just picked up the mantle, so to speak."

Parker began to grow out his facial hair with the finished product resembling the likes of Old Saint Nick. Soon after he bought a regular Santa costume, he switched over to the now trademark black costume he wears now.

"My wife was like, 'Why are you doing this?'" he chuckled. "We're going to the game, I'm going to have some fun and the kids loved it. The kids would come up and they would want their picture with Santa Claus, but Raider Santa Claus. So it was just a lot of fun to do."

Through Parker, Raider Claus continues to be a fixture within Raider Nation, reaching a new generation of the fanbase. His character has resonated so much that he's been asked to appear as Raider Claus for several of the organization's charity events in recent years.

"It's doing something good for the community and showing the world that Raider Nation is a bunch of good people that care about each other and look after each other."

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Raiderettes Ali and Annalise welcome students to a Raiders Youth Holiday Party at Intermountain Health Performance Center.