Raiders receiving nice Department dies at age 71

NAPA, Calif. — Cliff Department, a four-time Professional Bowl and three-time All-Professional receiver with the Raiders, has died, the group introduced Saturday.

Department turned 71 on Thursday.

“Cliff Department touched the lives of generations of Raiders followers,” the group mentioned in a launch. “His loss leaves an everlasting void for the Raiders Household, however his kindness and loving nature can be fondly remembered endlessly. Cliff’s on-field accomplishments are nicely documented and undeniably Corridor of Fame worthy, however his friendship and smile are what the Raider Nation will all the time cherish.”

In line with the Bullhead Metropolis (Arizona) Police Division, Department was discovered lifeless in his lodge room Saturday afternoon. Police there mentioned an preliminary investigation revealed no foul play and that Department died of pure causes.

Raiders proprietor Mark Davis, who as soon as served as Department’s agent in negotiations along with his father, the late Al Davis, was notably shut with the previous receiver.

“Cliff was my finest good friend,” the group quoted Davis as saying. “I’ll miss him dearly.”

Department, along with his motto of “Pace Kills,” was the epitome of the Raiders’ vaunted vertical sport within the 1970s and early 1980s. A fourth-round decide in 1972 out of Colorado, the place he was additionally a observe star, Department realized on the knee of Corridor of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, referring to him as “father.”

Department led the NFL with 1,092 receiving yards and 13 landing receptions in 1974, and his 12 TD catches paced the league in 1976, when he averaged 24.2 yards per catch. His 99-yard catch-and-run TD at Washington in 1983 is tied for the longest in league historical past.

In a profession that ended after the 1985 season, Department caught 501 passes for eight,685 yards (17.three yards per catch) and 67 touchdowns. He was considered one of solely six gamers to play on all three Raiders Tremendous Bowl championship groups (1976, 1980 and 1983), and had a mixed 14 catches for 181 yards and three scores in these video games.

Cliff Department caught 501 passes for eight,685 yards and 67 TDs in a profession that included three Tremendous Bowl titles. Deal with Sport/Getty Photographs

He ranks third in franchise historical past in receptions, receiving yards and landing catches, with solely Corridor of Famers Tim Brown and Biletnikoff forward of him in every class.

Requested as soon as how he progressed from observe star to All-Professional receiver, Department credited his each day opposition.

“I went by way of Willie Brown for seven years after which Mike Haynes for 3 years, and each of these guys are within the Corridor of Fame,” Department mentioned in 2014. “So going towards the most effective defensive backs in follow daily made it simple for me on Sundays.”

Department himself by no means was greater than a semifinalist for Corridor consideration regardless of having stats similar to or higher than thos of the Canton-enshrined Lynn Swann.

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Department, who ran within the Worldwide Professional Observe Affiliation and competed in Tokyo within the offseason, additionally mentioned he and security George Atkinson later took up tennis as one other type of offseason work after being impressed by Arthur Ashe. Raiders coach John Madden caught them taking part in in coaching camp and scolded them, saying they have been losing their legs on tennis quite than soccer. Nevertheless it was the opposite manner round, in line with Department.

“Different gamers have been sore after the primary few days of coaching camp practices,” he mentioned. “We weren’t. We have been already in form due to tennis.”

Mark Davis grew to become Department’s agent in 1979, when he negotiated towards his father. How did that go?

“I acquired kicked out of the home,” Mark Davis mentioned on 2014. “He wasn’t too comfortable. Then, Cliff will get two touchdowns within the Tremendous Bowl and abruptly I used to be again within the household.”

Department misplaced his residence within the Santa Rosa, California, firestorm of 2017, escaping with solely his Tremendous Bowl rings. Destroyed within the fireplace was a set of Raiders memorabilia that might have furnished a museum, Mark Davis later mentioned.

Nonetheless, Department was amused with how totally different the sport had turn into.

“There have been no OTAs like there are at the moment,” he mentioned. “We have been principally six months on, six months off, with two months of coaching camp. The fashionable soccer participant? We snigger. We want we had walk-throughs and practices in shorts and practices with no pads.”