Former Raiders guard and Super Bowl champion John Vella has died, according to a team release. He was 74. No cause of death was announced.
Mr. Vella a Cleveland native, was drafted by the Raiders out of USC in the second round of the 1972 draft. He played 84 games with the Raiders over parts of seven seasons, winning Super Bowl XI with the franchise in 1977, then finished his career with the Vikings in 1980.
Here is the Raiders' formal statement:
A very good player on those iconic Raiders teams of the 1970s. Rest in Peace.
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THE ASYLUM
Bob Maddamma
1:12 am - 04.03.2025rochester, n.y.Former Raiders guard and Super Bowl champion John Vella has died, according to a team release. He was 74. No cause of death was announced.
Mr. Vella a Cleveland native, was drafted by the Raiders out of USC in the second round of the 1972 draft. He played 84 games with the Raiders over parts of seven seasons, winning Super Bowl XI with the franchise in 1977, then finished his career with the Vikings in 1980.
Here is the Raiders' formal statement:
A very good player on those iconic Raiders teams of the 1970s. Rest in Peace.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
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