Former Oakland Raiders running back Pete Banaszak died at age 82, the team announced Saturday.
“The Raiders Family mourns the passing of Pete Banaszak, whose toughness, competitive spirit, and dedication embodied a legendary era of Raiders football and made him a cherished member of the Silver and Black,” the team said in a statement.
“The deepest condolences of the entire Raider Nation are with Pete’s wife Sue, daughters Rebecca and Amy, grandsons Luke, Austin, and Connor, and all of his loved ones.”
Banaszak played his entire 13-season professional career with the Raiders from 1966 through 1978.
The team selected him in the fifth round of the 1966 AFL Draft out of the University of Miami.
He appeared in 173 regular-season games and rushed for 3,772 yards on 964 carries, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt.
Banaszak scored 47 rushing touchdowns and added 121 receptions for 1,022 yards and five receiving touchdowns. In 1975 he led the NFL with 16 rushing touchdowns, a single-season mark that remains a Raiders franchise record.
That year he also posted career highs with 187 carries and 672 rushing yards.
Banaszak earned a Super Bowl XI championship ring as part of the Raiders’ first Super Bowl-winning team. In the 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Jan. 9, 1977, he scored two touchdowns on runs of one and two yards.
Known as “Rooster,” he developed a reputation as a reliable short-yardage back throughout his career.
“We knew that when we gave the ball to Pete, he would get the first down or the touchdown, somehow, some way,” former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler said. “He was the best short-yardage runner I ever saw.”
Banaszak played a central role in the famous “Holy Roller” play during a September 1978 game against the San Diego Chargers.
With the Raiders trailing late, Stabler’s forward fumble was advanced by Banaszak, and tight end Dave Casper recovered in the end zone for the winning score. The play led the NFL to adopt a rule the following season limiting the advancement of fumbles in the final two minutes or on fourth down to only the player who fumbled.
A native of Crivitz, Wisconsin, Banaszak starred at Miami and was named the Hurricanes’ most valuable player as a senior. He was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
Banaszak ranks second in Raiders history with 47 rushing touchdowns, trailing only Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.
The Raiders never had a losing season during his 13 years with the franchise.
