Al Davis opens up to SIRIUS’ Brandt
Al Davis likes what he sees in Jason Campbell
Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis gave a rare interview on Sirius satellite radio Tuesday. Gil Brandt – a long time friend of Davis – was the host of the show when the Silver & Black’s legend talked about his current club and the expectations for the 2010 season.
On Jason Campbell and Hue Jackson:
I see this young Jason Campbell as a football player like I saw Jim Plunkett. He has everything. He was 13-0 in college, at Auburn, he can throw up the field, he can run, he’s big, he’s smart. I really predict great things for him. I hope he doesn’t let me down. I don’t think he will. I think we have a team that’s pretty similar, we don’t have as many Hall of Fame players as we have on the ’80 team, which was the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl. But this team has a lot of potential and a lot of great young players.
It’s ironic. When we started every decade like I said to you in 1970, being a different quarterback, Daryle Lamonica, and a different head coach, the great John Madden, 1980, we had Jim Plunkett and Tom Flores, who won two Super Bowls. In 1990, we had Art Shell, the first Afro-American head coach in the modern era, and Jay Schroeder, and in the year 2000, we had Rich Gannon and Jon Gruden. That’s four different quarterbacks, four different head coaches, and this year we come in and we have a bright new young offensive coordinator in Hue Jackson, and I just have great hopes for this young team. It’s a very young team, but I do have hopes for it.
What else is there to achieve?
Oh, Gil, just like you. Gil, the will to win will always be here. The fire that burns brightest in me and my family, Carole and Mark, is the will to win. We just want the Raiders to do great. As you know, I’m 81 years old, but I still can contribute a great deal. We do a great deal for the team, I think we have our stamp on this team. It’s our personnel, it’s our picks, its our want to be great once again, to join the ranks of the elite and get back that No. 1 rating on terms of wins and losses since we come into the league, and to make the National Football League, which is the greatest game which is always played by the greatest players, the greatest coaches, the greatest players, the greatest games, and of course, the greatest fans, than anyone could want.
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Contact Author: Victor Cotto – SB Report Columnist
