John Vella, an offensive line player from the Super Bowl who played for the Riders of Oakland and the Vikings of Minnesota in the NFL, died. He was 74 years old.
Raiders announced Vella’s death in a statement on Wednesday.
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“The Raiders family cries the death of John Vella, a star on the dominant attacking lines of Raider from the 1970s and a starter in the Oakland Super Bowl XI championship team,” the statement said. “Vella initially joined the raiders as a selection of second round draft in 1972 from the USC, where he won the All-American Honors consensus as a tackle in 1971.
John Vella, an offensive line player from the Super Bowl who played for the Riders of Oakland and the Vikings of Minnesota in the NFL, died. (Michael Zagaris / Getty Images)
“A versatile artist and a fierce competitor, Vella played both on guard and a tackle, seeing the action in 84 games with 48 departures in eight seasons with Silver and Black. He ended his career with Minnesota in 1980. The prayers of the whole Raider nation are with the Vella family at that time.”
NFL fans cried Vella’s death on X.
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Vella Raiders beat the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1976 AFC qualifiers before the team dominates the Vikings of Minnesota in Super Bowl XI, 32-14.
He played on the same offensive line as Art Shell and Gene Upshaw. Everyone was responsible for stopping passing rushers trying to go to Ken Stabler. Large Fred Biletnikoff and Cliff Branch receptors were the main targets of these raid teams.
Vella Raiders beat the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1976 AFC qualifiers before the team dominates the Vikings of Minnesota in Super Bowl XI, 32-14. (Robert Hanashiro-Imagn images)
After the end of his days of play, he returned to the Oakland region to start a business. John Vella’s wardrobe room has sold memories and equipment for raiders.
