10 Things You Might Not Know About Al Davis

Football lost one of its icons today when Oakland Raider managing partner and all around colorful character, Al Davis died at the age of 82.  

While Davis and his Raiders have been the butt of many jokes in recent years, Davis was a true pioneer in professional football and the league is as successful as it is today because of guys like Davis.

Davis did many things in his almost 60 years being involved with professional football.  Here are 10 things every football fan should know about Al Davis.

1. He was the AFL Commissioner and presided over the AFL/NFL merger.

2. He hired the NFL's first Latino and Black head coaches, along with the first female executive.

3. When the Raiders played in Los Angeles, Davis used a middle school as his team headquarters.

4. Davis was the AFL Coach of the Year in 1963.

5.  Over the years, Davis has sued: City of Los Angeles, City of Oakland, City of Irwindale, the NFL and countless others.

6. The Raider's logo was designed by Davis himself in 1963.

7. Davis traded his head coach, John Gruden for 2 number one draft picks.  Gruden went on to beat the Raiders in the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay.

8. In 2007, NFL Films chose the feud between Davis and the NFL as their top feud in NFL history.

9. Davis' son Marc has took a more active role in the helping his father run the team in recent years.  

10. He coined the Raider's famous motto, "Just win, baby."