Former Oakland Raiders offensive tackle, Super Bowl champion, has died

John Vella, a former offensive lineman for the Oakland Raiders and one-time Super Bowl champion, has died. The Raiders released the statement concerning their former right tackle, but didn’t announce a cause of death. The Cleveland native was 74.

Vella played both football and baseball during his collegiate days at USC. He actually helped the Trojans win the College World Series in 1970 and was named an All-American in football the following season. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound tackle was drafted by the Raiders in the second round in 1972 and although he was primarily a back-up at the start of his career, he landed a starting job in 1974.



Vella started for three consecutive seasons, including 1976 — the same season he helped Oakland defeat the Minnesota Vikings, 32-14, in Super Bowl XI. Vella, who started 48 of his 92 career games during an eight-year career, was limited to back-up against because of injuries between the 1977-79 seasons. He played eight games for the Vikings in 1980 before retiring.

After retiring, he opened a business called “John Vella’s Raider Locker Room” in Castro Valley, Calif. The store sold Raiders gear, novelties and collectibles..