Ben Davidson, the iconic face of a 1960-Oakland Raiders and later became a fixture in popular ads for Miller Lite, has died. He was 72.
Davidson, who had been treated for prostate cancer, died Monday night, former Raiders coach John Madden told KCBS radio in San Francisco.
If the deceased Al Davis was the creator of Renegade Raiders, then Davidson might be considered one of the founding fathers, by cutting a strip larger than life with his mustache and intimidating 6-foot-8 with end of the physical presence defense.
The 11-year career as a professional footballer began with the Green Bay Packers.
After one season there and two with the red leather-Washington, who fled when he moved to the AFL and the Raiders in 1964. "It was an AFL All-Star three times and played in Super Bowl II with the Raiders.
The career of Davidson was rarely predictable. Born June 14, 1940, in Los Angeles, did not play sports as a child growing up in Boyle Heights and would not give up football after his freshman year at East Los Angeles College.
"I think I decided I would try," he told The Times in an interview in 2010 home in San Diego. "I did not know the positions. I knew the center was probably in the middle, but I had one or two games."
Davis was shot in the eye back to Davidson when Davis was an assistant coach at USC. Davidson moved from East Los Angeles College, University of Washington and has won two Rose bowls with Huskies in 1960 and 1961.
Davis and Davidson were finally able to join forces in Oakland, after Davidson arrived a year after Davis.
"We had fun," Davidson said in an interview in 2010.
That was an understatement. The sense of fun and Davidson football made him a person was denied a natural firaire television after his football career, most prominently in ads for Miller Lite.
His first film role was the 1970 Robert Altman's "MASH", which brought a slice of the Raider Nation 4077, playing in a football game intersquad.
"I hate to say this to the press," Davidson said in an interview in 2010. "But I have 70 years and have never had a real job."
His most important moment of controversy in the field was in 1970. It was then pulled the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson, the end of a game, Dawson dives in with his helmet when Dawson was on the floor. Chiefs receiver Otis Taylor said open, so that in a deck of banks.
Finally, a 17-14 lead into the final of the leaders and the Raiders 17-17 to win the AFC West.
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