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Al Davis
American football coach and executive
Quick Facts
- Byname of:
- Allen Davis
- Born:
- July 4, 1929, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Died:
- October 8, 2011, Oakland, California (aged 82)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1992)
Al Davis (born July 4, 1929, Brockton, Massachusetts, U.S.—died October 8, 2011, Oakland, California) was an American gridiron football coach and executive who, as commissioner of the American Football League (AFL), was a key actor in the merger of the AFL with the National Football League (NFL) and was either a part owner or principal owner of the Oakland Raiders football franchise (1966–2011). Davis was raised in Brooklyn, New York, where his disciplinarian parents instilled a highly competitive disposition in him. After graduating from Syracuse University in 1950, he talked his way—despite having had no previous coaching experience—into an assistant ...(100 of 747 words)