Choosing AFL over NFL paid off for Dan Conners, Raiders

Dan Conners was the first draft pick Al Davis ever signed for the Raiders. It turned out to be a pretty good one.

The Pennsylvania-raised Conners had been selected by both the Chicago Bears of the NFL in the fifth round and Raiders of the AFL in the second round of their respective 1964 drafts.

The University of Miami Hall of Famer chose the Raiders and the franchise had an anchor for their defense for more than a decade.

“Chicago was not interested in signing me and the Raiders were,” Conners told ESPN in 2013. “It wasn’t about the money.”

Conners, who was an All-American at defensive tackle for the Hurricanes, moved to middle linebacker as a pro. It didn’t take long to settle into his new position.

Conners holds the franchise record for most interceptions by a linebacker with 15, returning three for scores. He sits second on the list for fumble recoveries (16) and fumble-return touchdowns (two).

His disruptive play in the middle of the defense helped the Raiders to seven playoff appearances in an 11-year career spent entirely with the franchise. Conners would have almost certainly owned a spot on the all-time tackles list, but they didn’t yet constitute an official stat.

Notable moments aren’t formally tabulated either, but Conners was a part of many of them throughout his tenure in Oakland.

He played in the “Heidi” game, the Sea of Hands game, Super Bowl II and the Immaculate Reception game.

Conners was on the sidelines for Franco Harris’ touchdown, one of the most memorable plays in football history.

“That was the only play I was off the field all game,” Conners told ESPN. “I want to say (I could’ve stopped it), because where he caught the ball, in the middle of the field, was where I would kind of hang out.”

He patrolled that area for a long time, anchoring the famed “11 Angry Men” defense. The Raiders went 105-38-11 during his time there, winning seven division titles and playing in six AFC or AFL championship games. Conners was a three-time AFL All-Star and was named to the AFL’s All-1960s team.

He was also instrumental in helping mentor the next generation of Raiders’ defensive stars.

“Dan Conners helped me on the field,” Phil Villapiano told Raider Maven. “He was in his eighth season. He would make a defensive call and then signal me where to go, because there were times I had no clue.”

He also helped groom Monte Jackson, who ended up taking his job.

Conners was waived at the end of the 1975 preseason and retired as a Raider, but he didn’t leave the game.

After spending time as an assistant coach with the 49ers and a scout for the Buccaneers, Conners returned to the Raiders as a scout and spent a total of a quarter-century in the organization.

He left football in 1999, 10 years after he had relocated to San Luis Obispo where he got married and bought two bars.

Conners lived there until his death in 2019 at the age of 77.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.