The Raiders had a lot of organizational issues toward the end of Al Davis’ time, but one of the biggest problems, according to former player Stanford Routt, was that coaches were apparently motivated to prove Davis wrong.
“In Oakland, what the issue was is that because Al was so hands on, you had a lot of pushback from the coaches so it would be a power struggle,” Routt told Colin Cowherd on The Herd podcast.
“So you could have a situation where Al would want a certain kid to play and the coach is like ‘Okay, I don’t really think the kid is that good, I don’t want him to play.’ So you would have the coach literally put the kid out there because that’s what the boss says, but he’ll put him in positions not to be successful all so he can basically go back and be like ‘see I told you he couldn’t play.’ And a lot of people didn’t realize that, but there was a lot of that going on in the organization.”
Routt, of course, was a player Davis liked a lot – as evidenced by the 3-year, $31.5 million deal Davis gave him nine years ago.
Routt was also one of the players featured on a long list of opposing highlight reels. Maybe he was one of the players the Raider coaches were trying to sabotage.
If so, the coaches in Kansas City and Houston (after he left Oakland) were apparently doing the same.
twitter: @raidersbeat
I always wonder about anonymous articles…which this is , of course. Other writers here claim their work.
Coaches tried to make players looks bad?……Puh-lease! No fault of Routt, but he and 90% of every 1st & 2nd draft selections made by Al Davis, since their last Super Bowl victory, were busts (Darrius Heyward Bey, Michael Huff, Thomas Howard, Rolando McClain, Jamarcus Russell, Thomas Howard, Fabian Washington, Stanford Routt, Jake Grove, Tyler Brayton, Teyo Johnson, Philip Buchanon, Napoleon Harris, Langston Walker, Doug Jolley, Derrick Gibson, Marques Tuiasosopo, Matt Stinchcomb, Tony Bryant, Darrell Russell, Rickey Dudley, Lance Johnstone, Napoleon Kaufman, Rob Frederickson, James Folston, Patrick Bates, Greg Skrepenak, Todd Marinovich, Nick Bell, Anthony Smith, Aaron Wallace, Scott Davis, Bob Buczkowski, Jessie Hester). Al was the reason that the Raiders were a laughing stock during the final two decades of his life.