Tag: Cliff Branch

Chiefs TD Travis Kelce passes Jerry Rice for new career postseason receptions record

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce just took a record that was held by a Raiders receiver for 40 of the past 50 years.

For most of the past 40 years a Raiders receiver held the NFL record for postseason receptions. First it was Fred Biletnikoff who took the record in 1977. Then he was surpassed by teammate Cliff Branch who set the new record in 1983. Branch held the record for ten years until it was surpassed by Jerry Rice in 1993.

Eight years later, in 2001, Rice would join the Raiders, thus bringing the postseason receptions record holder back to the Silver and Black.

Rice would grab that record and run with it. The final 27 of his postseason receptions came as a Raider, giving him 151 for his career. Upon his retirement in 2004, he had nearly twice as many postseason receptions as the next on the list — Michael Irvin with 87.

That also means that 40 of the last 50 years the NFL postseason receiving record belonged to a Raiders receiver.

When you have as sizable a lead in a category as Rice had, it seems like it may never be surpassed. Well, it took two decades, but the day has finally arrived. And it was a tight end who did it.

Chiefs TE Travis Kelce came into the AFC Championship six catches shy of Rice’s record. He would get that in the first half. And we officially have a new all-time record for career postseason receptions.

Kelce would finish the game with 11 catches, putting him at 156 postseason receptions. And since the Chiefs won, he will have at least one more game — the Super Bowl — to add to it.

The closest active receiver to Kelce is former teammate Tyreek Hill who has 96 catches. The next three are Julio Jones (77), Davante Adams (72), and Stefon Diggs (69).

Families of Ken Stabler, Cliff Branch may finally soon receive Hall of Fame rings

Remember when the Hall of Fame added insult to injury by denying the families of Ken Stabler and Cliff Branch HoF rings? Well, they just changed their policy which means they could finally receive those rings.

There is no instance that more exemplifies why we love sports more than the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. It’s the culmination of a life and career of excellence at the highest level of the sport.

In those instances, ideally, you see the player take the stage, unveil his bust, and then tell stories of his family and his teammates who helped him along the way and enriched his life to lead him to that moment.

Two Raiders greats were robbed of that by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, which waited so long to enshrine them that they had passed away before they could have their moment.

Ken Stabler and Cliff Branch made up two parts of a lethal Raiders aerial attack in the 70s including a Super Bowl win. Stabler was one of the most clutch quarterbacks in NFL history and Branch retired as the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards — a record that wasn’t broken until Jerry Rice did it.

And yet they couldn’t get in during their lifetimes.

Then to add insult to injury, the Pro Football Hall of Fame would deny their families a Gold Jacket and a Hall of Fame ring.

“No jacket, no ring,” said Kendra Stabler, daughter of Ken Stabler at the time. “My Dad deserves it, dead or alive! He gave so much to the game we all love.”

Former Raiders CEO Amy Trask had some strong words for the Hall of Fame as well.

“It’s stunningly thoughtless to families of those who may have compromised their health to play,” said Trask, calling it “petty” and “simply dumb” and asking that they “fix it, please.”

Well, it took seven years, but it appears the Pro Football Hall of Fame has, indeed, *finally* fixed it.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced today they have changed their policy, allowing the families of those who were enshrined posthumously to receive their Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence.

Along with the announcement, they named six Hall of Famers whose families will receive the ring during the half time ceremony of the Hall of Fame game this Thursday, August 3.

While Stabler and Branch are not among those who will receive the ring on Thursday, that there are additional Ring of Excellence ceremonies which are planned for other Hall of Famers with living family members, which would include Stabler and Branch.

So, it shouldn’t be long before the families of the two legends finally get the ring they should’ve had all along.

CU Buffs to wear slick throwback helmets in honor of Cliff Branch for season opener

Colorado will be looking sharp in Friday’s opener

Friday’s season opener is all about the late Cliff Branch, Colorado’s first former player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Branch will be honored between the first and second quarters and a commemorative logo has been painted onto the Folsom Field turf. But to tie everything together, the Buffs will be flaunting the same helmet paint that Branch’s teams of the early 1970s wore.

Not dissimilar to men’s basketball’s throwback uniforms, the gold helmet features black retro CU logos on the sides with a black and white stripe down the middle. Colorado is also set to wear its all-black uniform.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01fc3h5x4enxt6nsr4 player_id=none image=https://coloradobuffaloeswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[listicle id=6323]

Watch: Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch official induction into Pro Football Hall of Fame

See Cliff Branch presented for the Hall of Fame by sister Elaine and Raiders owner Mark Davis

Delayed, but not denied. Those are the words Cliff Branch’s sister Elaine Anderson when she took the stage to enshrine her late brother into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Here she is along with Raiders owner Mark Davis to present Branch for the Hall of Fame.

Delayed is a nice way of putting it. For the “delay” was so long that it robbed Cliff and the rest of us of allowing him to take the stage and accept enshrinement himself.

Branch was extremely deserving of being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And that was always the case. It should not have taken over 30 years for him to get the call. It was at year 28 of his eligibility in 2019 that Cliff passed away.

Branch’s induction was arguably the last in a previous Raiders legend logjam that included the likes of Ray Guy, Ken Stabler, and Tom Flores, all of whom required the Senior Committee to finally get their due. For Branch and Stabler, that due would come posthumously.

Now Branch joins his legendary teammates and coaches to be immortalized in the hallowed halls of Canton.

WATCH: Highlights from every Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech

Watch highlights of all eight Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speeches.

On Saturday, eight men joined football’s greatest fraternity, as they were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Sam Mills, LeRoy Butler, Richard Seymour, Art McNally, Tony Boselli, Bryant Young, Cliff Branch, and Dick Vermeil either accepted their honors in person in Canton, Ohio, or were represented

Here are highlights of each induction speech.

2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremony: Who’s in, and how to watch

Who will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame today, and how can you watch the ceremonies? We have the answers.

At 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 6, the Pro Football Hall of Fame will have its annual ceremony celebrating a new class of enshrines.

From ESPN, who will televise the event:

ESPN’s coverage of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement returns for the 27th year on Saturday, Aug. 6, as eight enshrines officially enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Coverage of the 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame Class begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN, a new afternoon time for the annual event.  ESPN Radio will also offer live coverage of the event.

The class of 2022 consists of eight “Heroes of the Game:” Tony Boselli (Jacksonville Jaguars), Cliff Branch (Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders), Leroy Butler (Green Bay Packers), Art McNally (National Football League Official), Sam Mills (New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers), Richard Seymour (New England Patriots, Oakland Raiders), Dick Vermeil (Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs) and Bryant Young (San Francisco 49ers).

Live from Canton, Ohio, ESPN’s 26-year veteran host Suzy Kolber will anchor the Enshrinement Ceremony with ESPN’s NFL front office insider Louis Riddick and 2016 Dick McCann Award winner Chris Mortensen. For the 22nd year, ESPN’s Chris Berman, who was honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2010, will emcee the ceremony.

ESPN Radio will also broadcast the enshrinees’ speeches and share insights from special guests throughout the day on Saturday. On the ground in Canton, Jaguars’ reporter, Mike DiRocco will be covering all festivities around the induction ceremonies on behalf of NFL Nation. 

(All enshrinee information courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame).

How Colorado football Twitter reacted to Cliff Branch’s Pro Football Hall of Fame election

Cliff Branch was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame

One of the greatest players to ever wear the black and gold was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Thursday night. That was of course Cliff Branch, who played two years at Colorado as a receiver from 1970-71.

In his 22-game college career, he had 36 receptions for a whopping 665 yards, but his talents really shined as a kickoff and punt returner. Branch had four kickoff return touchdowns in both of his seasons in Boulder and returned six career punts for a score.

The speedy receiver was then drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1972 and won three titles during his 14-year NFL career. Just over two years after he passed away in 2019, Branch is now the first former Buff to reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Also elected on Thursday was former Jacksonville Jaguars lineman Tony Boselli, who grew up in Boulder and played at Fairview High School. He did, however, play his college ball at USC.

Here’s how Colorado football Twitter reacted to Branch’s historic election:

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.

[listicle id=4476]

Sam Mills, LeRoy Butler, Richard Seymour, Cliff Branch, Tony Boselli among 2022 Hall of Fame inductees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2022, with eight new members to be inducted in Canton.

On Thursday night, during the NFL Honors awards show, we found out which players, coaches, and executives would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for the 2022 class.

Tony Boselli, LeRoy Butler, Art McNally, Richard Seymour, Dick Vermeil, and  Bryant Young learned of their election when a Hall of Famer knocked on their door in late January. Those encounters can be seen Saturday when NFL Network airs a one-hour special, beginning at 9 p.m. ET. The families of the late Cliff Branch and Sam Mills received the news in a phone call from Hall of Fame President Jim Porter.

“Each member of this great class represents the values of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” Porter said. “We look forward to honoring them in August.”

The annual selection meeting capped a year-round selection process. The newly elected Hall of Famers were chosen from a list of 18 Finalists who had been determined earlier by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Selection Committee. Representatives of the accounting firm EY tabulated all votes during the virtual meeting.

The Coach, Contributor and Senior Finalists were voted “yes” or “no” for election at the annual selection meeting and needed at least 80% support from the Committee to be elected. The Modern-Era Finalists were trimmed during the meeting from 15 to 10, then from 10 to five. They, too, had to receive the same 80% positive vote as the Coach, Contributor and Senior Finalists when they were voted “yes” or “no” to earn election to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Hall of Fame’s membership, including the newly elected Class of 2022, now stands at 362.

The Class of 2022 will be enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, Aug. 6 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton.

(Bios courtesy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame)

Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch to finally be enshrined in Pro Football Hall of Fame

Breaking: Cliff Branch finally headed to the Hall of Fame

It’s been 32 years since Cliff Branch’s first year of eligibility for the Hall of Fame. And it’s been 2.5 years since his unexpected passing at the age of 71. So, needless to say it’s been far too long of a wait for Branch to take his rightful place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But tonight he’s officially been named part of the Hall of Fame class of 2022.

Branch gets in via the Senior Committee. Just like Tom Flores, Ken Stabler, and Ray Guy before him. Also just like Stabler, his induction happens after his death.

There is never been a legitimate reason for Branch to not be in the Hall of Fame.

When Branch retired, he had three Super Bowl rings and was the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards. It wasn’t until some guy named Jerry Rice won a few Super Bowls to unseat Branch. He’s still fourth on the all-time list with all eligible receivers ahead of him already enshrined.

The speedy deep threat redefined the wide receiver position and his presence in the Raiders offense was vital to their high flying air attack. His former teammates know this. As Marcus Allen noted when I spoke with him last August.

“I think it’s almost criminal when you look at Cliff’s numbers,” said Allen of his Super Bowl XVIII teammate.

“Clearly a guy who changed the game. Changed coverages. Changed the way defense is played. Certainly opened up things for everybody else. . . There’s some people that just change the game. Like Bob Hayes changed the game. Cliff was one of those guys. And without Cliff Branch there’s no Freddy [Biletnikoff], there’s no Marcus, there’s no Todd Christensen, you know what I mean? Without Cliff.”

Now we can finally say the Hall of Fame won’t be without him either. As it should have always been.

Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch named senior committee finalist for Hall of Fame

Raiders legendary WR Cliff Branch named senior committee finalist for Hall of Fame

For years, NFL people have been pounding the table for Cliff Branch to get in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And his time may have come. The Hall of Fame Senior Committee has named Branch as their player finalist for the 2022 enshrinement.

Senior Committee finalists almost always make it to induction, so Branch’s time may very well have finally come.

It’s a bitter-sweet moment because two years ago Cliff Branch passed away. So, after waiting nearly 30 years to get that knock on his door, he didn’t live to see it.

His snubbing has become more and more a source of frustration for many former Raiders teammates, including Marcus Allen whom I recently had the opportunity to ask about his thoughts on Branch not yet being enshrined.

“Levi, you’re touching nerves,” Allen replied. “And I don’t mind.”

“I think it’s almost criminal when you look at Cliff’s numbers and you look at others’ numbers that are in [the Hall of Fame]. He’s still number four all-time in postseason yards receiving. Played in a completely different era. If he played today and they were throwing it a hundred times a game, the numbers would just be ridiculous.

You can read all of what Allen had to say about Cliff Branch here.

When Branch retired, he had three Super Bowl rings and was the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards. He’s still fourth on the all-time list with all eligible receivers ahead of him already enshrined.

Branch has been eligible since 1990 and eligible for senior committee enshrinement for 11 years. He was among the senior committee nominees for the Centennial class, which welcomed 15 new Hall of Famers, but he was not among those chosen.

Also on the list, but not among those chosen for the Centennial class was Tom Flores. Flores was enshrined this month as part of the class of 2021 at the age of 84. Ken Stabler and Ray Guy also got in via the senior committee. Stabler, like Branch, didn’t live to see it.

[vertical-gallery id=82242]

[lawrence-newsletter]