Raiders All-Time Top Five: Defensive Tackles

The Oakland, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas Raiders have an outstanding legacy of great players and today we look at the all-time great defensive tackles.

1. Chester McGlockton, 1992-1997

The Raiders selected the 6-3, 334-pounder with the 16th overall pick of the 1992 NFL Draft out of Clemson, and he turned out to be exactly what they needed—a rock in the middle of their defensive line that included ends Howie Long and Greg Townsend. After making three sacks as a part-time player as a rookie, McGlockton moved in a starter in his second season and immediately was productive, making 79 total tackles, seven sacks, returning an interception 19 yards for a touchdown, and adding a fumble recovery. He only got better after that, making 340 tackles and recording 39½ sacks, forced 10 fumbles, and recovered another five over 90 games in his six seasons with the Silver and Black. McGlockton had four seasons with at least seven sacks, including a career-high 9.5 in 1994, was selected to the Pro Bowl in his last four years with the Raiders, and was a three-time All-Pro, from 1994-96.McClockton left the Raiders and played three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs, two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New York Jets before retiring after the 1993 season, but never reached the heights he achieved with the Raiders. He finished his career with 526 tackles, 51 sacks, and forced 14 fumbles in addition to recovering nine. McGlockton was a High School All-American as a tight end and defensive lineman at Whiteville High School in Whiteville, N.C., leading the Wolfpack to a 15-0 record, the North Carolina State Championship, and a USA Today National Ranking as a senior. As a freshman at Clemson, McGlockton forced West Virginia quarterback Major Harris to fumble and recovered the ball in the end zone for the final touchdown as the Tigers beat West Virginia, 27-7, in the 1989 Gator Bowl. He was a freshman All-American and was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference as a senior when Clemson went 9-2-1 and won the ACC title. McGlockton had 20 sacks in three seasons at Clemson, which led the nation in total defense in 1990 and led the nation in rushing defense in 1991 while he was a standout at defensive tackle. After retiring from the NFL, McGlockton went into coaching and spent the 2009 season as an intern for the Tennessee Volunteers, then coached led by ex-Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin. A year later, McGlockton traveled to Stanford and joined Coach Jim Harbaugh’s staff as a defensive assistant. Tragically, McGlockton died on November 30, 2011. “Chester was a great guy, good man, doing the right things. … ,” Harbaugh said. “He was helping a lot of people. We’re really going to miss him.To say he was coming into his own as a coach would be understating it. He had already blossomed. He was so positive with the players and with the other coaches. He always had coaching advice or spiritual advice, a smile for you.” The coroner’s report said McGlockton had an enlarged heart.

2. Tom Keating, 1966-1972

The 6-3, 250-pound Tom Keating was the anchor of the Raiders defensive line that amassed an American Football League of 67 sacks for 666 yards lost in 1967, when the Silver and Black recorded a 13-1 record and defeated the Houston Oilers, 40-7, in the AFC Championship behind a unit known as the Eleven Angry Men of Defense. The Raiders, led by Keating and Dan Birdwell at tackle, and Ben Davidson and Ike Lassiter at the end, finished with the fewest yards rushing and the fewest rushing yards per attempt in the AFL, as well as being third in fewest passing yards and second-fewest points allowed that season. Even though individual statistics for tackles and assists were not kept in those days, Keating certainly had his share, and he also was credited with 2½ sacks of quarterback Bart Starr of the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II, when the Pack beat the Raiders, 33-14, in legendary Coach Vince Lombardi’s final game as Green Bay Coach. Keating, who was known for his distinctive four-point stance, had six total tackles in that game, which came as no surprise since he was considered to be “the premier tackle in the old American Football League,” according to one observer. He made the AFL All-Star Team three times, was selected to the All-Time AFL Team, and played for three AFL Championship Teams. Keating was slowed by injuries in his last few seasons with the Raiders and finished his career by playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1973 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 1974 and 1975. He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the fifth round (No. 34 overall) of the 1964 AFL Draft and in the fourth round (No. 53 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings of the 1964 NFL Draft during the “Pro Football War,” and chose the newer league after being selected Most Valuable Player at Michigan as a senior. When Keating joined the Raiders in 1966, he and Davidson became good buddies, and after the season they would drive their Harley Davidson motorcycles from Oakland to Mexico, and sometimes on to Panama, plus to other destinations around the United States. It was quite a sight to see these two giant men tooling south down Interstate 5. After retiring from football, Keating worked as a private investigator for a law firm and later opened his own agency in Walnut Creek, just outside of Oakland. He maintained his primary residence in the Bay Area but began spending several months a year in Limoux, in the south of France. He made new friends in France, bicycled, cooked, and enjoyed the local wines, according to his brother, Bill, who also played at Michigan and in the AFL for the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins. Keating died of prostate cancer in 2012, two days before his 70th birthday at a hospice in Denver. In his autopsy, Keating was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. He and Davidson both were diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer within two weeks of each other and died two months apart.

3. Tommy Kelly, 2004-2012

The 6-6, 310-pound Tommy Kelly was a more than solid, yet unheralded member of the Raiders defensive line for nearly a decade after he signed with the Silver and Black as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2004. Even though he didn’t start as a rookie, he had sacks against New Orleans Saints quarterback Aaron Brooks in his first game, followed by a sack of San Diego Chargers quarterback Drew Brees the following week, and another against Carolina Panthers quarterback QB Jake Delhomme early in the season. He finished the season with 20 tackles and four sacks playing part-time and became a starter the following season. Kelly started for the Raiders for the next eight seasons and amassed 423 total tackles, 34½ sacks, forced 10 fumbles and recovered four, had one interception, and defended against 18 passes in his Oakland career. On Feb. 28, 2008, the Raiders signed Kelly to the largest contract ever given to a defensive tackle on the eve of free agency, a seven-year deal worth $50.5 million, with $18.125 million in guarantees and $25.125 million over the first three years. His 58 quarterback hits are second in Raiders history to only linebacker Khalil Mack, but for some reason, Kelly was considered an underachiever by some because of the huge contract and the fact that he never made All-Pro or was selected to the Pro Bowl, although he was named as an alternate for the 2010 Pro Bowl. Still, he was considered a reliable run-stopper and gap-filler throughout his career with the Silver and Black. His best season came in 2010 when he had 60 tackles and seven sacks, and the next season he had a career-high 7.5 sacks. Things started going downhill for Kelly in Oakland on Sept. 14, 2008, when he was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence, even though he played three more seasons for the Raiders. Kelly was released by the Raiders in 2013 and signed a two-year free-agent contract with the New England Patriots. He was placed on the Injured Reserve List late in the season and released the following August when he signed with the Arizona Cardinals, where he played one more season before retiring in 2015. “I love the city of Oakland,” Kelly said after leaving the Raiders. “I have much love for the people back there. They recognize the people who play hard. I know I play hard. I always left it on the field. I lived through a lot over there, but at the same time, I learned a lot, about how to be a professional and what not to do in my career and it got me this far, 11 years strong. I’ve got a lot of respect for the Davis family and I had a lot of good teammates.” Kelly finished his nine-year NFL career with 474 total tackles, 37½ sacks, and 18 passes defended in 150 games with three teams, but many observers believe he was under-appreciated. Kelly was hired by the Cardinals as a coaching intern on July 21, 2017.

4. Bill Pickel, 1983-1990

Bill Pickel was the middle man for much of his Raiders career between two great defensive ends, future Hall of Famer Howie Long and Greg Townsend, the Raiders’ all-time leader in sacks. “Bill Pickel came to this team as a defensive end, a defensive tackle,” Long said. “He’s 6-6, 260, playing nose tackle. Nose tackles aren’t 6-6, 260. Nose tackles are 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; 280, 290, 300. They’re shorter, more compact. He’s played out of position since he’s been here. He’s done the job in a selfless manner that I think exemplifies the way an individual should play the game. The switch to a four-man front is a big thing. I think it’s a big advantage for him. He’s done the job in a selfless manner that I think exemplifies the way an individual should play the game.” The 6-5, 265-pound Pickel was selected by the Silver and Black in the second round (No. 54 overall) in the 1983 NFL Draft out of Rutgers and became a factor on the Raiders defensive even though he wasn’t a full-time starter as a rookie. Pickel was an All-East selection, Rutgers Lineman of the Year as a senior, and is a member of the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. He was known for his distinctive four-point stance, while emulated Raiders great Tom Keating from several years earlier. Despite being slowed by injuries in his first Raiders season, he played in all 16 games made 39 tackles and six sacks, recovered a fumble, and was named to the 1983 NFL All-Rookie team. In Super Bowl XVIII at the end of that season, Pickel sacked quarterback Joe Theismann and made two tackles in his reserve role as the Raiders claimed a 38-9 victory over the Washington Redskins. Pickel was credited with 83 tackles and 12½ sacks in his second year, even though he started only three games. After backing up veteran Lyle Alzado in his first two seasons, Pickel became a full-time starter in 1985 and had nearly identical statistics, with 82 tackles and 12½ sacks. Pickel followed with 75 tackles, 11½ sacks, and two fumble recoveries in 1986 when he was named first-team All-Pro. In his eight seasons with the Raiders, Pickel played in 121 games, starting 68, and made 454 total tackles and 53 sacks, with seven fumble recoveries, and was named to the Raiders All-Time Team. After leaving the Raiders, he played his final four seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets, adding 122 tackles, three sacks, two forced fumbles, and four fumble recoveries in a reserve role. Pickel battled injuries throughout his career but seldom came off the field. “Pain? It’s like a standing joke,” Pickel said. “The first day in training camp, that’s as good as you’re ever going to feel all season, and it just gets progressively worse. I don’t think anybody’s 100 percent from that first day in training camp. You go out and get beat up worse every week. It’s just who can sustain it and hang on the longest.” Pickel retired from the NFL in 1995 and is noted for his volunteer work with the Joshua Frase Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports research for centronuclear myopathy.

5. Darrell Russell, 1997-2002

Fans of Raider Nation wonder what might have been when it comes to Darrell Russell who was drafted with the second pick of the first round of the 1997 NFL Draft out of USC. The 6-5, 325-pound Russell had a promising start in the NFL before substance abuse problems joined his career. He was an All-American at St. Augustine High School in San Diego before going to USC, where he won the 1996 Morris Trophy as the best lineman on the West Coast after recording 19 tackles for losses as a senior for the Trojans. Russell, an all-around athlete who played tennis and soccer, ran the 40-yard dash in an astounding 4.8 seconds for a man his size, was an All-Pacific Conference selection at USC, but after a few years with the Raiders the thinking was he might have been underrated. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1988 and 1999 and was chosen to the All-Pro team in both of those seasons. Russell made 235 tackles, including 35 tackles for losses and 28½ sacks in his five seasons with the Raiders, with five forced fumbles and three recovered in addition to a pass interception. However, he had his problems off the field. He failed a drug test in 1999, which his lawyer attributed to “second-hand smoke,” and was later suspended for four games in 2001 for a second violation, this time for failing to be tested. Russell again tested positive for a banned substance and was given a one-year suspension that wiped out his 2002 season, and was released by the Raiders. In September of 2002, Alameda County prosecutors dropped rape charges against Russell, claiming they could not prove he videotaped a woman being raped by two of his friends. Russell missed 1½ years while serving two league suspensions before he played in eight games in 2003 for the Washington Redskins, but unfortunately, the positive drug tests kept coming, and Russell was suspended indefinitely by the NFL. His positive drug test in 2004 was his seventh infraction of the league's drug policy. He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and attended training camp in 2004, but was released before the end of camp and never played a game for the Bucs. Russell, 29, and his former USC teammate Mike Bastianelli were killed in a high-speed accident when their car, driven by Bastianelli, also 29, went out of control and hit a curb, a tree, a newsstand, a fire hydrant, a light pole, another tree and an unoccupied transit bus near Los Angeles in 2005. Both Russell and Bastianelli, 29, were unconscious when firefighters arrived. Russell died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Bastianelli died at UCLA Medical Center. “He was a hell of a guy,” Raiders receiver Jerry Porter said of Russell. “He just never found the strength to get going again after the all the trouble he got into.” Said former Raiders teammate Lincoln Kennedy: “He became so big and so much into himself that he didn’t want to do what it took to stay in the league. He had a couple of chances and he could just never right the ship, could never get it right. … As much as I tried to help him, I had to realize that, he’s ultimately a grown man, he’s going to have to make his own decisions. That’s always the way I’ve treated people, with respect. The reason I’m so upset now is that I wish I could have done more to maybe prevent this.”

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