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Al Davis honored by hometown before Raiders season opener

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Derek Hegna | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 9:50 AM ET

While Al Davis became a fixture in California sports during his time as owner of the then-Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders, his family has their roots in the city of Brockton, Mass.

Now, just a day before the Las Vegas Raiders open their 2025 season against the New England Patriots, Davis’s hometown has placed him on the same pedestal as the likes of Rocky Marciano and Marvin Hagler.

On Saturday, the city of Brockton unveiled a commemorative plaque of Davis just outside of Brockton City Hall.

In Brockton, Massachusetts for the unveiling of a plaque honoring Al Davis, who was born here on July 4, 1929. pic.twitter.com/yHscDdt9pL

— Paul Gutierrez (@PaulHGutierrez) September 6, 2025

“Pro Football Hall of Famer and three-time Super Bowl champion whose life began at 363 Spring Street in Brockton,” the plaque says about the late Raiders owner.

“The only person in NFL history to serve as assistant coach, head coach, general manager, commissioner, and most prominently as a team owner. A pioneer for diversity, Davis was the first person in NFL history to hire a Black head coach, a Latino head coach, a female CEO, and pick a Black quarterback in the 1st round.”

With the Raiders facing the Patriots, a contingent from the team attended the ceremony, including Al’s son and current principal owner of the Raiders Mark Davis and team president Sandra Douglass Morgan.

“So the genes and the DNA of the Davis family reside right here in Brockton, and even further than that, it also resides in the Raider Nation,” Mark Davis said. “I’m just so proud of Brockton in recognizing my father. It just means the world to me.“

While the Davis family is working to make Las Vegas the heart of Raider Nation, they will remain a part of Brockton forever.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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