Raiders mourn the passing of former offensive lineman

On Monday, the Las Vegas Raiders announced the passing of former offensive lineman Rich Stephens.

“The Raiders Family is mourning the passing of Rich Stephens, who played two seasons with the Silver and Black,” the team wrote in a statement. “The thoughts of the entire Raider Nation are with Rich’s family at this time.”

The St. Louis native was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the ninth round of the 1989 NFL Draft out of the University of Tulsa. However, he would never play a game for the Bengals, instead debuting with the then-Los Angeles Raiders in 1993.

Stephens played in all sixteen games for the Raiders in 1993, starting in one game. He would miss the 1994 season before reappearing in 1995 when the team moved to Oakland, making 13 appearances and starting another game.

In his two seasons, Stephens was a part of the Raiders’ postseason run in 1993, but the team did not qualify for the playoffs in 1995.