Tag Archives: los angeles cobras

Arena, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Branch, Cliff (1948-2019)

Upper Deck Legends 1997, #AL-80

CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2021

CAREER SNAPSHOT:

  • Breathtaking track man and WR played in ’70 and ’71 for the Buffs.
  • Caught 36 passes for 665 yards and 3 TDs, while rushing for 354 yards on 31 carries (5 TDs).
  • Selected in the 3rd round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
  • Played during the prime years of the ‘Dead Ball Era’.
  • Had 60 catches, a league leading 1092 yards and 13 TDs in 1974.
  • Added another 893 yards and 9 TDs in ’75.
  • Had 1,111 yards, an 88 yard long, and a league leading 12 TDs in ’76.
  • Curiously his 24.2 yards per catch did not lead the NFL that year- despite catching 46 passes.
  • In ’77 posted 33 receptions for 540 yards and 6 TDs.
  • Continued to be a long bomb threat throughout the remainder of his career, posting an 86 yard catch in ’80 and a 99 yard TD in ’83.
  • Retired after the 1985 season.
  • Was the bridge between two eras of the Silver and Black winning Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII.
  • Played one season in the Arena Football League in 1988 for the Los Angeles Cobras.

ACCOLADES:

  • NFL Record – 99 Yard TD reception (tied)
  • All-Pro 1974-’76
  • Pro Bowl 1974-’77
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame 2022

NOTES:

It is a testament to the Silver and Black that Branch finally is in the HoF. Long overdue, he was being held back by his ‘Dead Ball Era’ stats, a logger jam of WR with sexier stats, and a stigma against inducting too many Raiders from that era into the HoF. Frequently the most dangerous offensive player on the field, Branch’s honor was long deserved.

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EPITAPH:

Cliff Branch passed away August 3rd, 2019 of natural causes. He was 71. He was posthumously was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022.