The track star who redefined the Raiders' deep threat
In short: Before he was a three-time Super Bowl champion, Clifford Branch was a sprinting phenom. A record-breaking speedster from the University of Colorado, he transitioned from the track to the NFL, eventually setting playoff records that stood for over a decade before being eclipsed by Jerry Rice.
Clifford Branch's professional football career was defined by an explosive, elite speed that originated on the track. During his time with the Colorado Buffaloes, Branch proved an elite sprinter, clocking 10.0 seconds in the 100 metres to establish an NCAA championship record in the 1972 Eugene, Oregon, semifinals. Such natural speed carried over to football, leading the Oakland Raiders to select him during the 1972 NFL draft's fourth round.
Though his early NFL seasons were modest, Branch reached a spectacular peak between 1974 and 1977. During his third professional season, he led the league in receiving yards, touchdowns, and yards per game, earning both a Pro Bowl nod and First-team All-Pro honors. His 1976 campaign saw him reach a career-high 1,111 yards, contributing to the Raiders' first Super Bowl victory. He was a cornerstone of the franchise's success, participating in three championship wins: Super Bowls XI, XV, and XVIII.
Branch's statistical impact on the postseason was historic. He held the NFL career playoff records for both receptions and receiving yards until Jerry Rice broke them in 1993 and 1994. One of his most enduring individual feats occurred on October 2, 1983, when he caught a 99-yard pass from Jim Plunkett—the longest pass in Raiders history. Despite being overshadowed by contemporaries like Fred Biletnikoff and Lynn Swann, his posthumous induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022 cemented his legacy as one of the era's premier wide receivers.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Cliff Branch
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