John Vella, an offensive lineman who played eight seasons in the NFL and won a Super Bowl with the Oakland Raiders, has died at the age of 74.
The Raiders announced his passing on social media. No cause of death was given.
‘The Raiders Family mourns the passing of John Vella, a standout on the dominant Raider offensive lines of the 1970s and a starter on Oakland’s Super Bowl XI Championship team,’ the team said in a statement. ‘The prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with the Vella family at this time.’
The Raiders selected Vella in the second round of the 1972 draft out of Southern California. He played in 92 career games (48 starts), all but eight of those games coming with the Raiders. He finished out his career in Minnesota in 1980.
Vella started 14 games at right tackle during the 1976 season, culminating with three starts in the postseason as the Raiders defeated the Vikings 32-14 in Super Bowl XI.
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