- Sep 6, 2005
- 145,054
- 94,913
- AFL Club
- Fremantle
Daryle Lamonica's passion for Raiders, football still runs deep
By Marek Warszawski
The Fresno Bee
September 11, 2014
Fresno native and former Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica talks about the game today.
Daryle Lamonica and Derek Carr have met once. Back in July, when the Carr brothers were holding one of their football clinics at Clovis West High.
Lamonica lives across the street, so he walked over and introduced himself. The Oakland Raiders quarterback of the past (1967-74) shook hands with the Raiders quarterback of the present (2014-?), they chatted briefly and Lamonica watched Carr throw.
"I like everything about him," the 73-year-old Lamonica says.
"I like everything I see. He loves the game. He's a student of the game. He has the respect of the guys in the huddle -- that's obvious. I just hope we bring him along slow enough to where major injury doesn't shorten his career."
Lamonica speaks from experience, from a time when NFL quarterbacks served apprenticeships. Before being traded to the Raiders, the Fresno native spent the first four years of his pro career as a backup on a winning team in Buffalo. (The deal included a veteran quarterback named Tom Flores, who just happened to be from Sanger.)
During his first season in Oakland, Lamonica led the Raiders to a 13-1 regular-season record and an appearance in Super Bowl II against Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
The Raiders in those days were known for the vertical passing game espoused by Al Davis, their legendary owner. Lamonica became known as "The Mad Bomber," a nickname given to him by Howard Cosell for his long touchdown passes.
"In pro football, all I'm trying to do is make eight or nine big plays per game -- that's all I'm trying to do," Lamonica says as we sit at his kitchen table.
"Trying to get touchdowns if I can or a combination of touchdowns and field goals. The rest of the time I'm utilizing as much time off the clock as possible. That's football in its simplest form."
Lamonica hasn't taken a snap in four decades but can see the question coming like a blitzing safety.
Did he watch Carr's NFL debut against the Jets? The one where, according to Pro Football Focus, 17 of the rookie's 20 pass completions were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
That's a far cry from the Raiders of old.
"We threw a lot of short passes," Lamonica nods. "At one point there was something like seven complete passes in a row and we didn't get any yardage. Gotta work on the vertical game. We have to throw the ball down the field. That was Al Davis' philosophy.
"I attacked early," he continues, nudging me from across the table. "Because I wanted that corner worried about going deep. Even if it goes incomplete, he's thinking, 'Wow, I almost got beat.' So he starts playing looser, and I beat him with hooks and comebacks.
"I'd love to get in Carr's hip pocket, just to walk him through that."
Lamonica never became a coach after his playing days. Being close to his wife of 46 years, Mary, and their son Brandon was more important.
That decision isn't one Lamonica regrets. Still, it left him overflowing with football knowledge and no spigot.
"It's too bad he didn't coach," Mary Lamonica says. "I know why he didn't, but he would've been a great coach -- especially a quarterbacks coach."
Then as now, a big chunk of Lamonica's time is spent fishing and hunting. He grew up on 20 acres of peach trees and grapevines on the corner of Herndon Avenue and Fresno Street when they were both dusty two-lane roads (imagine that?) and was seldom indoors.
Though he no longer fishes tournaments, Lamonica is still on the water three or four times a week. He pours and molds his own worms ("I put coffee grinds in my hot plastic and the fish just eat it up") and proudly shows off "his baby," a gleaming bass boat covered and garaged.
Lamonica bagged a limit of birds during the recent dove opener (and the following day, too) and is looking forward to his annual fall bow hunting trip to Ohio.
"Just being outside, being out in the elements, that's how I unwind," he says. "I love seeing the sun come up."
Those twin passions -- football and the outdoors -- collide in Lamonica's living room, where trophies, paintings and framed photographs and posters compete for wall space with more than a dozen head mounts. The family room, where he watches football, seems empty by comparison. It contains only two head mounts and a large metal Raiders insignia given to him by a fan.
Twelve seasons in pro football left Lamonica with an artificial knee and hip, both on his left side. Unlike so many players of his era, he says he doesn't suffer ill effects from concussions.
Lamonica is happy for Carr and proud to have another quarterback with Valley roots (joining himself, Flores and Fresno-born Carson Palmer) on the Raiders family tree.
You get the feeling, though, that he'd like to do more than just watch.
"One thing I learned early was you block your fullback and you block your tight end, go maximum protection, and throw to your outside receivers," he says. "If we use those extra blockers and still can't stop the rush we're in deep, deep trouble.
"I'd just love to be in that coaches' booth and just listen, and just hear how Carr's handling it."
Lamonica is getting excited now. His green eyes flash. He raises his voice and starts gesturing with his hands.
"I'd love to sit down with Carr right now and ask him, 'What are they teaching you? How are they teaching you?' I've been invited to come up and do that. I haven't, but I should."
The booming, impassioned tone suddenly softens.
"Because I spent my whole life around football, and I love it. It's part of me."
By Marek Warszawski
The Fresno Bee
September 11, 2014
Fresno native and former Oakland Raiders quarterback Daryle Lamonica talks about the game today.
Daryle Lamonica and Derek Carr have met once. Back in July, when the Carr brothers were holding one of their football clinics at Clovis West High.
Lamonica lives across the street, so he walked over and introduced himself. The Oakland Raiders quarterback of the past (1967-74) shook hands with the Raiders quarterback of the present (2014-?), they chatted briefly and Lamonica watched Carr throw.
"I like everything about him," the 73-year-old Lamonica says.
"I like everything I see. He loves the game. He's a student of the game. He has the respect of the guys in the huddle -- that's obvious. I just hope we bring him along slow enough to where major injury doesn't shorten his career."
Lamonica speaks from experience, from a time when NFL quarterbacks served apprenticeships. Before being traded to the Raiders, the Fresno native spent the first four years of his pro career as a backup on a winning team in Buffalo. (The deal included a veteran quarterback named Tom Flores, who just happened to be from Sanger.)
During his first season in Oakland, Lamonica led the Raiders to a 13-1 regular-season record and an appearance in Super Bowl II against Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers.
The Raiders in those days were known for the vertical passing game espoused by Al Davis, their legendary owner. Lamonica became known as "The Mad Bomber," a nickname given to him by Howard Cosell for his long touchdown passes.
"In pro football, all I'm trying to do is make eight or nine big plays per game -- that's all I'm trying to do," Lamonica says as we sit at his kitchen table.
"Trying to get touchdowns if I can or a combination of touchdowns and field goals. The rest of the time I'm utilizing as much time off the clock as possible. That's football in its simplest form."
Lamonica hasn't taken a snap in four decades but can see the question coming like a blitzing safety.
Did he watch Carr's NFL debut against the Jets? The one where, according to Pro Football Focus, 17 of the rookie's 20 pass completions were within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
That's a far cry from the Raiders of old.
"We threw a lot of short passes," Lamonica nods. "At one point there was something like seven complete passes in a row and we didn't get any yardage. Gotta work on the vertical game. We have to throw the ball down the field. That was Al Davis' philosophy.
"I attacked early," he continues, nudging me from across the table. "Because I wanted that corner worried about going deep. Even if it goes incomplete, he's thinking, 'Wow, I almost got beat.' So he starts playing looser, and I beat him with hooks and comebacks.
"I'd love to get in Carr's hip pocket, just to walk him through that."
Lamonica never became a coach after his playing days. Being close to his wife of 46 years, Mary, and their son Brandon was more important.
That decision isn't one Lamonica regrets. Still, it left him overflowing with football knowledge and no spigot.
"It's too bad he didn't coach," Mary Lamonica says. "I know why he didn't, but he would've been a great coach -- especially a quarterbacks coach."
Then as now, a big chunk of Lamonica's time is spent fishing and hunting. He grew up on 20 acres of peach trees and grapevines on the corner of Herndon Avenue and Fresno Street when they were both dusty two-lane roads (imagine that?) and was seldom indoors.
Though he no longer fishes tournaments, Lamonica is still on the water three or four times a week. He pours and molds his own worms ("I put coffee grinds in my hot plastic and the fish just eat it up") and proudly shows off "his baby," a gleaming bass boat covered and garaged.
Lamonica bagged a limit of birds during the recent dove opener (and the following day, too) and is looking forward to his annual fall bow hunting trip to Ohio.
"Just being outside, being out in the elements, that's how I unwind," he says. "I love seeing the sun come up."
Those twin passions -- football and the outdoors -- collide in Lamonica's living room, where trophies, paintings and framed photographs and posters compete for wall space with more than a dozen head mounts. The family room, where he watches football, seems empty by comparison. It contains only two head mounts and a large metal Raiders insignia given to him by a fan.
Twelve seasons in pro football left Lamonica with an artificial knee and hip, both on his left side. Unlike so many players of his era, he says he doesn't suffer ill effects from concussions.
Lamonica is happy for Carr and proud to have another quarterback with Valley roots (joining himself, Flores and Fresno-born Carson Palmer) on the Raiders family tree.
You get the feeling, though, that he'd like to do more than just watch.
"One thing I learned early was you block your fullback and you block your tight end, go maximum protection, and throw to your outside receivers," he says. "If we use those extra blockers and still can't stop the rush we're in deep, deep trouble.
"I'd just love to be in that coaches' booth and just listen, and just hear how Carr's handling it."
Lamonica is getting excited now. His green eyes flash. He raises his voice and starts gesturing with his hands.
"I'd love to sit down with Carr right now and ask him, 'What are they teaching you? How are they teaching you?' I've been invited to come up and do that. I haven't, but I should."
The booming, impassioned tone suddenly softens.
"Because I spent my whole life around football, and I love it. It's part of me."
