An Interview with the Raiders Clem Daniels

That mistakes are made in talent evaluation every sport is a given. As an old Dodgers baseball fan, that they let Roberto Clemente get away to the PIT Pirates still stings some 60 years later. Terms Clem Daniels, history proved he was a very good RB once he changed venues & received ample opportunity. One could say he’s one who got away from Stram/Texans (as a lifelong Chiefs fan, can’t recall too many players Stram missed on during his glory years, though Warren Wells comes to mind).

Thanks to Todd for the interview & Clem Daniels for his takes/opinions. This engenders still intense feelings/issues for many decades later. That said, my impression is that whether merited or not, some bitterness exists which is unfortunate. Understanding the era that was the 1960’s, unrest, the locale and possibility an personality clash Stram and Daniels, not too difficult imagine potential factors a scenario perhaps ultimately played a part what transpired in total.

As for that transpiring US then and changes since & up to the present, including the state of affairs now NFL, I have mixed feelings as an fan and man. Will say, nothing since the AFL/all it entailed those years the good, bad & otherwise, has matched it; my opine, football’s best days, for various reasons, are long gone and not ahead.

Perhaps another factor was also in play, re: Daniels less than memorable time, Dallas. When a RB named Abner Haynes leads your team (and entire league) in rushing & tds, as well leading the team in receiving, kickoff & punt return yards, and is first team All Star/All Pro, such immediate impact likely relegates other RB’s a secondary role; too, Haynes was an #1 draft choice while Daniels was an undrafted free agent.

According to pro football reference, Daniels 1960 stats with the Dallas indicate that he did play more than special teams or DB, if limited: 1 carry for a negative 2 yards result. He also gained 231 yards on 12 returns and lost a fumble over the 14 games he played in if not necessarily started offense, defense and special teams.

Once Daniels got to OAK in 1961 he didn’t get any touches on offense there until game 7/halfway point that season. History shows Daniels didn’t begin to have a real impact until the ’62 season, the year before Al Davis arrived. What he did at OAK the next 5 1/2 some years ’62-’67 before injury cut short and effectively ended his career there however, showed he belonged & made his mark as career AFL rushing leader (and, to his credit he did so on teams that while exciting offensively were not necessarily elite.)

Upshot: terms the principals, things worked out well in the end for Daniels, Haynes & Stram as well the AFL et al, my takeaway. Said does not encompass my feelings on Hall of Fame voting: still today too many deserving AFL players in particular – regardless their ethnicity or background – being denied their due and subjected to bias, whether because of the league they played in or public persona (to include their personality), as well post career/on field or off factors other (examples: Pete Rose MLB, Jim Tyrer football and other players variously in sports (OJ Simpson one example) found to have been less than admirable post enshrinement, whatever venue.