Former Raiders great Daryle Lamonica has died at 80, family confirms

FRESNO, Calif. — NFL All-Pro and Clovis (Calif.) High School graduate Daryle Lamonica has died.

Lamonica, who was 80, is also the namesake of the school’s football stadium. A family member confirmed the death on Thursday but declined to immediately comment further.

The Fresno County Coroner’s Office said Lamonica died at his Fresno home Thursday morning and that the cause of death is considered to be natural causes.

“The Clovis Unified community lost an icon today with the passing of legendary athlete Daryle Lamonica, the namesake of Lamonica Stadium on the Clovis High School campus. Lamonica established a high standard of athletic excellence, performance and character for student athletes who followed his graduation from Clovis High School. In recognition of Lamonica’s impact on local high school athletics, and his outstanding collegiate and professional career, Clovis High School’s football stadium was named in his honor in 1974. Daryle Lamonica was also an inaugural honoree in both Clovis Unified’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016, and in Clovis High School’s Football Hall of Fame in 2018. His legacy is one that lives on not only through the beloved stadium that bears his name, but in the coaches, student athletes, and fans who are a part of the Clovis Unified athletic tradition,” Clovis Unified wrote in a statement.

Lamonica in college played quarterback at Notre Dame, and the 6-foot-3, 218-pounder was drafted by Green Bay Packers and the Buffalo Bills. That was before the NFL merger in 1966.

He signed with the Bills and later played for the Oakland Raiders.

Announcer Howard Cosell gave him the nickname “The Mad Bomber” in 1967 while watching Lamonica play on Monday Night Football.

He told Sports Illustrated at first he thought it was a “dumb name,” but quickly changed his mind. “I thought, ‘Ooh. I like that. Maybe that is not such a bad nickname.’ It stuck and that is what I ended up with. … Now it’s my registered trademark.”

Lamonica accomplished a lot on the field.

— He played football and baseball and lettered in four sports (football, baseball, track and basketball) at Clovis High.

— He was an All-American quarterback at Notre Dame.

— Lamonica was drafted by the Bills of the AFL and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL in 1963 and played for the Bills from 1963-1966.

— The Raiders acquired Lamonica from the Bills in 1967 and Oakland went 13-1 and went to the Super Bowl in his first season with the Silver and Black.

— Two-time American Football League Player of the Year in 1967 and 1969.

— Three-time American Football League All-Star in 1965, 1967, 1969.

— Two-time Pro Bowl selection in 1970 and 1972.

— Three-time American Football League champion in 1964, 1965, 1967.

— Held the Raiders’ career passing records for most passes attempted, most completions, total yards, and touchdown passes.