Who was Daryle Lamonica?

FORMER Raiders quarterback, Daryle Lamonica, passed away on April 21, 2022.

Lamonica was 80 years old when he passed away at his home in Fresno, California, and authorities say he died of natural causes.

Who was Daryle Lamonica?

Daryle Lamonica was born and raised in Fresno, where the football field at the local high school he attended was named after him in 1974.

Lamonica was selected by the Buffalo Bills as a 24th-round 1963 draft pick where he played for the team for four seasons as a backup quarterback to Jack Kemp.

In 1967, he was traded to the Raiders as a starting quarterback and led the team to four division championships, and played in Superbowl II.

In a 2021 interview with Fan Nation, Lamonica said, “After the (Shrine) game, I had a (Bills) scout come up to me and said, ‘Here is a $100,000 bonus and a $100,000 contract.’

“I didn’t know there was that much money in pro football. … What it did prove is that maybe I had some ability and that I could possibly play at the next level.”

His contribution to the Raiders earned him the nickname the Mad Bomber, but Lamonica admitted that he wasn’t fond of the name at first.

“I heard it and I said, ‘What a dumb name, it sounds like a guy throwing wildly,'” he told Fan Nation.

“But the next game I got under our center, Jim Otto, and made eye contact with the left cornerback and he backed up two steps, and I realized I could use it as a weapon.

“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.”

How did Daryle Lamonica die?

The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Lamonica died of natural causes at his home on April 20.

Clovis High School released a statement after their alumni’s passing and said, “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.

“… 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.”

How did he rank in the NFL?

Lamonica holds the title for the third in all-time passing touchdowns and the fourth in all-time passing yards for the Raiders.

He holds the third-ranking for 16,006 passing yards from 1967 to 1972 and holds a .791 winning percentage, the second-highest for an NFL quarterback.

0He also holds a .900 winning percentage in the AFL, the highest in the league’s history.

“It was an exciting time,” Lamonica told Fan Nation. “We were innovative in the AFL. We brought the passing game more into play than the NFL did. AFL fans wanted to see the ball in the air.”