On this date in football, July 4, 1929, pro football legend Al Davis was born. The man who many place on the Mount Rushmore of pro football history was a scout, coach, general manager, owner — he was even commissioner of the American Football League during its war with the NFL.
In every capacity that he worked, Davis never backed down from a conflict, and he became known for nurturing underdogs into overachievers. Here’s a look back at the late architect and owner of the Raiders — who turned so many cast-offs into champions — as originally presented in 2011’s A Football Life: Al Davis.