Pete Banaszak

Peter Andrew Banaszak was born on May 21, 1944, in Crivitz, Wisconsin, to a family fiercely proud of their Polish heritage. His father, an avid Green Bay Packers fan, took young Pete to games on autumn Sundays — a ritual that instilled in him a love for football that would define his life. At Crivitz High School, he was more than a football player: a multi-sport standout in basketball and track and field, an honor roll student, and the WIAA Class C state discus champion in both 1961 and 1962. He even considered entering the priesthood, inspired by an uncle and cousin who had taken Holy Orders, before a football scholarship to the University of Miami redirected his path. At Miami, Banaszak played for the Hurricanes from 1962 to 1965, grinding out 1,107 rushing yards on 263 carries despite persistent injuries. He made the dean's list, was named the team's Most Valuable Player as a senior, and graduated with the same quiet determination that would mark every step of his professional career. The Oakland Raiders selected him in the fifth round of the 1966 AFL Draft, and what followed was thirteen uninterrupted seasons in Silver and Black — a bond between player and franchise that few in the sport have matched. Primarily a reserve, Pete started just 36 of 173 regular-season games, yet he became the player every coach and teammate trusted when the game was on the line. His teammates called him "the Rooster" for his relentless instinct to find the end zone. In 1975, that instinct produced 16 rushing touchdowns, a single-season Raiders franchise record that stands to this day, and the best short-yardage performance in the entire NFL that year. The following January, Banaszak reached the pinnacle of the sport. In Super Bowl XI, he scored two rushing touchdowns as the Raiders dismantled the Minnesota Vikings 32–14, delivering Oakland its first championship. Two years later, he became part of football lore when his forward bat of a Ken Stabler fumble — the infamous "Holy Roller" play against the San Diego Chargers — led to a game-winning touchdown and prompted the NFL to rewrite its fumble rules. He retired after the 1978 season with 3,772 rushing yards, 1,022 receiving yards, and 52 touchdowns across 173 games. In retirement he co-hosted "The Fifth Quarter," the Jacksonville Jaguars' postgame radio show, and was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1983 and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. Pete Banaszak passed away on October 24, 2026, at the age of 82, survived by his wife Sue, daughters Rebecca and Amy, and grandsons Luke, Austin, and Connor. He leaves behind a legacy not merely of touchdowns, but of toughness, loyalty, and the conviction that no role is too small when the team needs you.