THE Las Vegas Raiders announced the death of a former player on Monday.
The NFL team released a statement on the late player, aged just 60.
Former NFL offensive lineman Rich Stephens playing as a member of the Oakland Raiders in 1995[/caption]
The Las Vegas Raiders announced the death of Stephens on Monday[/caption]
The Raiders honored a former player from their days when they resided in Los Angeles and Oakland, California.
The franchise sent out a statement and announced that former offensive lineman Rich Stephens has died at the age of 60.
“The Raiders Family is mourning the passing of Rich Stephens, who played in two seasons with the Silver and Black,” the Raiders’ statement read.
“… The thoughts of the entire Raider Nation are with Rich’s family at this time.”
The St. Louis native Stephens stood at 6-foot-7 and weighed 310 pounds as he played college football at Tulsa.
He would be a ninth-round pick by the Cincinnati Bengals in 1989 and play in the NFL for two seasons, both with the Raiders.
In 1993, he played 16 games with the Raiders.
During that campaign, the Raiders made the playoffs for the final time in Los Angeles.
Stephens then missed the 1994 season before appearing in 13 games in 1995.
The Missouri native’s last season in the NFL came in the first season of the Raiders’ second stint in Oakland.
The franchise went 8-8 and missed the playoffs.
The Raiders stayed in Oakland from 1995 until 2020, when they moved to Las Vegas.
Fans expressed their sorrow over the passing of Stephens on social media.
“RIP Rich,” one wrote.
“Rest up big man. Once a Raider always a Raider,” another commented.
NFL important dates 2025 season
March 12 – Free Agency begins
April 24-26 – NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin
September 4 – 2025 season opener (TBC vs Eagles)
November 27 – Thanksgiving Day triple header
January 4, 2026 – End of regular-season
February 8, 2026 – Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California
“Rest easy Uncle Rich,” a third said.
Before playing in the NFL, Stephens had a two-year stint with the Sacramento Surge of the World League of American Football, which is a developmental league that featured eight teams in the US and Canada and overseas teams.
Stephens was part of a Surge team that won a World Bowl title in 1992 before the league was suspended and restructured.
He would then join the Raiders.
“Rich was dearly loved within the Raiders Organization as his personality was a blessing to the morale and wellness of many,” his stlfuneral.com obituary reads.
