Raiders RB Banaszak, part of famed ‘Holy Roller,’ dies

/ Las Vegas Review-Journal

October 24, 2026 - 2:46 pm

Raiders legend Pete Banaszak, who holds the franchise record with 16 rushing touchdowns in 1975, has died at the age of 82.

Banaszak spent his entire 13-year career with the Raiders and was part of the Super Bowl XI championship team, scoring two touchdowns in the win over the Vikings.

“The Rooster” was also the player who first appeared to try to recover Ken Stabler’s fumble before knocking it forward for Dave Casper to recover in the end zone on the famed “Holy Roller” play that beat the Chargers in 1978.

“The deepest condolences of the entire Raider Nation are with Pete’s wife Sue, daughters Rebecca and Amy, grandsons Luke, Austin, and Connor, and all of his loved ones,” a statement from the Raiders read. “(His) toughness, competitive spirit and dedication embodied a legendary era of Raiders football and made him a cherished member of the Silver and Black.”

The Wisconsin native, who was a fifth-round pick out of Miami in the 1966 AFL Draft, was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. He is also in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame.

From the source Contact Adam Hill at [email protected]. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.