Post by TheShadow on Feb 3, 2006 21:43:55 GMT -5
www.raiders.com
Defensive lineman Dave Stalls only played a little more than a season with
the Raiders, but his time in Silver and Black was certainly memorable for
him and Raiders fans. He was a part of the 1983 team which posted a 12-4
regular season and dominated the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl
XVIII.
We had a chance to catch up with Dave for our Whatever Happened to...
series.
Q: When did you start playing football?
Dave Stalls: Wow! It was in the ninth grade. I had just moved to Ohio from
Wisconsin and there wasn’t any ice for me to play on there. I needed to find
a violent sport to play. They worship the pigskin game in Ohio.
Q: How did you become a Raider?
Dave Stalls: I spent three years as a Cowboy and won a Super Bowl with them.
I got traded to Tampa Bay and played five and a half years with them and
became the team’s player rep. During the strike year, I decided that I would
sign a contract with the USFL’s Denver Gold. Tampa Bay management was not
happy that I did that so they released me. In the fall 1983, someone from
the Raiders gave me a call and invited me to try out. I made the team and we
ended up winning Super Bowl XVIII that year.
Q: What did it mean for you to wear the Silver and Black?
Dave Stalls: Oh man; it was unbelievable! It was the legacy of the uniform.
Putting on the Silver and Black jersey and pants, walking down the tunnel,
man it was amazing. I have never felt anything like that before. Not when I
was in Dallas, not when I was in Tampa. When I put on that uniform, I felt
that I was the baddest [expletive deleted] on the planet. When I put that
helmet on, there was an unspoken animal aggression with my teammates to
focus on the job. If the other team crosses the line, we’d double the
return. It was trained violent behavior, which ultimately has helped me in
life outside of football.
Q: What is your greatest memory from playing with the Raiders?
Dave Stalls: It was the camaraderie. I just remember stretching before games
with Howie Long, Lyle Alzado, Greg Townsend, Reggie Kinlaw and the rest of
the defense. Most of us were pretty quiet, but not Long and Alzado. The two
of them would talk about what they had been doing the night before, and how
each guy would try to outdo the other. The rest of us would freak out
hearing what they had been doing. It was great.
Thursdays were nights that we called “camaraderie night.” The whole team
would go every single Thursday for beer and baskets of fires and onion
rings. It was just known by the team that Thursday nights is “camaraderie
night.” I miss that the most.
Q: Is there any one moment or play that stands out from your career?
Dave Stalls: You know what? I hardly remember any games or plays. I only
remember what it was like to be a Raider. I remember a week after we had won
Super Bowl XVIII, I had to go to training camp for the USFL team which I had
signed with. I played one year in the USFL and stopped football after that
because I had been accepted to Veterinary School. Mr. Davis would actually
call me and see how I was doing in school, but more importantly, we would
ask me if I would return and play. He made me feel strong. I loved him and I
still do. I ended up dropping out of Veterinary School and returning for the
1985 season. I don’t know if I lost a step or what, but I wasn’t the same
player. Four games into the 1985 season I was released.
Q: Do you keep in contact with any of your former teammates?
Dave Stalls: I have not. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken with anybody. I
never really socialized a lot with football players after the NFL. I was not
a big drinker, and after football I got involved with other things.
Q: Which team did you enjoy playing the most?
Dave Stalls: It didn’t matter. We were the biggest game of the year for
every team that we played against. We had to always be pumped and ready.
When the schedule came out at the beginning of the year, everyone would
circle the day the played against us.
Q: Did you have a nickname while you played?
Dave Stalls: Horse Blood. Howie Long gave me that nickname. One day I was
wearing a pair of shoes that were not too stylish and they had some spots on
them. Howie asked me why I hadn’t cleaned them, and I told him that horse
blood is hard to wash of shoes. He didn’t call me that too often, but
whenever he would get mad at me he would.
Q: Do you still attend any Raider games?
Dave Stalls: No. I would not be able to take it. There is no way I can sit
in the stands and watch a Raider game. After I retired I stood on the
sidelines a couple of times, but not now. No way.
Q: What are you doing now?
Dave Stalls: After I retired I spent 10-11 years running a youth center for
gang members between the ages of 14-24 years old. About two years ago I
started to become involved with the Big Brothers – Big Sisters program. This
is a mentoring program also dealing with the rehabilitation and assistance
of kids between the ages of 7-17 who are trying to avoid being in gangs, or
trying to get out of gangs. It is a mentoring program that tries to help
kids get a little advantage in life. We are continuously helping kids in the
Colorado area to get control of their lives and help them in any way we can.
I would love for any former or current players to get a hold of me and
become involved with this program if they want. They can reach me through
the Raiders Public Relations department. It really is an amazing thing to be
involved with.
Q: Are they any messages you would like to pass along to the Raider Fans?
Dave Stalls: The Silver and Black is real.