Marv Hubbard, one of football's greatest running backs from the early 1970s will be in Carson City Saturday as special guest for an NFL Draft Day Party hosted by the Carson City Raiders Booster Club.
A first-ever event, the Draft Day Party offers the opportunity for all football fans to watch the draft on TV and meet a former NFL player, who will add commentary to the day's events.
"When I was going through the draft, teams drafted more people then than they do now," said Hubbard. "Thirty as compared to seven. Now teams can bring in free agents and then try to weed out others.
"In my day you didn't know where you were going when you got drafted. The high draft choices today, because of the media analyzing the draft to death, they pretty much know where they're going."
Hubbard was drafted out of Colgate University in 1968 by the Oakland Raiders. At the time, he had no idea where Oakland was. He was cut by the Raiders in his first year and played one year with a semi-pro team, the Hartford Knights, who were the 1968 Atlantic Coast Football League Champions. Hubbard was offered a contract by the Knights.
"Then Al Davis came up with this deal and I went back to the Raiders, because of two 1-year contracts I signed when I was drafted.
"So I headed back to Oakland and thought, 'Oh, I won't make the team,' but I ended up making the team. The Oakland fans of the '70s were some of the best fans that existed in the NFL. You could hang out with them at a pizza joint, bar, a nice restaurant, just about anywhere. It was a wonderful place to play.
"Nowadays, players make so much money there's a lot of pressure on them to perform or they're gone. And when you play with players year after year, you develop an affinity for them and the team plays better. The only player with any extended time on a team now is the quarterback, if he's lucky."
Hubbard keeps in contact with many former and current players as president of the Oakland Raiders Alumni Association. He continues to live in the Bay Area with his wife, Virginia.
- Hubbard's stats (Career)* - can go in small print in box
Hubbard was the Raiders rushing leader for years in a row: 1971-74. He was inducted into Football's Hall of Fame's 1000-Yard Club in Canton, Ohio in 1972 as a result of establishing a new Raiders rushing record in 1971 of 1,100 yards on 220 carries, an average of 5 yards per carry. This became an all-time Raiders career average rush-per-attempt record of 4.97 yards per carry.
Career stats - 5,544 yards rushing; 1,019 carries; 1,108 yards receiving; 102 receptions; 33 touchdowns. Drafted in 1968 from Colgate University by the Oakland Raiders. Played with the Raiders from 1969-77; Selected to Pro-Bowl 1971, '72, '73; Played on seven AFC Western Division Championship teams 1969, 1970, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, and 1976 AFC Conference Championship team as an Oakland Raiders; member of 1977 World Champion Oakland Raiders Super Bowl team; traded to the Detroit Lions in 1977, retired in 1978.
What: NFL Draft Day Party
When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 15
Where: Big Al's Good Time Pizza, 230 Fairview Dr., across from Office Depot
Special Guest: Former Oakland Raiders Running Back Marv Hubbard
Cost: $10 donation (includes free autographed color 8x10 photo of Hubbard, 1 free raffle ticket and up to three personal items autographed) Children under 12 are free