Dan Conners, the first draft pick Al Davis ever signed for the Oakland Raiders died in San Luis Obispo on April 28 according to an obituary submitted to this newspaper. He was 78.
Born in Clearfield, Pennsylvania, Conners earned a scholarship to the University of Miami. There he started for three seasons, and was voted All-American as a senior in 1963.
At a time when the established NFL and the upstart AFL were battling to sign college seniors, Conners was drafted by both leagues — in the fifth round by the NFL Chicago Bears and in the second round by the Raiders.