Former Raiders coach Tom Flores’ Pro Football Hall of Fame presenter is a nod to Al Davis
Carol Davis, the wife of the late Raiders owner Al Davis, will present Tom Flores at the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday.
Davis will introduce Flores, 84, in a pre-taped speech.
“I had a short list and she wasn’t even on the list,” Flores said from his home in Palm Springs. “Al would’ve been on the top of the list. I was having trouble with the people on the list because I didn’t know who to pick and all of sudden Carol Davis’ name just came up and I said to my wife, ‘how about Carol?’ We both said yeah and my wife asked ‘do you think she will do it?’ I said let’s find out. She was overwhelmed and joyful.”
Flores said he called Carol Davis in June, but asked Raiders owner Mark Davis first to see if it would be OK.
“I didn’t want to do something without his permission,” Flores said. “He was thrilled and he thought it was the best thing ever.”
Al Davis hired Flores in 1979 after Flores served several years as an assistant coach under John Madden.
As a head coach, Flores led the Raiders to two Super Bowls. He had 97 victories as an NFL head coach, including an 83-53 run with the Raiders from 1979 to 1987.
Mark Davis will make the trip to Canton and will represent the Davis family and present Flores with the gold jacket on ‘Gold Jacket night’ and when the bust is unveiled on stage Sunday. The ceremony begins at 4 p.m. Sunday PDT.
Enshrinees for both classes have been asked to limit their remarks to six minutes. An “Academy Award-style” musical cue, if needed, would end each speech at 8 minutes.
The lineup of speeches by the Class of 2021: Drew Pearson, Flores, Peyton Manning, John Lynch, Calvin Johnson, Alan Faneca and Charles Woodson.
The Class of 2021 was announced in early February.
Flores said he will fly out to Canton with his family on Wednesday.
“An incredible journey,” Flores said. “And it’s still going.”
This story was originally published August 3, 2021 at 2:35 PM.
