After decades of waiting, former Los Angeles and Oakland Raiders head coach and quarterback, Tom Flores, has been voted a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Flores is one of 25 semifinalists that include fellow first-timers Champ Bailey, Tony Gonzalez, Ed Reed, and Zach Thomas.
Flores is a historic figure in the NFL. The 81-year-old made history when he became the first minority coach in the NFL as the leader on the sidelines for the Raiders. He led the silver and black to two Super Bowl titles as the head coach and one as an assistant under the legendary John Madden.
Once the list of semifinalists for the Hall of Fame was announced, Flores spoke exclusively with ClutchPoints about the honor of being voted to the final 25. He also talked about the new Jon Gruden-led regime and his thoughts on the future of quarterback Derek Carr.
Ryan Ward: How did you feel hearing the news about being named a Hall of Fame semifinalist for the first time?
Tom Flores: I was pleasantly surprised. I had a big smile on my face and probably had tears in my eyes. Just felt good because I've never gotten this far before. This is a first for me and hopefully not the last first. It's a step closer to reality, to the ultimate, which is getting to that last vote.
RW: Do you think this will be the year?
TF: I don't know. I really don't know. I've always wanted to get this far because I felt once you break and get to the final 25 obviously your chances improve quite a bit. Of course, the next vote is going to be even tougher. You can't get too high, but you got to get high because it is high.
I'm pretty honored to get this far. I've got a lot of support from people like yourself, and I really appreciate it. There's no way I can ever repay that other than if I do get there we'll have a big party.
RW: Have you been watching the Raiders this year?
TF: I've been at all the home games. I went to Denver. I went to Arizona. I might go to Kansas City. I'm not doing the radio anymore, but I don't want to go to the real far games. They get you.
RW: What are your thoughts on the Jon Gruden-led Raiders?
TF: Can let you know in two years? Two or three years. The program, the way it is now, whether they fell into it or had it planned all along, once they traded Khalil Mack, I said, ‘What the hell is going on here?' And then I see all the other stuff they're are doing. Cleaning out some contracts. Letting guys go that are making good money and going with just kids. 35 new faces on that squad Sunday. 35. 12 of them rookies.
Hopefully, those kids won't give up and play their asses off, so they can get better so they can be part of it if it does come to fruition and they replicate what the Cowboys did in 1990.
RW: Do you think Derek Carr is going to be part of the Raiders franchise after this year?
TF: I don't know. I really don't know if he can survive what's happening to him. He's getting killed.
I went through a season where we only won two games back in the early 60s, and the next season we only won one game. I didn't play that year. I was sick, and I survived, and we came back the following year at 10-4. Then we were on our way to at least being competitive.
It's not easy for a quarterback, especially when you're going to hear the negative parts a lot because the team isn't winning.
RW: Since you did experience this. What goes through a quarterback's mind in a situation like this?
TF: Derek is a very positive guy. A very competitive guy. I think sometimes even tries to do too much. He's not a kid anymore. He can tell what's going on.
If his [offensive] line hadn't got a beat up, they would be protecting him better. That's one thing they have done in the past. They just got beat up, and they have two rookie tackles and a beat up interior. They can't protect him all the time like they have.
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