Dave Dalby
Encyclopedia
David Merle Dalby was a former American football
center
.
, all with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
from 1972 to 1985, replacing Hall-of-Famer Jim Otto
as the starting
center when the latter retired after the 1974 season. From 1975 to 1985 as the starting center, Dalby was a part of sterling offensive lines which culminated in 3 Raider Super Bowl
victories: Super Bowl XI
, Super Bowl XV
, and Super Bowl XVIII
. During that 1975-1985 window, the Raiders reached the playoffs 8 times (1975 to 1977, 1980, 1982 to 1985). Dalby played in that 1975 to 1985 span next to Hall-of-Famer Gene Upshaw
, Curt Marsh
, and Charley Hannah
at left guard with George Buehler
and Mickey Marvin
at right guard. He was selected to the Pro Bowl
once, after the 1977 season
. After his retirement, he was replaced as the starting center in 1986 by Don Mosebar
. Dalby never missed a single game in 14 years. He was only the second starting center in franchise history after Jim Otto
's retirement in 1974.
, Dalby died in an accident 17 years after retiring from football, when his van hit a tree.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
.
College
Dalby played for UCLA, where he became part of their All-Century team as center. Dalby also is a member of the UCLA Hall of Fame.Raiders
Dalby played 14 seasons in the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, all with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1972 to 1985, replacing Hall-of-Famer Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
as the starting
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
center when the latter retired after the 1974 season. From 1975 to 1985 as the starting center, Dalby was a part of sterling offensive lines which culminated in 3 Raider Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
victories: Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI
Super Bowl XI was a football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV
Super Bowl XV was an American football game played on January 25, 1981 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1980 regular season...
, and Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII
Super Bowl XVIII was an American football game played on January 22, 1984, at Tampa Stadium in Tampa, Florida, deciding the National Football League champion following the 1983 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Los Angeles Raiders defeated the National Football Conference...
. During that 1975-1985 window, the Raiders reached the playoffs 8 times (1975 to 1977, 1980, 1982 to 1985). Dalby played in that 1975 to 1985 span next to Hall-of-Famer Gene Upshaw
Gene Upshaw
Eugene Thurman Upshaw, Jr. was an American football player for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League and later the NFL, later the executive director of the National Football League Players' Association...
, Curt Marsh
Curt Marsh
Curt Marsh is a former American football offensive tackle. He was selected in the first round by the Oakland Raiders out of the University of Washington in the 1981 NFL Draft. Marsh was a High School All-American at Snohomish High School in Snohomish WA. Marsh played for the Raiders through 1987...
, and Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah
Charley Hannah is a former American football offensive guard and defensive end who played in the National Football League from 1977 to 1988. Charley played six years for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and six years for the Los Angeles Raiders...
at left guard with George Buehler
George Buehler
George Siegrist Buehler, Jr. is a former American football offensive lineman in the American Football League and the National Football League.-High school career:...
and Mickey Marvin
Mickey Marvin
Mickey Marvin is a former professional American football player. After attending the University of Tennessee, Marvin played in the National Football League for 11 seasons, from 1977 to 1987, as an offensive guard with the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders...
at right guard. He was selected to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
once, after the 1977 season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
. After his retirement, he was replaced as the starting center in 1986 by Don Mosebar
Don Mosebar
Donald Mosebar is a retired American Football Center.-College career:Mosebar was an All-American offensive lineman in 1982 at the University of Southern California and drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders....
. Dalby never missed a single game in 14 years. He was only the second starting center in franchise history after Jim Otto
Jim Otto
James Edwin Otto is a former Professional Football center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League.-Wausau High School and University of Miami:...
's retirement in 1974.
Death
As reported by the Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, Dalby died in an accident 17 years after retiring from football, when his van hit a tree.