Former Raiders LB Jack Squirek dies at 64

Former Raiders linebacker Jack Squirek died Friday after battling an illness, the team announced. He was 64 years old. Squirek’s comeback in Super Bowl XVIII remains one of the most iconic plays in NFL history. He caught a pass from Joe Theismann to Joe Washington and returned it 12 yards to give the Raiders a 21-3 lead and a 38-9 victory. The Squirrel’s run into the end zone became one of Sports Illustrated’s most memorable covers.
The Raiders drafted Squirek with a second-round pick out of Illinois in 1982, and he played 53 games with the team before finishing his career with five seasons in Miami. Played in 55 career games, starting 8.
“The thoughts and deepest condolences of Raider Nation go out to the Squirek family at this time,” the Raiders said in a statement.