Former Oakland Raiders running back Pete Banaszak has died at 82, Fox News reported. If you only know him as a name attached to a famous play, this is the short version of why Raiders fans hold him so close: he showed up in the biggest moments, whether or not he was the headliner.
What Fox News reported
Per Fox News, Banaszak scored twice in the Raiders' Super Bowl XI victory over the Vikings. That game was the franchise's first Super Bowl win. Fox also noted his role in the "Holy Roller" play, one of the most debated plays in NFL history, and revisited his record-setting 1975 season.
Those are the pillars of his legacy: a championship, a big-game performance, a standout year and a place in one of the league's strangest moments.
Why he fits the "cult hero" mold
Some players are remembered because of stat lines. Others are remembered because the moment found them. Based on the details Fox News highlighted, Banaszak sits in that second group. That framing is our read, not a claim from the report, but the evidence is hard to ignore: two scores on the sport's biggest stage, and a connection to a play fans still argue about decades later.
That is how role players become part of a franchise's identity. Stars define an era's talent. Players like Banaszak define its texture, the people you think of when you tell the stories.
Super Bowl XI: the two touchdowns
Banaszak's two scores came in the Raiders' win over the Vikings, the team's first championship in the Super Bowl era. Two touchdowns in a title game is a résumé line that does not fade. For a team with a long list of famous names from the 1970s, having your name in the scoring column of the franchise's first Super Bowl win guarantees a spot in the conversation.
The 1975 season
Fox News pointed to his record-setting 1975 season. The details in our reporting are limited, but the report headline number is 16 touchdowns, a total that still stands out when you look back at that year. If you want to explore his career further, 1975 is the best single season to start with.
The Holy Roller, explained
The "Holy Roller" is the play most closely linked to Banaszak outside the Super Bowl. Fox News described it as infamous, and that word fits: it is remembered as much for the controversy as for the result. I am not going to retell the mechanics beyond what Fox reported, since the details matter and are worth reading from a full, reliable account. What you can take away is this: Banaszak was a key figure in it, and the play remains a fixture of Raiders lore and of arguments about how football is officiated and played.
How to remember him well
- Start with Super Bowl XI. Find the game and watch the Raiders' scoring drives to see his impact.
- Look up the 1975 season. Check the touchdown totals and game logs from a trusted stats archive.
- Read about the Holy Roller from several sources. It is a play people still argue over, so compare accounts and note where opinion enters.
The takeaway
Pete Banaszak's career is a reminder that football history is not written only by starters and stars. If you want to honor him, watch his Super Bowl XI touchdowns, then dig into the Holy Roller story and decide for yourself why it still gets people talking.
