John Vella, an offensive lineman who was a member of the Oakland Raiders team that won Super Bowl XI in 1977, has died at the age of 74.
The Raiders announced Vella’s death Wednesday [in a statement](https://www.raiders.com/news/raiders-mourn-passing-of-john-vella) on their website.
Vella joined the Raiders in 1972 after being drafted in the second round. Before joining the Raiders, Vella played at USC, where he earned consensus All-American honors in 1971.
The Raiders’ statement describes Vella as a “versatile performer and a ferocious competitor.” He made 48 starts and appeared in 92 games during his career. He played eight seasons with the Raiders before finishing his career with Minnesota in 1980.
Reports did not give a cause of death for Vella.