Prostate cancer takes Ben Davidson's life at 72

-by Ryan Ebert

Former Raiders head coach John Madden on KCBS-AM radio in San Francisco reported that Raiders defensive end Ben Davidson has died.  He died of prostate cancer Monday night at the age of 72.

In eleven years in the NFL Davidson was first drafted out of Washington by the Giants in 1961.  He first played in the NFL with the Packers.  Before his time in Oakland he spent two years with the Redskins.

Davidson had a physical play, a raspy voice, and his distinctive mustache which helped create the image for Al Davis' Raiders in the 1960s.  The defensive end made the Pro Bowl three straight years between 1966 through 1968.

"We'll miss him," Raiders owner Mark Davis told CSN Bay Area on Tuesday. "He was larger than life and a wonderful human being."

While with the Raiders Davidson made the playoffs including the team that lost to the Packers in Super Bowl II.

"He was a tough, gutsy ballplayer, team oriented with enough meanness in him to be feared and enough talent to be effective," former Raiders teammate Tom Flores told the Associated Press.

"He was just a big, tall, skinny guy that (Al) Davis took a chance with," Flores said. "He was able to rush the passer and worked hard to get bigger and stronger, with the character and personality. He was always that way."

After he retired Davidson made a career playing in movies such as "M-A-S-H", "Conan the Barbarian, "Necessary Roughness" and played himself in Miller Lite ads.

He has left behind a family that includes his wife Kathy, and three daughters Jan, Dana, and Vicki.