I remember playing football in the front yard of the house as a little lad. Those words, “Go deep I hit you,” as I break out of the blocks like track star after hearing the word hike like a starter’s pistol. I’d be sprinting on a go route, a fly pattern grammar school football called it in the play book. My father, brother, or one of my friends would heave the ball in the air trying to hit me in stride. Sometimes it looked the way it was drawn up in the dirt of the grass or diagramming the play from the quarterback’s fingers on his shirt. Sometimes the ball would be off or a dropped pass occurred. Even running into a tree may have ended the afternoon of fun. As a kid I’d be watching the Bears’ Jim McMahon on a broken play chuck the ball down the field hitting wide receiver Willie Gault, who had blazing speed on a big play. Before the 1980’s, and probably still the best in the business at throwing the bomb maybe of all-time in the professional football game, was quarterback Daryle Lamonica who wore the Raiders bonnet and played in the 1960’s early 1970’s.

Daryle Lamonica played college ball at the University of Notre Dame who was Fresno, California native. In 1963, Lamonica was drafted by two teams to play professional football. The Green Bay Packers of the NFL (National Football League) and the Buffalo Bills of the AFL (American Football League.) Lamonica chose Buffalo out of the two coldest places to play in both leagues. This was before the NFL and AFL merged in 1970. Lamonica played in the cold for the fighting Irish so he would adapt. In Buffalo, Lamonica’s talents were wasted as the back-up QB to one of the Bills greats in Jack Kemp. In 4 seasons, Lamonica would go 4-0 as a starter for the Bills as he did play in 56 games and threw 16 touchdown passes but had 23 interceptions. Bills would eventually trade Lamonica to the Oakland Raiders in 1967. After 4 games in the black and silver in 196,7 Lamonica would earn the nickname of the Mad Bomber.

The Raiders would use Daryle Lamonica’s strength which was his arm in their offense to create a passing attack style instead mostly running the ball while relying on the defense. The Mad Bomber would strike on 30 touchdown passes in 1967. Daryle Lamonica’s powerful arm would lead the Raiders to a 13-1 regular season record as he completed 220 passes out of 425 attempts for 3,228 yards which earned him his first MVP award. In 1969 Lamonica threw 34 touchdown passes which today is still a Raider record. In the same year, the Mad Bomber led the league in every notable quarterback stat category and earned his second MVP award. The Mad Bomber led the Raiders to their first ever Superbowl when the NFL and AFL emerged into one league. Lamonica would face the team he did not pick in 1963 as the Raiders would lose to the Green Bay Packers in Superbowl II, 33-14. The Mad Bomber would never make it back to another Superbowl. The Mad Bomber did have the Raiders making the playoffs 7 out of the 8 seasons behind center in Oakland. Five of those seasons for Head Coach John Madden.

Everyone will remember the famous Heidi game that Daryle Lamonica was a part of. Many would not see the Heidi game. In 1968 the Mad Bomber led one of the best comebacks at the time as he threw 4 touchdown passes versus the Jets. The game went longer than expected, and NBC switched over to the movie, Heidi, with one minute remaining in the game. The Raiders and Lamonica would win that game and many viewers would not able to see the ending. Like a cliff hanger, ‘tune into the same time next week same bat channel same bat television’ for the conclusion of the Mad Bomber and the caped crusader.

Daryle Lamonica would play in 151 games behind center for the Bills and Raiders in 12 seasons. The Mad Bomber played when you could hit the quarterback without drawing a flag. During the time where defenders could clothesline you to bring you down. Hit you high & hit you low. Lamonica only completed 49% of his passes for his entire career which these days of the NFL would be frowned upon. The Mad Bomber was a gunslinger. No question about that as he threw 164 touchdown passes while getting intercepted 138 times. The Mad Bomber passed for 19,154 yards during those 12 seasons. Lamonica can be compared to Justin Herbert because both can throw the deep ball well. These days in the NFL it’s yards after the catch hitting receiver in stride and hoping he breaks it for a big gainer. The Mad Bomber would launch a pass in the air that went 30 to 40 yards before hitting the target down the sideline in stride. Former Bengal Jeff Blake threw a nice long ball in his days playing for the Bengals.

“Go deep, I hit you,” is not done very often any more in the game of football. Many quarterbacks don’t even attempt that kind of pass in present times. The Mad Bomber perfected this pass play. Lamonica did win games so you can compare him to Jimmy Garoppolo as a guy who found a way to win the games at the end of regulation. Lamonica’s winning percentage behind center was very Garoppolo-like as he finished with a 66-16-6 record as a starter. Maybe not always pretty, but effective. I was not alive to watch Daryle Lamonica play. Only when watching the highlights and reading about him did I become a fan. The Mad Bomber unfortunately passed away this week at the age of 80. Daryle Lamonica may have one of the best nicknames of all-time in the sports world as the Mad Bomber. Just a perfect nickname for a guy who wore the silver and black most of his career. I think the Mad Bomber’s stats would have been better if he played during present times. I like the fact that he stayed on the field during the time where defenses were out for blood. Daryle Lamonica will always be a legend as fathers and son’s to this day still say, “Go deep, I hit you” in the front yard on a brisk autumn day with the leaves changing colors.