Former Raiders Super Bowl champion Pete Banaszak dies at 82: Here’s more about his net worth, career and wife

Former Raiders running back Pete Banaszak had died at 82, the team announced on Saturday, October 24. Banaszak played 13 seasons for the team and was part of its Super Bowl-winning first squad.

The Raiders mourned the loss and released a statement saying, “The Raiders Family mourns the passing of Pete Banaszak, whole toughness, competitive spirit and dedication embodied a legendary era of Raiders football and made him a cherished member of the Silver and Black.”

Pete could have become a priest but his path led to football

As a child, Pete used to attend Packers games with his father who was an avid fan of the team, he then played football, basketball and was even on the track and field teams at the Crivitz High School as an honour roll student. While still at high school, Pete considered becoming a priest, going after his uncle and cousin who were both catholic priests.

However, he chose to attend college after getting scholarship offers for the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes. He finished his three year college football career with 263 carries for 1,107 yards. He was the MVP for the Hurricanes during his senior year.

Pete was then drafted into the AFL by the Oakland Raiders in 1966 as the overall 59th pick. In the NFL, he led the 1975 season with 16 rushing touchdowns. He went on to play 173 regular season games with the Raiders and played a major role in the ‘Holy Roller’, one of the most famous plays in NFL history. Pete won Super Bowl XI with the team and later retired after the 1978 season.

Pete was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1983. He was also inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 1990. This was an honour Pete considered to be the highlight of his career and was always proud of his Polish heritage.

Who is Pete survived by?

Pete was married to Sue Banaszak, with whom he shared two daughters, Rebecca and Amy. Pete also had three grandsons, Luke, Austin and Connor. Not much is known about Pete’s private and family life. The Raiders offered their condolences to Pete’s family and all who had known him.

Over the years he built an $11 million net worth

Outside of his football career, Pete also worked for Ryder and PEA Express during the offseasons, He also owned an oil bulk plant in Crivitz, Wisconsin. The plant was leased to a large oil company and he had several other land holdings in Wisconsin and Florida.

Pete was among several athletes who were severely financially impacted by the Technical Equities Corporation investment fraud in the 1980s. He also worked at Crowley Maritime in Oakland and later moved to Florida’s Ponte Vedra Beach with his wife Sue.

His earnings also came from the early 2000s radio game show “The Fifth Quarter” for the Jacksonville Jaguars, which he co-hosted with Cole Pepper. His net worth was reportedly close to $11 million. The cause of his death or any illnesses he had have not been disclosed yet.