Raiders’ legend Tom Flores on what entering the Hall of Fame would mean to him

Yahoo Sports’ Senior NFL Writer Terez Paylor catches up with the 4-Time Super Bowl Champion and Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist. Flores looks back on his time with the Silver and Black, including his relationship with legendary Raiders owner and coach Al Davis, and his influence on current NFL head coaches Ron Rivera and Brian Flores. Coach Flores has partnered with Coors Light to help lobby to be the first Latino quarterback and head coach to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. As part of this effort, Tom will be featured on limited-edition beer cans. Fans can visit coorslight.com/Iceman where they can sign a petition of support and get free beer to toast Coach Flores’ barrier-breaking legacy.

Video Transcript

- We're here with legendary Raiders coach, Tom Flores. And Coach, you're here on behalf of Coors Light, so you know, I definitely ask you about that in a second. But first of all, how are you doing today?

- I'm doing great, Terez. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

- You know, one of the things that you did help lay the groundwork for other Latino coaches in this league, and two of them have had a lot of success this season. I got a statement from Ron Rivera from my first story with you saying, you're somebody who inspired him to climb the ladder. I mean, also Brian Flores, who's Black Latino of Honduran descent. Both those guys have had success this season. What does it mean to you to watch them thrive and really do a nice job this season?

- Well, it's exciting. You know, it's always you-- you take-- your chest puffs up a little bit more when-- especially when the guy's name is Flores, and then say, well, look at th-- and I'll tell you, both of them have come a long way since the start of the season. Ron Rivera has beaten the illness that he had, and Brian Flores, he had a plan, and he stayed the course. He took some chances, and for a young coach to take those kind of chances, it's pretty admirable, but so I think it's just great. I think it's great that they-- they both have come a long way. They're both very proud of their background, and they're quiet. They're-- I kind of like that in a coach. That's the way I was. Yeah.

- I do want to talk a little about your coaching style, too, because you follow another legend in John Madden. What was the key to making it work under Al Davis? Because Madden said it was a good job because you worked directly with your boss, right, but there were other aspects of working with now that could be challenging if you didn't know how to navigate it. So what was the secret to working with Al Davis?

- Well, the secret-- one of the secrets was knowing Al. I knew him well because I played for him also. He became one of my good friends, to the very day that he died. He was a dear friend, and Al was not for everybody. John will tell you that, I'll tell you that because he was not-- you lo-- you're laughing because you know some of these stories-- that we can't talk about some of the stories, but he was not easy to work for. But he was-- when you turned around, he was right there working with you. That's what you admired about him. You knew what he was talking about. Sometimes, you know, you question is, well, whoa whoa. But in the long run, it turned out to be the right thing to do, or the right direction to go.

- You're on the precipice of reaching the Hall of Fame, the Senior Committee has put your name forth. And you will be the first Latino quarterback and head coach to be inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame, Coach Flores. How much would that mean to you, man?

- Well, that would mean a lot. I would mean a lot. Being the first is important, but just getting there. Getting to that-- in that room, with all those busts and all the former players that I played with and coached and I hung out with and ever watched and admired through the years. I mean, it's such a thrill. I mean, it's awesome when you think about it. I'm very proud of it. I'm very proud of my ethnic background, and I wish my mom and dad were here to share this moment, or my brother, but if I do get there, it's going to be-- I'm going to celebrate. I'm going to drink a Coors. You know, Coors Light is sponsoring this campaign. You know, they're behind me, and I really admire what they've done and how they're trying to help me get in the Hall, and Terez, if you go coorslight.com/iceman, you can learn a lot more about Coors Light, and you can also get some free beer.

- All right, Coach Flores. Thank you so much for your time. Have a good day. We'll talk to you later.

- You got it.