Joining the dark side — six Chiefs who became Raiders

ALAMEDA — So the Raiders have reportedly agreed to terms with a player from their most long-standing rival to play inside linebacker.

Derrick Johnson is the latest to join the dark side.

One of the things that makes Raiders vs. Chiefs special are the ties between the two franchises, original members of the American Football League. (The Chiefs began as the Dallas Texans before moving to Kansas City in 1963).

While it’s true late Raiders owner Al Davis had no great love for the Hunt family, who owned the Chiefs, he was close friends with Hank Stram, the former Kansas City coach who for a time after his retirement served as a preseason television announcer for the Raiders.

Both franchises were at the forefront of AFL teams which brought in talent from historically black colleges that the NFL ignored.

Here are six players who relocated from the Chiefs to the Raiders:

Rich Gannon

People wondered what the Raiders were thinking when Jon Gruden convinced Davis that Gannon was what he needed to get his team up and running.

Gannon was 34, a career backup for the most part — sitting behind Steve Bono and then Elvis Grbac in Kansas City — and talented starter Jeff George had the downfield arm Davis loved.

All Gannon did was win three division titles, a Most Valuable Player award in 2002 and play the biggest role of any player in the closest thing to sustained success the Raiders have had since they returned to Oakland in 1995.

Gannon played for the Raiders until injuring his neck on a tackle by Derrick Brooks in 2003.

John Matuszak

The No. 1 overall pick out of Tampa by the Houston Oilers in 1973, Matuszak was traded after one season to Kansas City after a single season because of both his hard-partying ways and the fact he signed a contract with the rival World Football League.

The Chiefs tried of his act and Matuszak was sent packing to Washington in 1975, where he was promptly released.

It wasn’t until Matuszak arrived in Oakland that he found a team that could accept his borderline out-of-control behavior. He played for the Raiders through 1981, participating on two Super Bowl championship games (XI, XV).

Andre Rison

The well-traveled Rison delivered one of the most painful touchdowns to the Raiders in the history of the rivalry in 1997 when he caught a 33-yard touchdown pass from Grbac in the final minute of a 28-27 come-from-behind win on Monday Night Football.

Head coach Joe Bugel locked himself in his office and the Raiders ended up being fined $25,000 for violating the league’s media policy.

After being released by the Chiefs in 2000, the Raiders brought him aboard and he became a solid complement to Tim Brown with 41 receptions for 606 yards six touchdowns.

Albert Lewis

One of the NFL’s top cornerbacks from 1983 to 1993 with the Chiefs, Lewis joined the Raiders in 1994, their final season in Los Angeles. He played his final 75 games with the Raiders, switching to free safety in his final season at Gruden’s behest.

That year, at age 38, Lewis had the longest interception return for a touchdown in his NFL career — 74 yards.

When Rison scored his game-winning touchdown in 1997 against the Raiders and Bugel closed the locker room, it was Lewis who was sent to the podium to try and make sense of it all.

Harvey Williams

A first-round draft pick out of LSU by the Chiefs in 1991, Williams never ascended to full-time status as a running back under Marty Schottenheimer, playing behind Barry ToWord, Christian Okoye and finally exiled Raider Marcus Allen in 1993.

That changed in 1994, when Williams had 983 yards rushing and 47 receptions in the Raiders final season in Los Angeles. When the team returned to Oakland the following season, Williams had a career high 1,114 yards with nine touchdowns and 54 recepteions.

Williams never again enjoyed that production, but in 1998, played his final season under Gruden and bestowed the nickname “Chucky” on the head coach after the murderous movie doll.

Tom Flores

Trick question in that Flores was a Raider who became a Chief and then a Raider again as head coach.

Flores started 66 games for the Raiders from 1960 through 1966 until he was traded by Davis to Buffalo along with wide receiver Art Powell for strong-armed reserve quarterback Daryle Lamonica.

Lamonica evolved into the “Mad Bomber” in Oakland while Flores was sent to the Chiefs after two seasons in Buffalo. Flores was a reserve behind Len Dawson and won a Super Bowl ring following the 1969 season.

Flores became an assistant coach under John Madden, later took over as head coach and won Super Bowl rings as an assistant (XI) and as a head coach (XV, XVIII).

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