The Wisconsin high school football community continues to mourn the loss of former Crivitz star and Oakland Raiders legend, Pete Banaszak.
Banaszak, a bruising 5-foot-11, 210-pound running back who wore jersey No. 40 and went on to play 13 seasons with the Raiders, passed away on Oct. 24 at the age of 82.
Affectionately nicknamed “The Rooster” by his teammates and fans in honor of his tough, hard-nosed running style and ability to peck away at defenses to find the end zone, he played a key role in leading the Raiders to appearances in Super Bowl II (a 33-14 loss to the Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers in 1968) and Super Bowl XI (a 32-14 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1977).
Banaszak was a gifted, versatile four-sport athlete in the rural, small-town high school community of Crivitz (located in northeast Wisconsin), competing in football, track and field, basketball, and baseball.
High School Football
