OAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders are seeing a deeper meaning in the pigeon who lined up alongside them last weekend.
During last Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, a pigeon stormed down the field alongside the Raiders' special teams unit. Several players have since stated that the extra star had to be Marquis Cooper, the Raiders linebacker who died in March in a tragic Florida boating accident.
"It kind of gives you a different perspective on things," Raiders running back Justin Fargas told Sacramento radio station KHTK. "It was definitely a strange event seeing that bird flying out there. It seemed comfortable on the football field and comfortable lying down there literally on special teams. It very well could have been Marquis."
Oakland offensive tackle Cornell Green said he was convinced the bird was his former teammate.
"That's Marquis," he told Santa Rosa's Press-Democrat. "That's the position he played (on kickoff)."
Cooper was only 26 when he died.
The Raiders are honoring him this season by wearing his No. 95 on their helmets.
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