Raider Camp : Greg Pruitt Retires at 34 Due to an Injured Knee

Greg Pruitt, who broke the National Football League record for punt-return yardage in a season at age 32 but had his problems at 33, retired Friday at 34.

Raider Coach Tom Flores said the move had nothing to do with Pruitt’s succession of drops last season, but with a bad knee.

“It just had to do with the fact our doctors thought they couldn’t pass him on his physical (examination),” Flores said. “Actually, it’ll go down on paper as him failing the physical.

“As a player, he helped us win for the last three years and he was a great player before that. We’ll miss his leadership. . . . He was a great leader for the younger players.

“He’d had a staple removed from his knee, from an injury he received years ago. It just didn’t come around to the point our doctors could pass him totally.”

Pruitt was the Heisman Trophy runner-up as a senior at Oklahoma, then earned four Pro Bowl berths in nine years with the Cleveland Browns. He had three straight 1,000-yard seasons and barely missed a fourth, finishing at 960 after missing the last four games with a groin injury.

His career rushing average was 4.7 yards a carry. His 13,264 all-purpose yards put him sixth in the NFL behind Jim Brown, Walter Payton, Franco Harris, O.J. Simpson and Bobby Mitchell.

Acquired by the Raiders, he earned a fifth Pro Bowl selection in 1983, when he returned punts for 668 yards, an NFL record. He returned one 97 yards for a touchdown against the Redskins, setting the Raider record.

Marcus Allen and Todd Christensen were late arrivals Thursday because they were discussing contract re-negotiations. Christensen agreed to a four-year, $2.5-million contract.

Allen and his agent, Ed Hookstratten, met with managing general partner Al Davis, and were reported to have reached an agreement in principle on a four-year, $3.5-million contract.

Flores, however, would only say: “I have no comment on Marcus, whether he’s signed or not.”

Was Allen in camp to stay?

“I can’t say that either,” Flores said. “He’s under contract for this year, anyway. What he told me was, ‘I feel like I should be there, so I’ll be there.’ That’s the type of guy he is.”

Raider Notes Linebacker Bob Nelson, who is in camp, hasn’t signed his contract, either, and didn’t practice, according to league rules. He did attend meetings. . . . Bruce Davis, excused to take care of his wife, who is ill, hasn’t arrived. Everyone else has and participated in a light afternoon drill. Two-a-days will start today.