F. Wayne Valley, one of the founders...

F. Wayne Valley, one of the founders of the Oakland Raiders and a pioneer in the American Football League, died of cancer in Piedmont, Calif. He was 72.

Valley, who died Thursday, was discharged Wednesday from St. Mary’s Hospital in San Francisco, where he was treated for cancer during the last seven weeks, according to Gladys Valley, his wife of 45 years.

Valley headed a construction company that built more than 25,000 homes in California.

He was one of the eight men who founded the Raiders in 1959. He won control of the organization in 1960 by the flip of a coin. He remained as managing general partner until 1976, when he sold his interest after a bitter court fight with Al Davis, the current managing general partner.