PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAIDERS : Golic Was Hurting While Watching

Defensive lineman Bob Golic has only missed one game since his rookie season 14 years ago. And that was because of an injury.

He missed another Sunday. He wasn’t hurt. Not physically.

But he was hurting emotionally after Coach Art Shell decided to leave him on the sidelines as the Raiders lost to the Dallas Cowboys, 28-13, at the Coliseum.

Asked about his feelings after not playing, Golic, 35, he was honest.

“It’s killing me,” he said. “I hate it. I hate standing on the sidelines. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Football is my life.”

Shell said he left Golic, a specialist in run defense, out because the Raiders wanted to go with an aggressive pass rush.

Their run defense, however, collapsed, allowing the Cowboys’ Emmitt Smith to rush for 152 yards and three touchdowns.

Does Golic think that perhaps the Raiders feel his best days are over?

“I’ve always been self-critical and fairly honest with myself,” he said. “I think I can still play.”