INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Wayne Mabry’s boyhood obsession with knights in shining armor would one day transform him into one of the most iconic figures to rock the Raiders.
Mabry, better known as "The Violator," went from a Mississippi kid that loved football and knights to one of the NFL’s most iconic superfans. On gameday Sundays in Las Vegas he sits in the Black Hole terrorizing opposing teams.
His dedication earned a spot in the Ford Hall of Fans in 2021 in Canton, Ohio. The honor, he said, was even more special because he was inducted alongside Raiders legends Charles Woodson and Tom Flores, who were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“That’s what I call Raiders trifecta," Mabry said. "We'll never see it again."
His induction was orchestrated by another Raiders Hall of Famer, Howie Long, who surprised Mabry at his home with a camera crew. Long informed him he had been nominated for the Hall of Fans, which left Mabry in disbelief.
“When Howie Long shows up at your house," Mabry said, "you know something serious is going down.”
Humble beginnings
Mabry’s love for the team began in 1970, when he was just 12 years old.
Sitting in front of the TV in his hometown of Mound Bayou, he stumbled upon a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and a team he had never seen before—one dressed in silver and black.
“I saw them as knights,” Mabry said. “The shield on the helmet, the swords, the one-eyed pirate — I fell in love right then.”
As a fan, Mabry embraced the Raiders’ rough-and-tumble image but it wasn’t until he moved to California in 1977 that his fandom took on a new dimension. Though he had yet to see the Raiders play in person, that changed when the team relocated to Los Angeles in 1982.
Mabry vividly remembers standing in the peristyle end of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum at his first game.
“I was pinching myself," he said. "It was like a dream come true."
That experience planted the seeds for what would become his alter ego — "The Violator." But the persona wasn’t a character Mabry invented on a whim.
“'The Violator' is my personality every day,” he said. “When I put the war paint on, it’s just me showing the world what I feel inside.”
The transformation
For more than 30 years, Mabry undergoes what he calls a transformation into his costume — a mix of pirate, knight and football warrior—to every Raiders game he can attend. The process takes about two hours every Sunday.
“It’s all passion-driven,” Mabry said. “It’s like hitting a switch.
His face is painted in stark black and white war paint, with bold strokes cutting across his features, transforming him into a fierce and imposing figure.
The makeup mirrors the Raiders' silver and black color scheme, accentuating his warrior-like persona and his outfit is just as iconic.
Adorned in spikes, chains and silver-plated armor, Mabry becomes an embodiment of the Raider Nation’s rebellious image.
Even his movements seem to shift when in character. "The Violator" exudes the confidence of an emperor as he walks up to the gates, greeting fellow Raiders fans with enthusiasm, but also casting an intimidating presence for opposing fans.
Up close, his appearance is so powerful that it can startle the uninitiated, especially when Mabry’s booming voice breaks through the noise of the tailgates, rallying Raider Nation.
Raiders devotion
Before the Raiders' opener against the Chargers, dozens of fans asked for pictures as Mabry made his way into Sofi Stadium and he made sure to stop and take a picture with everyone that asked.
“I probably get asked for 1,000 pictures a week,” Mabry said. “I love it though, it’s all about making someone’s day.”
Whether the Raiders played in Oakland, Los Angeles or now Las Vegas, Mabry could be found in the stands donning the Silver and Black.
“I don’t care where the Raiders are. Raider Nation is worldwide,” Mabry said. “Wherever they go, we show up.”
While Raider fans are often labeled as rowdy or unruly, Mabry says it comes with the territory.
“When you say you’re a Raiders fan, you better be ready for what comes with it," he said. "It’s us against the world, and that’s how it’s always been.”
Mabry embraces that underdog mentality with immense pride and he believes is central to being a Raiders fan.
“Al Davis didn’t put that shield together by accident,” he said. “It’s about strength and honor.”
After working as a union carpenter for nearly 40 years, Mabry hung up the boots and began a new career as an entrepreneur. He runs a cigar line, V57, a clothing brand called Modo Sports and has written an autobiography, “The Walk,” which chronicles his journey from small-town Mississippi to the NFL’s fan hall of fame.
At 67, Mabry shows no signs of slowing down. He continues to attend Raiders games, proudly representing the fanbase wherever the team goes.
“Wherever that team plays, I’m there,” he said.
Mabry expects to be at every Raiders home game this season, including their two "visits" to LA.
“They can list it however they want," he sald, "but it's always going to be a home game for Raider Nation.”
As the Raiders gear up for another season, Mabry is optimistic about the team’s future under coach Antonio Pierce.
A lifelong Raiders fan himself, Pierce embodies the gritty, blue-collar mentality the team has long been known for, Mabry said.
“He’s going to bring that Raider mentality back,” he said. “You go and take what you want.”
As Raider Nation prepares to rally around "The Violator" for another season, Mabry has one final rallying cry for the fans he’s represented for four decades.
“Stay loyal," he said. "Raise Hell. Stand up, Raider Nation, Stand up!”