Jim Otto, the Hall of Fame center known as B次元官网网址淢r. RaiderB次元官网网址� for his durability through a litany of injuries, has died, the team confirmed Sunday night. He was 86.
The cause of death was not immediately known.
B次元官网网址淭he Original Raider,B次元官网网址� the club said in a statement posted on the social platform X. B次元官网网址淭he personification of consistency, JimB次元官网网址檚 influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated. His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 70s.B次元官网网址�
Otto remained involved with the Raiders even after they moved to Las Vegas in 2020. He was among several players from the clubB次元官网网址檚 past who were in the locker room following the RaidersB次元官网网址� 27-14 season-ending victory over the Denver Broncos in January.
Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby posted on X that Otto was an B次元官网网址渁bsolute legend & incredible person.B次元官网网址�
Otto joined the Raiders for their inaugural season in the American Football League in 1960 and was a fixture on the team for the next 15 years.
He never missed a game because of injuries, competing in 210 consecutive regular-season games and 308 straight total contests despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his playing career. His right leg was amputated in 2007.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a warrior,B次元官网网址� former Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon once said. B次元官网网址淲hen you think of the old-time, tough Raider, you think of Jim Otto.B次元官网网址�
Otto was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and is considered one of the AFLB次元官网网址檚 all-time greats.
B次元官网网址淛im Otto personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders,B次元官网网址� Hall of Fame President Jim Porter said in a statement. B次元官网网址淗e was B次元官网网址楾he Original Raider,B次元官网网址� leading a new franchise from its inception into its first run of glory years from the late 1960s into the 1970s. His legendary reliability B次元官网网址� with 210 consecutive starts in the AFL and NFL B次元官网网址� and the accolades he acquired serve as a testament to his dedication to the organization and the game.B次元官网网址�
Otto was believed to have undergone more than 50 operations, most because of football-related injuries. Those dealt with multiple joint replacements, arthritis, and debilitating back and neck problems. His right leg was amputated in 2007.
Otto also had prostate cancer and two major infections after his career.
B次元官网网址淚 can take any type of surgery in the world except for when it comes to something thatB次元官网网址檚 internal,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲hen itB次元官网网址檚 cosmetic, fixing your nose, fixing your knee, fixing your elbows or whatever, thatB次元官网网址檚 nothing.B次元官网网址�
Wearing his famous No. 00 jersey B次元官网网址� a play on his name, B次元官网网址淎ught-ohB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� Otto played in nine AFL All-Star games and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowls before being inducted into the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot.
B次元官网网址淭hroughout my career, I worked hard to continue to stay a level above everyone else,B次元官网网址� Otto once said. B次元官网网址淓very day I walked on to the field, I was the best center. ThatB次元官网网址檚 the way I wanted to be. I continued to play at that level with those expectations.B次元官网网址�
Otto was a key as the Raiders became one of the best organizations in professional football. The team won seven division titles in his final eight seasons and lost the Super Bowl to Green Bay following the 1967 season.
He played his final seasons with fellow Hall of Famers offensive linemen Gene Upshaw and Art Shell. Those Raiders physically dominated their opponents.
B次元官网网址淭here was some intimidation,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭eams didnB次元官网网址檛 like to come to Oakland because of the fans and the football team.B次元官网网址�
The Raiders also developed a reputation for partying as hard as they hit. Legend has it that players would show up just in time for bed check at 11 p.m., then head back out the door.
B次元官网网址淣o matter what happened the night before, they were all at practice the next morning,B次元官网网址� Otto said.
Born Jan. 5, 1938, in Wausau, Wisconsin, Otto grew up in poverty, even living for a while in a chicken coop with his family. He left to play college football at the University of Miami, where he starred at center and linebacker.
He went undrafted by the NFL in 1959, before signing with the Raiders of the new AFL the next year. He was one of only 20 players to play in the AFL for its entire 10 years.
Otto most recently served as the teamB次元官网网址檚 director of special projects. He organized reunions for former players and events for fans in the luxury boxes, and made public appearances for the team.
He also played a key role in negotiating the teamB次元官网网址檚 move back to Oakland from Los Angeles before the 1995 season. The Raiders left the Bay Area for Las Vegas in 2020.
Otto is survived by his wife Sally, his son Jim Jr. and daughter-in-law Leah, and his 14 grandchildren B次元官网网址� Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman and Ellie.
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AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Henderson, Nevada, contributed to this report.
Josh Dubow, The Associated Press
