Raiders Legendary Hall Of Fame Center Jim Otto Passes Away At 86
Legendary center Jim Otto passed away on Monday at the age of 86, according to the Las Vegas Raiders.
As of right now, the reason of death remains unknown.
referred to as “The Original Raider” Otto became a member of the team during its first season in 1960 and proceeded to start 210 games without missing any until his retirement in 1975.
The Raiders released a statement saying, “The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto…The Original Raider.”
Jim is the epitome of consistency, and his impact on professional football in general and the American Football League in particular cannot be understated.
His fierce work ethic and skill allowed him to start 210 straight league games for the Oakland Raiders.
His leadership and perseverance were a defining feature of the winning Raider teams of the 1960s and 1970s.
Otto, who is easily identifiable because to his ’00’ jersey, made the first snap in Raiders franchise history during the team’s AFL stint.
He was a member of the team that won the AFL Title for the first time in 1967, was selected to the Pro Bowl 12 times, was named an All-Pro 10 times, and saw action in Super Bowl II.
In 1980, Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame by the late and legendary Raiders owner Al Davis.
During Otto’s induction, Davis stated, “Jim Otto not only exemplified the commitment to excellence, pride and poise, and the greatness of our football team, but he was the standard of excellence by which centers were judged in professional football for more than a decade.”
Even when the Raiders moved, Otto maintained his relationship with the team by rising to the position of executive inside the organization and continued to attend games on a regular basis.
Otto was even among the numerous Raiders luminaries in the locker room after the team’s triumph over the Denver Broncos in the season’s finale last year.
Jim Jr. and his wife Leah, Otto’s wife Sally, and his fourteen grandkids Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie are among those that survive him.
Maxx Crosby of the Raiders honors Jim Otto on social media Naturally, after hearing of Otto’s passing, a lot of people sent their sympathies to his family.
Among them is outstanding defensive end Maxx Crosby, a contemporary Raider who personifies what Otto stood for.
In his social media tribute to Otto, the Raiders captain referred to the late Raider as “an absolute legend & incredible person.”
