It is with great sadness that the football world mourns the passing of Hall of Fame center Jim Otto, who died at the age of 86. Otto was a legendary player for the Oakland Raiders, known for his toughness and tenacity on the field.
During his career, Otto was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and a three-time All-Pro. He was also named to the NFL's All-Decade Team for the 1960s, solidifying his place as one of the greatest centers in league history.
A member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 1980, his first year of eligibility, Otto died May 19, 2024, according to the Las Vegas Raiders. He was 86. Otto routinely described himself as a “gladiator,” and he refused to succumb to any injury — and there were plenty — he accumulated over 15 seasons in the AFL and NFL. He played in 210 consecutive regular-season games, answering every bell from the season opener as a rookie in 1960 until the last game of the 1974 season, a tough loss in the AFC Championship that denied him a much-coveted return to the Super Bowl.
Ringo was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1981, one year after Otto in 1980. Otto never missed a game during a 15-year playing career, leading to admiration from his teammates, but issues with head injuries later in his life.
“There were times right now that I’m sore thinking, ‘did I do right? Did I do wrong? What did I do wrong,” Otto told NewsChannel 7 in 2016. “And you say a prayer. It always comes back to me, ‘Jim, you did what you wanted to do.’”
He never lost sight of Wausau during his playing career and after, returning for banquets and book signings at his old high school, now called Wausau East.
Mr. Otto most recently served as the team’s 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 team’s move back to Oakland from Los Angeles before the 1995 season. (The team played as the Los Angeles Raiders from 1982 to 1994.)
Otto is survived by his wife Sally, his son Jim Jr. and daughter-in-law Leah, and his 14 grandchildren — Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman and Ellie.
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