Raiders legend Jim Otto died at the age of 86 | Rest In Peace Mr. Raider
Jim Otto, a Hall of Fame lineman for the Raiders, who played for the franchise from 1960-74, passed away over the weekend. According to reports he was just 86 years old.
The undersized 6-foot-2, 255-pound Otto never missed a game in 15 years and made the Pro Bowl 12 times. He was a 10-time All-Pro and was the center on the all-time AFL team.
Otto was a beast on the field, and played through injuries. His lower right leg had to be amputated in 2007.
While Raiders owner Al Davis is famed for saying “Just win, baby,” Otto would always say, “You show me a good loser, and I will show you a loser.”
Raiders released this statement:
“The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto. The Original Raider. The personification of consistency, Jim’s 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, and his ferocious work ethic and talent enabled him to start a remarkable 210 consecutive league games for the Oakland Raiders,” the team announced.
“Considered undersized when coming out of the University of Miami, Jim handled the first snap in franchise history and went on to be selected as the AFL’s All-Star center for the entirety of the league’s existence. One of only 20 players to play in every season of the American Football League, he was named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team and was selected to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2019. Jim was known to many as “Mr. Raider,” and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.”
Raiders owner Mark Davis is deeply saddened by his passing.
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