Hall of Fame center Jim Otto passed away on Sunday at the age of 86, the team announced.
In a post on X/Twitter the team wrote...
"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 1960's and 70's."
Otto played in the inaugural season of the American Football League for the Oakland Raiders in 1960 and would become known as Mr. Raider.
Known for his durability through a litany of injuries, he never missed a regular season game playing in 210 consecutive games. In total he played in 308 straight games despite undergoing nine operations on his knees during his career. He was a fixture on the Raiders for 15 years.
Born January 5th, 1938 in Wausau, Wisconsin, Otto would go undrafted by the NFL in 1959. He would later join the Oakland Raiders in the new AFL in 1960.
Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, Otto is considered one of the AFL's all-time greats.
"Throughout my career, I worked hard to continue to stay a level above everyone else. Every day I walked on to the field, I was the best center. That's the way I wanted to be. I continued to play at that level with those expectations," Otto once said.
By - SC
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