Raiders legend, Hall of Famer Otto dies at 86
Hall of Fame center Jim Otto, who spent his 15year career with the Oakland Raiders, has died, the NFL franchise announced. He was 86.
The Raiders announced Otto’s death Sunday. The cause of death was not immediately known.
“The ‘Original Raider,’” the Raiders said in a news release. “The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated.”
Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch in honor of Otto on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium.
“The entire Raider nation’s thoughts and prayers go out to Jim’s wife Sally and the entire Otto family,” Davis said. “Jim, may you rest in peace.”
Otto, who played collegiately at Miami, but was considered undersized for his position, joined the Raiders in the 1960 AFL Draft. He wore the No. 00, serving as an anchor for the offensive line for more than a decade.
Otto, who never missed a start over 210 career appearances, was a 12time AFL All-Star selection and 10-time All-Pro. He won an AFL Championship in 1967, before the Raiders went on to lose to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II.
He took the first snap in Raiders history and was one of just 20 players to play every year of the AFL’s existence. Otto, a selection on the NFL’s 100th anniversary team in 2019, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.
“Jim Otto personified the aura and mystique of the Raiders,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said Monday.
“He was ‘The Original Raider,’ leading a new franchise from its inception into its first run of glory years from the late 1960s into the 1970s. His legendary reliability – with 210 consecutive starts in the AFL and NFL – and the accolades he acquired serve as a testament to his dedication to the organization and the game.
“The Pro Football Hall of Fame will guard his legacy with the same diligence and tenacity that he guarded his teammates.”