Former Raiders Hall Of Famer Jim Otto Dies At 86

NFL Hall of Famer Jim Otto, who spent fifteen years playing center for the Raiders, passed away this week at the age of 86.

During his time with the Raiders in the 1960s and 1970s, Otto was one of the last players to wear the No. 00 jersey.

The Raiders organization released a statement following Otto’s passing.

“The Original Raider,” the club said in a statement posted on the social platform X. “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.”

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Otto was born on January 5, 1938, in Wausau, Wisconsin. After playing football at Wausau High School, Jim went on to play college football at the University of Miami. In addition to playing on the offensive line, Otto also played as a linebacker on the defense.

After no NFL teams showed interest in Otto, he was drafted by Minneapolis in the AFL draft. When Minneapolis vacated the team to pursue an expansion franchise in the NFL, Otto’s rights defaulted to the Oakland Raiders.

During his time in the AFL, Otto earned AFL All-Star and AFL First-team All-Pro honors nine times in just ten years, aswell as being named to the AFL All-Time Team. Otto was also a part of the 1967 AFL Champion Oakland Raiders.

Otto played for the Raiders throughout the entire existence of the AFL, as well as for five years after the merger. After his first season in the AFL, Otto switched from No. 50 to wearing No. 00.

Throughout his illustrious career, Jim never missed a game due to injury, playing in 210 consecutive games. During his time in the NFL, Otto received First-team All-Pro honors in 1970, Second-team All-Pro recognition in 1972, three Pro Bowl selections, and was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Rest in peace!