Sad News: Raiders Mourn the Loss of Legendary Center Jim Otto, ‘Mr. Raider,’ at 86

The Los Vegas Raiders announced on Sunday that Jim Otto, the Pro Football Hall of Fame center dubbed “Mr. Raider,” had passed away. He was eighty-six.

On X, the Raiders released a statement. It was not immediately clear what caused the death.

The group called it “The Original Raider.” It is impossible to overestimate Jim’s significance as the embodiment of consistency and his impact on the American Football League and professional football in general.

His fierce work ethic and skill allowed him to start 210 straight league games for the Oakland Raiders. His leadership and perseverance were the cornerstones of the team’s dominance in the 1960s and 1970s.

Jim handled the first snap in the history of the team despite being undersized when he entered the University of Miami. He went on to be chosen as the AFL’s All-Star center for the duration of the league’s existence.

 

He was chosen to be on the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2019 and was designated the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team. He is one of just 20 players to have played in every season of the American Football League. In 1980, Jim’s first year of eligibility, he was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, earning him the nickname “Mr. Raider.

Otto never missed a match due to a medical condition. Despite suffering nine knee surgeries during his career, he participated in 210 straight regular-season games and 308 straight overall contests. In 2007, he had his right leg amputated.

It was estimated that he had undergone 50 surgeries, the majority of them for wounds sustained playing football. Numerous joint replacements, arthritis, and back and neck problems were all addressed by the operations.

After his career, Otto also battled two serious illnesses and prostate cancer.

He was an AFL champion once, a ten-time All-Pro, and a 12-time Pro Bowler. He played his latter seasons alongside Art Shell and Gene Upshaw, two other Hall of Famers.Jim Otto, RIP. Maximum Crosby, a defensive end for the Raiders, commented on X, “Absolute Legend & Incredible Person.