Jim Otto

3 × Pro Bowl selection ( 1970-1972 )
9 × AFL All-Star Game Selection ( 1961-1969 )
10 × All- AFL selection ( 1960-1969 ) 1 2 team
3 × All-Pro selection ( 1970-1972 ) 1 2 team
American Football League Champion 1967
AFL All- Time Team
Pro Football Hall of Fame (1980 )
Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (1998)
Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (1986 )

James Edwin "Jim" Otto ( born January 5, 1938 in Wausau, Wisconsin, United States) is an American former American football player. He played in the American Football League ( AFL) and the National Football League ( NFL) with the Oakland Raiders as a center.

Playing career

College career

Jim Otto played already in high school American football. As a center, he was elected to the state selection of Wisconsin. From 1957 to 1959 he studied at the University of Miami and played for their football team, the " Miami Hurricanes " as the Centre and in the defense as linebacker. During his studies, he set the school record for most tackles made during a career.

Professional career

After completing his studies, no team in the NFL had an interest to oblige him. He was regarded as too easy. However, Otto was the coach of the Oakland Raiders noticed the recordings in 1960, the operation of gambling in the newly formed AFL. James Otto should initially be used with the Raiders as a linebacker, but considered himself too injury-prone to be able to take this position. He was able to convince as a center during training and was henceforth used by the Raiders on this position.

The first two years were not very successful game for the Raiders. Otto was employed as a center of quarterback Tom Flores, but the team was unable to establish itself as a top team itself. The team performance was contrary to the services of Jim Otto, who turned out to be one of the best center in professional football. 1963 Al Davis took over as coach and the performance of the team escalated. In 1967, Daryle Lamonica took over the quarterback position with the team from Oakland. After a season with 13 wins in a defeat for the players Jim Otto and Daryl Lamonica in the same year were able to move into the AFL championship game. Opponents in the meeting were the Houston Oilers, who could be defeated with 40:7. The win put the feeder in the AFL- NFL Championship Game, which was later renamed to Super Bowl II. The team of John Rauch, who served as coach of the Raiders since 1966, had to compete against the managed by Vince Lombardi Green Bay Packers. The Packers won the Super Bowl with 33:14. Rauch succeeded the next year the Raiders in the AFL to lead the final, where, however, the New York Jets defeated with 27:23.

Also under John Madden, who in 1969 John Rauch replaced as the coach of the team, the Raiders were a top team in the AFL. With the exception of 1971, moved to the next rounds, the team regularly in the Play Offs one, a title, however, no longer able Otto. Four times failed the team from California in the AFL Finals, respectively from 1970 in the AFC Championship Game - 1969 to the Kansas City Chiefs with 17:7, 1970, the Baltimore Colts and 1973 with 27:17 with the new starting quarterback Ken Stabler to the Miami Dolphins with 27:10, and in the last year of professional Otto, 1974 with 24:13 on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Jim Otto was considered exceptionally tough player. During his career he suffered 40 injuries. Ten times the nasal bone was broken to him. Three times he had surgery on his left knee and six on the right knee. Nevertheless, he never missed a game his team. After knee surgery in 1974, Otto decided to end his career after the season.

After playing career

Jim Otto is married. His daughter died in 1997 at the age of 39 years to a thrombus. He operates several restaurants in the fast-food chain Burger King in Sacramento. Since 1995 he is again active in the organization of the Raiders. In 2002 it was found in Jim Otto prostate cancer.

Honors

Jim Otto played twelve times in the Pro Bowl or the AFL All- Star game, the final game of the best players of the season. 13 times he was elected to the All- Pro. The magazine " The Sporting News" named him in 1999 to number 78 of the list of the 100 best football players of all time. Jim Otto is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame, in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and in the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame. The Miami Hurricanes honored him in their stadium, the Orange Bowl Stadium, on the "Ring of Honor ".

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