Hall of Famer Jim Otto and Longtime Oakland Raiders center dies at 86

Longtime Raiders center and Hall of Famer Jim Otto died on Sunday, May 19, 2024, the team announced. He was 86.

Otto, known as “the Original Raider,” played 15 years as the Raiders’ center during the 1960s and 1970s. He was one of the last players in the league to wear the No. 00 jersey.

Selected by the Raiders in the AFL Draft in 1960, Otto played his entire career with the team. He was one of just three players to participate in all 140 regular-season AFL games before the league merged with the NFL.

Otto did not miss a single game in his 15 seasons, playing in 210 consecutive contests before retiring after the 1974 season. He won the AFL title in 1967 and played in six AFL or AFC title games.

After retiring, Otto worked in the Raiders’ front office and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.

Despite numerous health problems and over 70 surgeries, including the amputation of his right leg in 2007, Otto remained a beloved figure in football.

Jim Otto, originally from Wausau, Wisconsin, was a two-way player in college at Miami, where he played center and linebacker.