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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Barry Werner

Raiders legendary center and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto dies at 86

Jim Otto Raiders Raider Football the Oakland Raiders AFL

Jim Otto, who played center for the Oakland Raiders from 1960-74, died at 86.

Per the team’s website:

“00” was the foundational piece of a transcendent offensive line that not only propelled the Raiders to success on the field but resonated with fans and helped build the Raiders persona and mystique.

“The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto…The Original Raider,” the club said in a statement. “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.”

Otto wore No. 50 as a rookie before switching to what became his trademark “00.”

He was known to many as “Mr. Raider,” and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.

He played college ball at Miami (FL) as a center and linebacker. Otto was not drafted and his original rights belonged to what was going to be the Minnesota franchise in the AFL.

When that franchise failed to come to fruition, Otto’s rights went to the Oakland Raiders. He made the first snap for the Raiders and started every game from 1960-74 as their center.

Team owner Mark Davis lit the Al Davis Memorial Torch at Allegiant Stadium.

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