Post by TheShadow on Jul 26, 2006 18:17:44 GMT -5
www.raiders.com/
Setting the all-time consecutive game record for the Raiders as well as being the only All-League center the American Football League ever had, it is no wonder why the great Jim Otto is a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Inducted into the Hall of Fame during his first year of eligibility in August of 1980, Otto paved the way for many other Raider legends who have accomplished the feat of being one of the best to ever play the game.
Otto was drafted by the Raiders in 1960 as a center out of the University of Miami, Florida. During his first year in the AFL, Otto was issued the jersey number 50 and then changed to the legendary number '00' after his first season.
He played in 210 consecutive games for the Raiders and totaled more than 300 games played with the addition of preseason games, postseason games, and all-star games. He also participated in nine AFL All-Star games and the first three AFC-NFC Pro Bowl games.
During Otto's tenure with the Raiders, he helped in winning seven division championships as well as the AFL Championship in 1967. He won the Gorman Award twice (1968, 1971), an award for the "Player Who Best Exemplifies the Pride and Spirit of The Oakland Raiders," and was selected to the AFL-NFL 25-year All-Star Team. By the time Otto retired in 1974 he never missed one game, and is the only center to ever dominate the position in both the AFL and the NFL.
In 1995, Otto rejoined the Raiders and works on special projects and is still very much committed to the Silver and Black. Otto has been a leader both on and off the field and continues to be a pillar of the Raider Nation.