You did though, that was during practices they would do that? Now, the NFL average is about 300, and increasing. In 15 seasons, Otto played 210 consecutive games and made the AFL All-Star or Pro Bowl team 12 times. Otto paid the price, as he has had 74 surgeries, including 28 knee operations, and in 2007 his lower right leg had to be amputated but has said that he The 2003 NFL MVP, McNair has never missed a playoff start and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999. They want my brain at I think it's Michigan or --. Including pre-season, regular season and post-season games, Otto competed in 308 consecutive games. Told by doctors that he would never play football again, Bleier, recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, spent two full years attempting to return to the NFL. Lawrence Taylor, Linebacker, New York Giants (1981-1993), LT was easily the most disruptive defensive force in NFL history. Family Life He married a woman named Sally and has a daughter named Jennifer. 34. You wouldnt believe the number of divorces when the big money stops coming in. And that is the bad thing. I think, why am I thinking this? But when you say you don't want to make that connection, it's because you just don't want to believe that there is that connection? Perhaps the most painful of Jim Otto's 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. We hear about the concussions and talk about the big plays like cornerbacks hitting wide receivers after they've caught the ball up in the air. Well, I was having a pretty good game against Carter, and Nitschke was on the sideline -- you could see that -- and he was all upset. In his book, "The Pain of Glory" Otto described near-death experiences from medical procedures, including fighting off three life-threatening infections due to complications from his artificial joints Lawrence was Dick Butkus, but with speed and range, said John Madden, analyst for Fox television. There have been times when Ive said, Whyd I do this?, But I wasnt going to lay there and whine. His claim to fame occurred in 1985 when his left pinkie was caught between the shoulder pads and helmet of Cowboys running back Timmy Newsome, shattering the bone. But a knee injury that was treated with repeated shots of cortisone and steroids forced him to end a 15-year playing career after 1973. He has a compound fracture of the thumb. 1. THE BREAKS OF THE GAME OF THE GAME It has come upon people and hurt people for periods of time, you know? In other words, using NFL players as an example and their brains to help research with regards to the injuries that happen on the field, I don't think it's hogwash. Most current players feel they have more leverage since Butkus filed a $1.6 million suit against the Bears in 1974 and came away with a $600,000 settlement. One contract can provide financial security for a lifetime. Kilroy denied the charge. Within 12 plays, Trafton had knocked each player out of the game, sending one of them to the hospital with a broken hand and an 11-inch cut across the forehead. I put my head down and charged into the hole. Football has given me so many memories that money cant buy, he said. One time, Otto nearly died on the operating table. Krueger endured as many as 50 procedures in which bloody fluid was removed from his swollen knee and replaced with steroid compounds. Wausau High School and University of Miami, American Football League All-Star players, American Football League All-League players, http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/U/UpshGe00.htm, Hall of Famer Jim Otto recovering after having right leg amputated, Jim Otto profile at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 10 All-AFL selection (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969). Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Ernie Holmes once sat on a bridge and shot at passing trucks, and then was arrested for shooting a police officer in the leg before surrendering. The average weight for a lineman on the Colts championship teams in 1958 and 1959 was 240 pounds. Today, he tours the country giving motivational speeches. Well, I'm trying in my mind not to relate that to my situation, you know. He owned numerous Burger King Restaurants near Sacramento, California until the early 1990s. Butkus has bitten officials, bitten opponents in the groin, scratched, punched, everything. WebBut Jim, remembering that his college injuries had all come when he was on defense, chose to let down a little during defensive tryouts and then really go all out when it came time for offensive team trials. Football is a contact sport, and injuries are a part of the game. A Living Raider Legend, "Mr. 8. In most cases I would like to be able to be out there doing something for somebody else, helping somebody else, and I can't. His dedication and durability symbolized the teams Commitment to Excellence motto. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. But in the final five years he began to suffer Or what about if you had amnesia for two days? And then a year ago there were four suicides among not necessarily the best noted players but some players, and the Players Association claimed that it's been because of concussions and stuff like that. Bucko Kilroy, Guard, Philadelphia Eagles (1943-1955). Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation, the John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, the Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, He has had two major back surgeries, 16 knee operations and five artificial knees. And we were together a lot. There have been problems with steroids. Jim Strub wrote from a mountainside in Colorado. Corporate Sponsorship Bill Romanowski, Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers & Philadelphia Eagles & Denver Broncos & Oakland Raiders (1988-2003). Team doctors injected his knees with cortisone and other high-powered drugs in 1972 and 1973, causing permanent damage, he said. I think the positive situations would certainly outweigh the negatives.. Teammate Charlie Waters recalls the time that Garrison accidentally cut his thumb with a knife so that it was dangling from his hand. Marsh played with the Raiders seven years, during which he was hospitalized 18 times and had 13 surgeries. During the 1980s, Otto was involved in numerous business ventures. He owned numerous Burger King Restaurants near Sacramento, California until the early 1990s. In 1997, Otto's daughter, Jennifer, a 39-year-old mother of four, died from a blood clot. And then being in that position to hit the ball, the runner drops his head, the quarterback drops his head or whatever it might be, and you have head-to-head contact. Nagurski once knocked unconscious four would-be tacklers on a kickoff return touchdown in his rookie season. Nobody is helping me. He led the Eagles to championships in 1949 and 1960. I used to watch you play when I was a kid --. It came from the game. Otto's body was punished greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 74 operations, including 28 on his knee (nine of them during his playing career) and multiple joint replacements. So there's different degrees of concussions; I want you to know that. I am really sore, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to take care of that. Double-zero recalls stories about all James Edwin Otto (born January 5, 1938 in Wausau, Wisconsin) is a former center for the Oakland Raiders of the American Football League. The Baltimore Ravens placed a bounty on Ward, to which the former Super Bowl MVP responded, Bring it on. He was voted the smartest offensive player in the NFL (non-quarterbacks) and is considered the best blocking receiver in the NFL. They are similar to those experienced by rape victims and soldiers returning from combat. PBS Privacy Policy And I went, "Yay." As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. But in my heart, I'm leaning to very possibly doing it, donating my brain, because if there is something there that can help others, that's what I should be doing. He was one of the best 4th-and-1 runners in NFL history. He played five more games before the loose bone mass was removed. And yet I'd be playing, you know? In a playoff game in 1970, Garrison broke three ribs in the first quarter and continued playing after he was carried off the field. WebLatest on C Jim Otto including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com And it's not being selfish, not on my behalf being selfish because I can't do it, and I would want it. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. And there's a lot of guys like us. Marshall earned his fame as a member of the Purple People Eaters of the early 1970s. In order to foster a civil and literate discussion that respects all participants, FRONTLINE has the following guidelines for commentary. 12. McDonald was the last NFL player to not wear a facemask. He also received fines for three illegal hits in the 1999 season. The symptoms are nightmares and cold sweats. Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. I was at a gathering in August, I guess it was, and Jim Brown was there, and he was saying the same thing, that it was different back then. I'm hurting like a son of a gun. . Its not for whiners.. Injuries and operations During one six-month stretch, he was without a right knee joint because he had to wait for an infection to heal before another artificial knee could be implanted. When you looked at your wife and you didn't know who she was, like, who's this chick? Ever since the NFL began random drug testing in 1990, the consensus among players, coaches and team medical personnel is that steroid use has dropped significantly. Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens (1996-present). Rocky Bleier, Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers (1968, 1971-1980). Jim Otto WebJim Otto (born January 10, 1992) is a retired American football Offensive Tackle. I was hitting him with such force, and he was coming at me with such force that this is what happened. I'm not complaining about it. And Nitschke, it was right toward the end of his career, and he was I guess letting Carter get some time in there. [1] In the 1967 regular season, Oakland scored 468 points (33.4 points/game), leading the AFL, but lost Super Bowl II to the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers. And it was about two days after the football game in high school my senior year. If they don't enjoy it, then they should play soccer or they should play something else. He was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year in 1970 and once knocked unconscious a fan who entered onto the playing field during a game. Why? These guys constantly live on the edge, and the same behavior they once used to achieve notoriety on the field they exhibit off the field.. Wilson intercepted 52 passes in his career, but the one that stands out is the 91-yard interception touchdown from 1965a pass he intercepted despite casts on both of his broken hands. That's the way Mike Webster would say it, too. And boy, the rest of the day was hell for me. The ironic part? Too many times we hear about the negatives because were former athletes, but the media ignores the players who make positive contributions, said Curtis, a D.C. commercial real estate broker. 32. It's Earl Campbell. --Gary Fencik, safety, 10. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. Nicknamed Rambo for his tough play and physical resemblance to Sylvester Stallone, Bavaro broke seven tackles on one catch across the middle against the 49ers in a 1986 game. Steve McNair is the definition of playing through pain. and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. Or Boston, one of those, or North Carolina. I would say that suicide has been in the past one of the least spoken about things among players, among owners, among the NFL of anything. I think so. My wife is starting to try to convince me to do it. I wanted to play. With the Raiders, he won 1 AFL/AFC championship in 1967 against the Houston Oilers, but lost 5: in 1968, 1969, and 1970, 1973, and 1974 to the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, all 5 teams winning the Super Bowl of their respective years, playing alongside Gene Upshaw, a Hall-of-Famer, at left guard from 1967 until Otto's final year in 1974. Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons & Green Bay Packers & New York Jets (1991-present). In the 1970 regular season (1st year of the NFL-AFL merger), Oakland scored 300 points (21.4 points/game), 9th of 26 teams in the NFL, beating the Miami Dolphins in the 1970-71 NFL playoffs before losing to the Colts. When you have a blow like that, it's a concussion; there's no doubt about it. 23. I saw the bone. They've asked for my brain. He needed 74 surgeries for his football injuries, including the amputation of one of his legs. I know he was a great football player. When Giants defensive tackle Jim Pietrzak wished him good luck in the playoffs, he punched him. WebJim Otto was born in Wausau, WI. But still, you led with your head, and that was part of football; that was what we learned. But has it always been one of those things that's been in there that players have known about other players? But I'm still going at my age, and --. He gave the following advice to future Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey: Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts., 20. There's a tear near the break, and his bone is sticking out. And I think if you were to evaluate Mike Webster, it was a matter of pride. There were so many times that I would walk off the field and my eyes would be crossed. Broke my cheekbone, and my zygomatic arch bone here, and detached the retina in my left eye, which I was blind for six months in my left eye. Bleier's story is one of the greatest in the history of sports. Jim Otto Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges McDonald suffered exactly zero broken noses and knocked out teeth in his career. Jon Runyan, Tackle, Houston/Tennessee Oilers & Titans, Philadelphia Eagles (1996-present). Coaches had a way of making you feel less manly if you didnt play. Over his 14-year career, which included Pro Bowl selections at safety, cornerback, and linebacker, Lott endured many injuries, including a broken leg and torn knee cartilage. And he hung with me. Larry Wilson, Safety, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972), Larry Wilson is best known for inventing the safety blitz. His last game, up in Cleveland, he came out of the hospital to play with a broken rib, a punctured lung, and pneumonia. I realize that. Well, the results with myself, you know, has been very difficult. It isn't long [before] there won't be a kickoff because oh, my goodness, that guy gets the ball in the end zone and he comes running out of there so fast, he could hurt somebody, you know? But let them play. And with your head traumas, with the head injuries, tell me about one in particular. Rob Huizenga, in his book Youre Okay, Its Just a Bruise, suggests that some team doctors were involved in a silent conspiracy with management to put players back on the field at any cost. In 1997, he spit in the face of wide receiver JJ Stokes. The guy coming down the field to cover the kickoff, the guy with the ball with the kickoff, hey, this is football. Jim Otto - Autographed 1961 Topps Rookie Card Ronnie Lott was a cornerback who hit like a linebacker. Here's the last question. He wasted little time eliminating one other problem his size. I never went out of the game. What were your first thoughts when you started hearing those stories after his retirement? You say that I come up with words. I don't make want to make excuses. No. And from what I understand and read -- never met him -- it does sound like he played that game exactly like you described. And it's a good hit. He had his right leg amputated in 2007. I said why isn't there somebody taking care of him? In the 1968 regular season, Oakland scored 453 points (32.4 points/game), once again leading the AFL, beating the Kansas City Chiefs in the divisional round before losing to the Jets. Is Jim Otto in the Hall of Fame? We will take steps to block users who repeatedly violate our commenting rules, terms of use, or privacy policies. Right. Yeah, just on the line, hitting each other. Otto punished his body greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 40 surgeries, including 28 knee operations (nine of them during his playing career How many games did Jim Otto play? Losing my leg didn't bother me one bit other than I wanted to make sure that my wife still loved the guy with one leg. In 1975, he was replaced by Dave Dalby. The psychological high and its addiction is parallel to people who become addicted to cocaine or a smoker who has a dependency on cigarettes. He played the game like it was supposed to be played, with pain and passion., 5. New Columns From Your Class Correspondents - Cornellians During his fifth training camp, he suffered the injury that ultimately led to amputation. Maybe probably more so in my life is the pain that I'm going through. There wasn't anybody. Otto played high school football at Wisconsin's Wausau High School, under coach Win Brockmeyer. Former offensive lineman Steve Courson, who played eight seasons for the Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has blamed alcohol and steroids for his dilated cardiomyopathy, a weakened heart muscle. Jim Otto And then there's the injured tough, which is no-regard-for-your-body-and-play-with-broken-bones tough. It's strange; it's really strange. Of those who did not leave because of injury, 56.2% reported similar emotional problems. It is filled with sights and sounds of collisions that are sometimes startling and other times frightening. Joe Greene, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-1981), Nicknamed Mean," Joe Greene was one of only a handful of defensive players in NFL history who could singlehandedly change the outcome of a game.