Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. We'd attack the bunker, and the quarterbacks would be sitting in a tank with the general saying, 'Well, what kind of attack are you planning?' And it's not being selfish, not on my behalf being selfish because I can't do it, and I would want it. When the Minneapolis contigent decided to move forward with an NFL franchise, Jim Ottos rights defauted to the AFLs Oakland Raiders. PBS Terms of Use 15. The content here may be outdated or no longer functioning. Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films, once stated, There are so many definitions of toughness. Journalistic Guidelines If we were fighting a war, the linebackers would be the first guys to get killed. He played three games with a fractured tibia. I don't make want to make excuses. Butkus's opponents claimed that Butkus was like an odor that you could feel or sense on the field. There was about 150 people come, and naturally I wanted to play well and everything. I think if you were to look at me and evaluate me, it was a matter of pride. He thanked me for continuing the column for so long and was grateful that so many of us were still sentient enough to read it. And then there's the players below who contain all of these qualities. The 2003 NFL MVP, McNair has never missed a playoff start and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999. Former Colts quarterback Art Schlichter, whose gambling addiction led to two NFL suspensions in the early 1980s, was charged with bouncing or stealing more than $400,000 in checks this year. Its like someone putting your body on I-695 at 6 p.m. and letting it get bounced around by the traffic.. There's the toughness of getting the snot knocked out of you, and the can't-be-intimidated, never-quit kind of tough. Favre has started 287 consecutive games, including the postseason, an all-time record for a quarterback. It was a matter of pride in the way we did things. With a broken jaw wired shut, McDonald could only drink milkshakes and watched his weight plummet from 175 to 143. For the next 15 years, he was a fixture at center for the Oakland Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett calls LT an old-school player. I don't think it's hogwash. Counting preseason, postseason and Pro Bowl games, that number swells to 308 consecutive games played, with rarely a missed practice, either. Otto eventually had to have his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007. 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. 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. WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. For the next fifteen years, Otto became a fixture at center for the Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. Including pre-season, regular season and post-season games, Otto competed in 308 consecutive games. He takes his thumb in his hand and wrenches it down into his fist. And we were together a lot. Jim Otto starred for the Oakland Raiders, but his roots were in Wausau, Wisconsin. What is it about the idea for you -- I mean, do you feel like this stuff about brain research and NFL players is kind of hogwash, or do you think there's something to it? Well, football today is still very tough, but I think in the day that I played and several other players that are my vintage will concur that it was a battle out there; it was a war. When Lotts finger didnt heal properly, he told the doctors to cut it off, and they amputated his pinkie at the third knuckle. In the 1969 regular season, Oakland scored 377 points (26.9 points/game), once again leading the AFL, beating the Houston Oilers in the divisional round before losing to the Chiefs. In one game, he knocked out the entire Washington Redskins backfield one by one. I know that all of us guys I know in some way, shape or form have down times, when there's a certain amount of depression in our minds and our thoughts, in our heart, and it's not a very comfortable situation. He chewed through the bars of his face mask and reportedly ate the window panes of the team bus. The scouts also found out that Otto had suffered some shoulder injuries, and that Otto loved the contact that football provided and destroyed anyone on the opposing team looking to get past him. After no National Football League team showed interest in the undersized center, Otto signed with the Oakland Raiders of the new American Football League. Players were not allowed to get medical second opinions until 1982, according to the NFLPA. Did you ever have that happen to you? We're not the only guys. They all have the crab-like walk, and its hard to believe they were once these feared gladiators. Get hit in the head so hard your eyes were crossed? But that didn't bother me that much. As the size increases, so does the force of the collisions. You are fully responsible for your comments. Theyre still in that state of denial. WebInducted 1998. Like they'd say, "Hey, Jim, what's this? Hein played fifteen seasons with the Giants and never missed a play. And then in college, once again there was a period of time I didn't have a face mask, and I got hit in the head. This is FRONTLINE's old website. Every game. Web Site Copyright 1995-2016 WGBH Educational Foundation He plays the entire game. Of those who did not leave because of injury, 56.2% reported similar emotional problems. And that's what I'm doing. 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. Thats why I think Id come back and do it again.. Lewis missed two games, returned wearing a heavy brace, and registered 11 tackles against Pittsburgh. I mean, they used to tease me that instead of having the quarterback go "Hut one, hut two," they'd have a little bell, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, you know, and Otto, you go on the third ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling, like a punch-drunk fighter or something --. It's Earl Campbell. --Gary Fencik, safety, 10. Otto set the standard for excellence at center, the article said. However, 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. I mean, if you played marbles against Mike Webster, he still would beat you. His famed right shoulder was responsible for dozens of broken noses and jaws. Enumerate the results. 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. Maybe part of it was Wisconsin and kids from a small town: Mike Webster from Rhinelander [High School], Wis., wanting to prove that he was a great, Jim Otto from Wausau who wanted to prove that he was the greatest. He was also named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team. In order to foster a civil and literate discussion that respects all participants, FRONTLINE has the following guidelines for commentary. He has arthritis in his shoulders and neck. Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). WebGet the latest career stats for Jim Otto of the on CBS Sports He played in an era when quarterbacks did not receive much protection, specifically on late hits. Raider played and played and played constantly proving wrong several coaches who in high school, college and the pros considered him undersized to hold up against defensive linemen and linebackers. He led the Eagles to championships in 1949 and 1960. We'd go hunting together; we did a lot of different things together, Dave and I. Some things couldnt be measured, however, like Jims self-motivation, commitment and pride. I wanted to play. The origin of the since-outlawed helmet-to-helmet hit is sometimes traced to Brown. Because I don't want to believe that that's what's happened. 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 There is also a tremendous fear perpetuated by management that younger guys are a threat if you cant perform.. Football is a contact sport, and injuries are a part of the game. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. They would worry about the consequences later., Huizenga said: I would say most of the doctors are first-rate professionals, but they can fall into a trap from the huge pressures of owners and the millions of dollars involved, especially in big games. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. The only first-team All-AFL center in the leagues 10-year history, Jim helped the Raiders rise from a 9-33 start in their first three years of existence to a team that won seven division titles and an AFL title and made a Super Bowl appearance before he retired. No. I think the positive situations would certainly outweigh the negatives.. Why? The symptoms are nightmares and cold sweats. And a lot of times these guys fall into that category or one of those categories, and it happens that they commit suicide. Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation, the John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, the Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, He got beat up so bad in his early years. I've had scans of my brain, and it's been explained to me what is really wrong with my brain. Bleier's story is one of the greatest in the history of sports. It was the hardest tackle I ever made, but I made it, and I said to myself, Well, I guess that will show you, Nagurski! Then as I was getting up, I heard the referee shout, Second down and 2!, George Halas: Nagurski blasted through two would-be tacklers as though they were a pair of old saloon doors and kept on going right into the endzone. During his first 10 years he suffered the usual injuries such as broken noses, fingers and ribs, and he played through it all. and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. Davis.". Otto now suffers from arthritis, and severe neck problems. But a lot of guys no longer get the "Hey, Joe, how you doing. " He endured torn-up knees, broken hands, broken ribs, and an acutely-painful hamstring tear but never missed a game. 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. Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons & Green Bay Packers & New York Jets (1991-present). Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made the announcement Wednesday as part of a wide-ranging news conference touching on the state of the team, the recent death of Bill Walsh and pensions for former NFL players. Jack Youngblood, Defensive End, Los Angeles Rams (1971-1984). I was paid to play football, not hang out in the training room.. Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. Hell no, I wouldnt do it all over again, said Krueger. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. He was one of the best 4th-and-1 runners in NFL history. NAPA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. I don't know what other players are thinking. Ray Lewis has won a Super Bowl MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and has earned nine Pro Bowl invitations. I think so. He had his right leg amputated in 2007. And Nitschke, it was right toward the end of his career, and he was I guess letting Carter get some time in there. I bit his ear. Kilroy, who played back in the days when offensive linemen weren't allowed to extend their arms to block, was considered the dirtiest player in the NFL, and he helped Philadelphia win back-to-back NFL championships. Butkus was a turnover machine and earned eight Pro Bowl selections in his nine seasons.
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