Football has given me so many memories that money cant buy, he said. 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? PBS Privacy Policy He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. His head still down, Nagurski ran full speed into the brick outfield wall there at Wrigley Field. Jim Otto was a Raiders ironman. There have been times when Ive said, Whyd I do this?, But I wasnt going to lay there and whine. I'm not complaining about it. We need people in the National Football League now, and I think we have various different projects going within the NFL -- the NFL Players Association, the NFL Alumni -- to help these guys now, because I did go to the Alumni, I did go to the Players Association and get monies from them for other rehabs for other players. He's going to make some trash out of me. But you're saying there are issues? Now, you were talking about Webster and how he would approach the game. Greene was notorious for kicking a player when he was down and had to be ejected from a game in 1975 for repeatedly kicking a Cleveland Browns player in the groin. I was proud that the NFL started the random drug testing, and Im sure use has decreased, said Huizenga, the former Raiders doctor, but its still there. It came from the game. We had the same thing, similar, happen to a center who took my place after I retired, Dave Dalby. 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. The 2003 NFL MVP, McNair has never missed a playoff start and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999. My nose was broken pretty, pretty good. I'm just astounded, and he's using this hand that is broken as a club. I'm hurting like a son of a gun. Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff said, Hardy Brown was a designated hitter. WebLatest on C Jim Otto including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com I put my head down and charged into the hole. And so these thoughts that have come through your head are fairly recent then? Associated With Going across the middle against Dick Butkus was considered attempted suicide. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. 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. In 1974, he used a cast on his broken left hand as a weapon. It was 1st and 10, and they gave the ball to Nagurski up the middle. I'm going to meet you someplace in there, and maybe one of us is going to lose a leg. Kilroy denied the charge. Ex-Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes and former Miami Dolphins running back Mercury Morris have served time on drug convictions. WebJim Otto (born January 10, 1992) is a retired American football Offensive Tackle. 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. It was a good, clean hit. 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? You're the tackler, and you get fined. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. And it was about two days after the football game in high school my senior year. But those things would either stimulate them or it would put them under to the point where the pain was no longer there. Dick Butkus, Linebacker, Chicago Bears (1965-1973), Dick Butkus was the angriest, most ferocious, menacing, and yes, toughest player to ever play the game of football. We havent seen the worst yet.. If they don't enjoy it, then they should play soccer or they should play something else. These are young people who have achieved a lot of emotional and economic success at an early age, but they never think about their careers ending. So there's different degrees of concussions; I want you to know that. But a number of former players, including receiver Al Toon of the New York Jets and running back Vic Washington of the 49ers, developed post-traumatic stress disorder. I forget words. It's like the way that you used to do it. You did though, that was during practices they would do that? He was issued jersey number 50 for the AFL's inaugural season, 1960, but switched to his familiar 00 the next season. It's incredibly debatable, but here is my attempt to rank them in order for toughness. Some play with injuries because they fear they might lose their job or position and their self-concept and identity. For 19 straight seasons. As a rookie, he was notorious for threatening veterans and starting fights in training camp. I never went out of the game. Ernie Stautner comes in the huddle, and his thumb is broken back against his wrist. Jim Strub wrote from a mountainside in Colorado. Hein played fifteen seasons with the Giants and never missed a play. Do you feel like there's an increased notoriety of players when something very bad happens like a suicide? And you couldn't remember. 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. It was really bad. Doesn't say anything. They want my brain at I think it's Michigan or --. I think some of these below-the-waist blocks as well, sure, you stand to hurt a knee or stand to hurt something. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. Before his death in 1992, Raiders defensive lineman Lyle Alzado said long-term steroid use was the cause of the brain tumor that eventually killed him. Yeah, I think it was in -- I'm not exactly sure what year; it was '72 or something. They told me if I took the shots and played, it would get better, said Marsh. It's strange; it's really strange. During his fifth training camp, he suffered the injury that ultimately led to amputation. 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 played in an era when quarterbacks did not receive much protection, specifically on late hits. The symptoms are nightmares and cold sweats. Jim Otto. In 14 seasons of play for the Oakland Raiders, Jim Otto played had a punishing history of injuries. He needed 74 surgeries for his football injuries, including the amputation of one of his legs. This interview was conducted by FRONTLINEs Tom Jennings on Dec. 22, 2012. Could someone please explain to me why Jim Marshall is not in the Hall of Fame? I said why isn't there somebody taking care of him? When Lotts finger didnt heal properly, he told the doctors to cut it off, and they amputated his pinkie at the third knuckle. What's going on? Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor revolutionized pro football in the 1980s. (AP Photo) Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb If you get hit in the head and a little dizziness comes out of it, you've suffered a concussion. He was middle linebacker for the Packers. Over his 14-year career, which How tall is Jim Otto? 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. "Uh-uh, can't do it," you know? His famed right shoulder was responsible for dozens of broken noses and jaws. And so yes, he broke my helmet; he broke my face mask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here. I think I'm just kind of touchy about thinking that my body is going to be separated from something and probably not in the same grave, maybe that's what I'm thinking of. Csonka also broke his nose 10 times in his career, causing it to be permanently deformed, and would remain in the game despite blood pouring out of it. Corporate Sponsorship Flat-out refusedthat is, until the league made him. Jack Youngblood, Defensive End, Los Angeles Rams (1971-1984). But I don't think you can blame it -- I don't know. And she says, "I didn't marry you for that leg anyway." Nearly two out of three retirees live with a permanent injury. Get hit in the head so hard your eyes were crossed? Garrison has also played through a separated shoulder, a severely broken nose and a broken collarbone. He retired from the Arena Football League in 1992. Hein remains the only offensive linemen to ever win the MVP award (1938). Editors note: Sadly, Class of 52 correspondent Joan Boffa Gaul passed away on April 11, 2023.This column, her final one, was written in February. McDonald suffered exactly zero broken noses and knocked out teeth in his career. Some things couldnt be measured, however, like Jims self-motivation, commitment and pride. Favre has earned three MVP awards and led the Packers to a championship in 1996. American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. When Lotts finger didnt heal properly, he told the doctors to cut it off, and they amputated his pinkie at the third knuckle. 25. Well, in being taught to lead with your head and shoulders to make a tackle, and basically place your head to where it's going to hit the ball, because you get some good fumbles that way when you tackle and place your head and shoulders to where you're going to hit the side where he's carrying the ball. You're taught to lead with your head. Yeah, just on the line, hitting each other. Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory is the story about a man who fought through numerous injuries, frequent surgeries, and a myriad of other maladies. I can't perform like I used to for a lot of different things physically, but I don't think it's directly connected to the brain. And a lot of times these guys fall into that category or one of those categories, and it happens that they commit suicide. He suffered from chronic back pain due to Then we go back in. WebHow did Jim Otto loose his leg? 8. Teammate Charlie Waters recalls the time that Garrison accidentally cut his thumb with a knife so that it was dangling from his hand. He had his right leg amputated in 2007. So all of a sudden here comes Raymond into the game. In 15 seasons, Otto played 210 consecutive games and made the AFL All-Star or Pro Bowl team 12 times. He was once the leagues iron man, but Ottos body is now a combination of plastic joints, flesh and screws. We met at the line of scrimmage, and you could hear the thud all over the Polo Grounds. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. You sit there. He also had a ramp to enter the bathtub. The former Titans star quarterback has injured nearly every part of his body at one time or another. George Trafton, Center, Chicago Bears (1920-1921, 1923-1932). Coaches had a way of making you feel less manly if you didnt play. And that's the way we played. Mark Bavaro, Tight End, New York Giants & Cleveland Browns & Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1990, 1992-1994). Lawrence was Dick Butkus, but with speed and range, said John Madden, analyst for Fox television. Longtime Raiders team doctor Robert Rosenfield, who died last January of cancer, diagnosed it as strained ligaments. When other coaches started seeing what a guy that size could do, they all wanted monster players with speed. But a lot of guys no longer get the "Hey, Joe, how you doing. " Yeah. WebInducted 1998. The FRONTLINE Interview: Jim Otto | League of Denial: The NFL's Otto eventually had to have his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007. I don't know that much about other players regarding suicide. Unitas could intimidate without being one of the physical players. Earl Campbell, Running Back, Houston Oilers & New Orleans Saints (1978-1985), I can't think of anyone who even comes in a close second, when you say, Running backswho really hurts? 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.. Was there anybody that helped Mike Webster go through rehab at that time? Conrad Dobler, Guard, St. Louis Cardinals & New Orleans Saints & Buffalo Bills (1972-1981). Jim Otto, Center, Oakland Raiders (1960-1974), Otto played fifteen seasons and never missed a game, despite 10 broken noses and over 40 back, knee, and shoulder operations, including 28 to his knees alone. I mean, in the line it's war. When you have nobody helping you in a situation like that, I would imagine it's a pretty empty feeling to be going through life with that problem and nobody is coming to help you. He was called the John Wayne of Football by John Madden. I love everybody, and I love to know them; I love to remember their names, but sometimes if I can't remember a name, I'm not going to fret over it and get upset. I don't know, but I only know basically what's in my mind and in my heart, and what I told you about what I was thinking. And sure, this hurts, but, you know -- and it can hurt somebody, but I don't think a guy should get fined for doing something he was taught to do all through high school, in college and now in the pros. After the game, we go into the locker room and he says, Hey Doc, I think I got a problem. Andy Russell, linebacker, 36. I'm sure he would. 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. Back then, owners would do anything to maximize their payrolls to win the war games. I've been going to pain clinic now for about a month, two months, where they're working on various different things on my body to release the pain from my neck, from my back, from certain parts of my body that's really bothering me. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. Butkus, once the the most feared player in football, sometimes walks as if one leg is inches longer than the other. His last game, up in Cleveland, he came out of the hospital to play with a broken rib, a punctured lung, and pneumonia. Its an orthopedics surgeons dream. Among Doblers principal offenses were biting, gouging, punching, kicking, and grabbing the face mask. I've had amnesia like that. When the Minneapolis contigent decided to move forward with an NFL franchise, Jim Ottos rights defauted to the AFLs Oakland Raiders. 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. Not one. Fencik, a Bears safety, speaks about a hit that occurred in practice. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. Now, I don't think that's fair. And I'm sure there's a lot of studies going on with regard to what was going on with him prior to this. 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. Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. And it's a good hit. In addition to playing offensive center at UM, he also played linebacker on defense. I think if you were to look at me and evaluate me, it was a matter of pride. Thats why I think Id come back and do it again.. If I had a graph I could show you it. The NFL Hall of Famer recounts his legendary career with the Oakland Raiders, his many injuries, and the terrible cost of playing through the pain.From 1960 to 1974, Jim Otto played center for the Oakland Raiders, leading the team to historic AFL and NFL victories. He takes his thumb in his hand and wrenches it down into his fist. So when you retire from football and you've been involved in football, some kids -- it never happened to me. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. He said, Football is tough. He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. He proudly stated that he played football because it was the only way he could hit someone and get away with it. He hasnt jogged since January 1989. He was also named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team. He ran 32 times for 168 yards and caught 10 balls for 61 yards. It has to really be studied. Hell no, I wouldnt do it all over again, said Krueger. 24. The AFL permitted the unusual number because it was a pun on Otto's name (aught-oh). Now, the NFL average is about 300, and increasing. 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. There is a new level of information, and they've done some good studies on it, which are very important. Why? Dick Plasman, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears & Chicago Cardinals (1937-1947). One time, Otto nearly died on the operating table. Well, in some cases guys are heroes, and all of a sudden they're not heroes. He chewed through the bars of his face mask and reportedly ate the window panes of the team bus. We're going to get a broken leg, a broken shoulder or something, but I'm going to hit you like nobody else. Jon Runyan, Tackle, Houston/Tennessee Oilers & Titans, Philadelphia Eagles (1996-present). I've had various different cognitive tests regarding my brain. 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. 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. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. 17. Well, a huge hole opened, and I saw him coming. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback & Safety, San Francisco 49ers & Los Angeles Raiders & New York Jets & Kansas City Chiefs (1981-1995). 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. And that's why we played. He helped the Steelers win four Super Bowl titles in a six-year span in the 1970's and is probably the most important player in team history. And he told me that so many times: "Pops, I'm going to be just like you. Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! As a show of respect, he always calls Raiders' owner Al Davis "Mr. He was drafted into the U.S. Army after his rookie season and endured shrapnel wounds to his right leg. WebHe considered the 20-some broken noses as more nuisance than hindrance, along with a hip pointer, broken fingers, broken ribs, a broken jaw, neck stingers, numerous Retirement affects athletes in different ways, said Fishelman, the Baltimore doctor. 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. Players are bigger now. In the opening chapter of his autobiography, Jim provides an accounting: 38 surgeries (a total now estimated to have doubled since the books 2000 publishing date), including 28 on his knees alone, both of which are artificial, as are both shoulders. His right leg was eventually amputated in I mean, we battled in there, and this is the result of it right here, sitting here, looking at you. OK, you started by saying that suicide is not something that people talk about in the NFL, or have [not] until fairly recently anyhow. Favre has played through unbelievable injuries, including a broken and sprained thumb on his right hand, a badly sprained left ankle, a sprained left foot, a sprained left knee, a torn ligament in his left knee, a severely bruised left hip, and a separated left shoulder. He was a football and ice hockey star at Wausau High and had no knee trouble, although he says he did play a season on a severely injured ankle. Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and Well, during my career, I had a lot of hits to the head. I just -- I know and I've told that those are the battle scars of a gladiator. 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. He plays the entire game. Nobody is giving me any special help. With the Cowboys and Giants fighting for the NFC East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Emmitt played the entire game with a sprained and separated right shoulder. In one game, he knocked out the entire Washington Redskins backfield one by one. He defined toughness as, more of a mental aspect than a physical power, saying, Toughness doesn't necessarily mean physical prowess; it's more mental., 3. I don't make want to make excuses. 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. Below is a look at some of Jim Ottos career accomplishments and highlights. It is filled with sights and sounds of collisions that are sometimes startling and other times frightening. The guy coming down the field to cover the kickoff, the guy with the ball with the kickoff, hey, this is football. 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. 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? I am really sore, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to take care of that. But has suicide and those kind of mental traumas, extreme points like a suicide, has that always been a feature that you've known about that's been kind of the chatter of the backroom [among] players? You got hit in the head, and you had amnesia. Former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charlie Krueger was a tough guy. Dobler, in an ESPN poll, was named the dirtiest professional athlete of all time. Jim Marshall, Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings (1960-1979). And that's what I'm doing. During the 1980s, Otto was involved in numerous business ventures. Lewis's toughness peaked when he dislocated his elbow so seriously that a teammate was forced to help him put on his jewelry. Never misses a down. And the helmets weren't made very good. 23. If anybody tells you anything different, then they are dumber than I think they are., Krueger replied: Oh yeah, wait till some of these guys turn 65, and they have a bad heart, crummy knees or a screwed-up personality. He's beating people with it. To this day, Otto embodies the toughness and determination the Raiders began to ferment in the mid-1960s, after Al Davis took control of the team and later hired John Madden as head coach. Theyd shoot you up, and you could get painkillers anywhere. Doctors can pressure players who dont think they will ever get hurt or the ones who think they have only a few years left to make money.. In one game, he was knocked unconscious by a 49er defender. The highly educated are hiring counselors to advise them on masking agents and certain other breakdown products. I think, why am I thinking this? Doesn't show it to anybody. You seem completely with it and pulling up words and memories and having no problems at all. 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. I don't like concussions. I don't have knees anymore. He tells a very straightforward biography of himself, deals out very little dirt but tells it as he sees it. Otto was one of only 20 players to play for the entire ten-year existence of the American Football League, and was selected as the Sporting News All-League center from 1960 through 1969. In 1951 alone, he knocked out 21 players. 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. But Jim suffered greatly for that glory. It all swelled up, and I couldn't see, but I kept playing. Mike Webster is doing this every play. One contract can provide financial security for a lifetime. Let them play it the way it's supposed to be played, the way the rules are, and don't keep changing the rules. To break a helmet, split it right here in front, to have it then break your nose and the face mask that you have there, so --. Because I don't want to believe that that's what's happened.
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