WebHow did Jim Otto loose his leg? And playing with concussions, playing with other problems that we did play with, never coming off the field --. 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? I think what they're doing, they're going to cost so much money that the owners and high schools won't be able to afford the insurance for the game and stuff like that. Minor injuries, therefore minor distractions, he called them. They're suing everybody for a lot of money, which I don't like because that's going to hurt football in high school, Little League and in pros.
Jim Otto - Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame The average weight for a lineman on the Colts championship teams in 1958 and 1959 was 240 pounds. The desire of Ray Lewis to be the greatest linebacker in NFL history is fueled by an inner toughness that manifests itself on the football field. This interview was conducted by FRONTLINEs Tom Jennings on Dec. 22, 2012. As a rookie, he was notorious for threatening veterans and starting fights in training camp. 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. Butkus, once the the most feared player in football, sometimes walks as if one leg is inches longer than the other. Immediately everybody rushes to blame football or blame some other thing happened in their life either socially, emotionally or psychologically. 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. 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?
He recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles with a severely torn pectoral muscle. 190-pound linebacker Hardy Brown was the hardest-hitting player who ever lived. He has had two major back surgeries, 16 knee operations and five artificial knees. He ran 32 times for 168 yards and caught 10 balls for 61 yards. 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. Jim Strub wrote from a mountainside in Colorado. I wanted to play. Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. In 1990, four players were suspended. But let them play. Since 1995, Otto has worked for the Raiders in the department of special projects and is active in the business world. 7. However, they came back stronger in 1972, scoring 365 points (26.1 points/game), 3rd of 26 teams in the NFL, but lost 13-7 to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round of the 1972-73 NFL playoffs, the infamous and outrageous (from Oakland's point of view) Immaculate Reception game. Now, the NFL average is about 300, and increasing. Ronnie Lott was a cornerback who hit like a linebacker. The Rock Island fans were so angered that a rock-throwing mob chased him from the field. I look at Dave Dalby, because he used to tell me he wanted to follow me in my footsteps. Mike Webster is doing this every play. We had the same thing, similar, happen to a center who took my place after I retired, Dave Dalby. 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.
Jim Otto Because I don't want to believe that that's what's happened. You did though, that was during practices they would do that? 18. Most of these players are young, and they feel invincible, said Stuart Fishelman, a Baltimore doctor who provides sports psychology services. He was not a great linebacker. 15. Jack Youngblood, Defensive End, Los Angeles Rams (1971-1984). 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. And that's what I'm doing. Retirement affects athletes in different ways, said Fishelman, the Baltimore doctor. Dick Plasman, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears & Chicago Cardinals (1937-1947). George Trafton, Center, Chicago Bears (1920-1921, 1923-1932).
Jim Otto Johnny Unitas, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers & Baltimore Colts & San Diego Chargers (1956-1974).
Is a Short NFL Career Worth One Lifetime of Disabilities? I've had amnesia like that. 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. He was double-teamed, every play, for his entire career. He spit in the face of Eagles safety Bill Bradley as he lay injured on the ground. He got beat up so bad in his early years. I don't know that much about other players regarding suicide. NFL tough guy was fined for: kicking fullback Larry Centers in the head (1995); breaking Kerry Collins' jaw on a preseason helmet-to-helmet hit (1997); throwing a football at linebacker Bryan Cox and hitting him in the groin (1999); punching tight end Tony Gonzalez (1999); and breaking the eye socket of teammate Marcus Williams in a scrimmage, forcing him to retire (2003). My nose was broken pretty, pretty good. 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. There is also a tremendous fear perpetuated by management that younger guys are a threat if you cant perform.. and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. Youngblood played the final three games of the 1979 NFL playoffs, including the Super Bowl against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a heavily-taped broken leg. I've had over 20 concussions myself, and I don't like them. I just -- I know and I've told that those are the battle scars of a gladiator. He's beating people with it. Nearly two out of three retirees live with a permanent injury. Emmitt Smith, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys & Arizona Cardinals (1990-2004), Emmitt Smith transformed the epitome of toughness on national television in the last game of the season in 1993. So I'm figuring now he's going to ask for the doctor, and he may have to go to the hospital because this thing could get infected, and he says, Give me some tape. So they throw him some tape and he just starts taping this huge ball. 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. You got your nose broken, right? Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller. Doesn't show it to anybody. Enumerate the results. Here's the last question. Unitas missed most of the 1968 season due to injury but returned in the Super Bowl to lead Baltimore on its only touchdown drive in a 16-7 loss to the Jets. Well, the results with myself, you know, has been very difficult.
Jim Otto was a Raiders ironman - Las Vegas Review-Journal I saw Meredith's nose broken so bad that it spread all over his face. That crackling thud can mean a broken bone or a torn cartilage--and a redefined life. Bleier eventually played on four Super Bowl championships and earned a reputation as both a fearsome blocker and a powerful runner. Does that take a certain temperament? They're no longer heroes. I'm sure he would. WebAs a result of injuries sustained during his playing career, he has endured more than 70 surgeries, including nearly 30 knee operations. During one game in 1970, a piece of Kruegers knee was broken off, but he was given codeine and put back in to play. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. Or Boston, one of those, or North Carolina. Hitting harder than anyone else was very important to us. But you're saying there are issues? It actually has to do with Junior Seau this past year and other recent events.
Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory - Jim Otto, Dave Newhouse - Google 6. Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus had a similar situation with the Bears. I know that I went to war, and I came out of the battle with what I got, and that's the way it is. Double-zero recalls stories about all of his famous Raider teammates, his most memorable opponents, and the behind-the-scenes life of an NFL Hall of Famer. He played five more games before the loose bone mass was removed. Once you leave the game, people forget about you quite quickly, said Drew Pearson, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. "Uh-uh, can't do it," you know? I was hitting him with such force, and he was coming at me with such force that this is what happened. But still, you led with your head, and that was part of football; that was what we learned. 21. Krueger endured as many as 50 procedures in which bloody fluid was removed from his swollen knee and replaced with steroid compounds. I don't want to make an excuse. In order to foster a civil and literate discussion that respects all participants, FRONTLINE has the following guidelines for commentary. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. I'm going to be just like you, Pops." Football is a contact sport, and injuries are a part of the game. Or what about if you had amnesia for two days? It would become so embarrassing that I stopped going out in public, said Otto, who had his knees drained and injected with painkillers four times a week during his last three playing years.
A Living Raider Legend, "Mr. Raider," Jim Otto - Sports I wanted to play well every week, no matter what, but in this game, we started out with Jim Carter in the middle. I saw the bone.
Courtesy of Pro Football Hall of Fame His right leg was eventually amputated in 2007. Bednarik was nicknamed Concrete Charlie and to me, will always be known for the phrase I heard him say at training camp one year: Today's football players are underplayed and overpaid., 9. I forget words. Injuries and Surgeries Otto punished his body greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 40 surgeries, including 28 knee operations (nine of them during his There's the toughness of getting the snot knocked out of you, and the can't-be-intimidated, never-quit kind of tough. Doesn't say anything. And he told me that so many times: "Pops, I'm going to be just like you. Marshall earned his fame as a member of the Purple People Eaters of the early 1970s. He chewed through the bars of his face mask and reportedly ate the window panes of the team bus. 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. WebInjuries and surgeries. As the size increases, so does the force of the collisions. It's just a physical battle in there, that you have to do. Larry Wilson, Safety, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972), Larry Wilson is best known for inventing the safety blitz. After a few days, Otto gave out a press conference telling the nation that he had retired from the game of football. They do it now, which is good. (AP Photo) Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb 34. He paralyzed wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a preseason game in 1978 on a clean hit. Mark Bavaro, Tight End, New York Giants & Cleveland Browns & Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1990, 1992-1994). His right leg was eventually amputated in 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 the first sentence of his foreword for the book, Hall of Fame coach John Madden writes: If someone came from another planet and wanted to know what a football player looked like, youd show him a poster of Jim Otto. Madden goes on to call Jim the greatest center who ever played.. Steve McNair is the definition of playing through pain.
"I'm not out there crying" over concussions, "I would walk off the field and my eyes would be crossed", "Hitting harder than anyone else was very important to us.". And we were together a lot. Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons & Green Bay Packers & New York Jets (1991-present). 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. "Double O" starred for Wausau East, but even after college was considered Could someone please explain to me why Jim Marshall is not in the Hall of Fame? 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. He turned Romanowski played in 243 consecutive games, a record for a linebacker, and played for four Super Bowl champions. Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens (1996-present). The 2003 NFL MVP, McNair has never missed a playoff start and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999. I mean, it's affected my life; it surely has. 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 alone) and multiple joint replacements. Butkus's opponents claimed that Butkus was like an odor that you could feel or sense on the field. A Living Raider Legend, "Mr. He was middle linebacker for the Packers. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback & Safety, San Francisco 49ers & Los Angeles Raiders & New York Jets & Kansas City Chiefs (1981-1995). They dont want to believe that someone put them in a position to make them look like idiots., Former Colts quarterback Bert Jones, 45, said: Everybody goes into the game realizing that two things are going to happen: Either one day youre going to be cut because youre no longer good enough, or an injury is going to cut short your career. Mike Curtis, Linebacker, Baltimore Colts & Seattle Seahawks & Washington Redskins (1965-1978). Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett calls LT an old-school player. No. Theyre still in that state of denial. Ive heard guys like Jim Otto and Dan Hampton say they would do it again. It's more retirement I think than anything else. His head still down, Nagurski ran full speed into the brick outfield wall there at Wrigley Field. Tommy McDonald, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles & Dallas Cowboys & Los Angeles Rams & Atlanta Falcons & Cleveland Browns (1957-1968).
Heart of a Champion: The 40 Toughest Players in NFL History Conrad Dobler, Guard, St. Louis Cardinals & New Orleans Saints & Buffalo Bills (1972-1981). I don't like to think about what these guys are talking about with regards to concussions and how it could affect our lives. How tall is Jim Otto? WebJim Otto: The Pain of Glory is the story about a man who fought through numerous injuries, frequent surgeries, and a myriad of other maladies. Today, he tours the country giving motivational speeches. It has come upon people and hurt people for periods of time, you know? Csonka was a bull in a china shop. We havent seen the worst yet.. Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. 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). I had my arms around his legs, and my shoulder dug into him. Gary Fencik: I had the displeasure of tackling, by accident, Walter only once in my 12-year career. He wasted little time eliminating one other problem his size.
Jim Otto Associated With Plasman refused to wear a helmet. In 1958, with three broken ribs and a punctured lung, he led the Colts to the NFL title while wearing a protective harness. Lawrence Taylor, Linebacker, New York Giants (1981-1993), LT was easily the most disruptive defensive force in NFL history. A Jim Otto is doing this every play. 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 Not one. And I went, "Yay." Former Raiders internist Dr. I don't know what they were taking. If you get hit in the head and a little dizziness comes out of it, you've suffered a concussion. And that is something that I'm dealing with. Including pre-season, regular season and post-season games, Otto competed in 308 consecutive games. Football has given me so many memories that money cant buy, he said. And I've refused at this point yet to give them that. 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. You are fully responsible for your comments. Since then, only three players have been suspended for the minimum four weeks for a first offense. But those things would either stimulate them or it would put them under to the point where the pain was no longer there. I put my head down and charged into the hole.
How Many Surgeries Has Jim Otto Had? - Sportsmanist Do you feel like those injuries that they suffered, those hits that they took on the line, like you took, contributed to their illnesses?