There were two times. Kilroy denied the charge. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. 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. Jon Runyan, Tackle, Houston/Tennessee Oilers & Titans, Philadelphia Eagles (1996-present). He went down, then got up and trotted off the field. I think a lot of it is related to the pain and the lack of ability that I have for doing certain things. It's a tough sport. According to the latest NFLPA survey, conducted in 1990, more than one-third of 645 players whose careers began as early as 1940 and ended no later than 1986 retired because of disabling injuries. Today, he tours the country giving motivational speeches. Ive heard guys like Jim Otto and Dan Hampton say they would do it again. They do it now, which is good. Jack Tatum, Safety, Oakland Raiders & Houston Oilers (1971-1980), He was nicknamed The Assassin. He knocked out future Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey in the first game of his career. NAPA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. His right leg was eventually amputated in And that's what I'm doing. 13. He proudly stated that he played football because it was the only way he could hit someone and get away with it. Jim Otto was a Raiders ironman - Las Vegas Review-Journal Mike Webster is doing this every play. It's more retirement I think than anything else. The FRONTLINE Interview: Jim Otto | League of Denial: The NFL's He said, Football is tough. My wife is starting to try to convince me to do it. 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. 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. He was drafted into the U.S. Army after his rookie season and endured shrapnel wounds to his right leg. What is the result exactly? And that is something that I'm dealing with. He was middle linebacker for the Packers. There was about 150 people come, and naturally I wanted to play well and everything. Lavine, now the University of Marylands team doctor, agrees with Huizenga, but adds the pressure does not come solely from owners, but also from coaches, parents and especially players. In 1951 alone, he knocked out 21 players. He has a compound fracture of the thumb. In one game, he knocked out the entire Washington Redskins backfield one by one. He has played through numerous injuries, including a broken bone in his back. Johnny Unitas, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers & Baltimore Colts & San Diego Chargers (1956-1974). 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. But has it always been one of those things that's been in there that players have known about other players? Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and insert rods, screws and ties so he could walk again. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. One contract can provide financial security for a lifetime. His joints are riddled with arthritis, and he has debilitating back and neck problems. As a rookie in 1920, he angered the Rock Island Independents so bad that they sent four players into the game on a mission to destroy Trafton. Yeah, I think it was in -- I'm not exactly sure what year; it was '72 or something. Fencik, a Bears safety, speaks about a hit that occurred in practice. He has had two major back surgeries, 16 knee operations and five artificial knees. OK, you started by saying that suicide is not something that people talk about in the NFL, or have [not] until fairly recently anyhow. And that's the way we played. Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne has called Wilson pound for pound the toughest player in the NFL., 31. And he told me that so many times: "Pops, I'm going to be just like you. They never told me part of my knee was missing, said Krueger. Below is a look at some of Jim Ottos career accomplishments and highlights. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Nearly two out of three retirees live with a permanent injury. It came from the relations with the game, yes. Jim Otto Nobody is giving me any special help. Jim Otto It's the way we were taught to hit. 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. I played football because I loved the game, and I did everything I could to win, and people knew that, Jim said. Do you feel like that's associated with football, too? Raiders legend Otto undergoes right leg amputation - ESPN Jim Otto, center for the Oakland Raiders, poses on Aug. 15, 1970. Romanowski played in 243 consecutive games, a record for a linebacker, and played for four Super Bowl champions. Football has given me so many memories that money cant buy, he said. Nothing dirty about it. 4. Well, the results with myself, you know, has been very difficult. It actually has to do with Junior Seau this past year and other recent events. And a lot of times these guys fall into that category or one of those categories, and it happens that they commit suicide. 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. Hell no, I wouldnt do it all over again, said Krueger. I was depressed because I wasn't running out on the field anymore, when they announced "At center, Jim Otto." Mel Hein, Center, New York Giants (1931-1945). He takes his thumb in his hand and wrenches it down into his fist. 12. Forty-year-old players are having the same problems as 80-year-old men., Wherever there is repeated trauma to certain areas, wherever joints and ligaments have been injured, arthritis and other degenerative diseases, well, its going to happen, said Dr. Stan Lavine, team physician of the Washington Redskins from 1975 through 1985. 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. I'm hurting like a son of a gun. I'm not complaining about it. In a playoff game in 1972, Greene recorded five sacks, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble, and blocked a field goal in a 9-3 win vs. Houston. Contact FRONTLINE The AFL permitted the unusual number because it was a pun on Otto's name (aught-oh). It came from the game. Favre has started 287 consecutive games, including the postseason, an all-time record for a quarterback. Jim Otto was elected into the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1980. 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. Or what about if you had amnesia for two days? My nose was broken pretty, pretty good. And it's a good hit. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, the first year he was eligible. There's a battle, and that battle is going on. Marsh played with the Raiders seven years, during which he was hospitalized 18 times and had 13 surgeries. 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. Why isn't there somebody that can help him? Get hit in the head so hard your eyes were crossed? And then there's the players below who contain all of these qualities. Was there anybody that helped Mike Webster go through rehab at that time? In one game, he was knocked unconscious by a 49er defender. Teammate Charlie Waters recalls the time that Garrison accidentally cut his thumb with a knife so that it was dangling from his hand. They all have the crab-like walk, and its hard to believe they were once these feared gladiators. There's so many things psychologically that can affect each and every person in this world, not just football players. He needed 74 surgeries for his football injuries, including the amputation of one of his legs. It's strange; it's really strange. He recorded three sacks and forced two fumbles with a severely torn pectoral muscle. Entries that are unsigned or are "signed" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. 40. So you were saying it was war out there. So it was probably a frontal type of concussion, I don't know. 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. He suffered from chronic back pain due to Utleys injury received a lot of media attention because it happened during a game. There have been problems with steroids. But let them play. Big was in.. Anything loosea knee pad, a shoe, a chin strapwould be ripped off by a Butkus tackle. It's not for weak-hearted guys. Ernie Stautner comes in the huddle, and his thumb is broken back against his wrist. He spent the week prior to a game building up his hatred over the opponent. He was one of the best 4th-and-1 runners in NFL history. 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. 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. It was a matter of pride in the way we did things. 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. I look at Dave Dalby, because he used to tell me he wanted to follow me in my footsteps. 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. Football is a contact sport, and injuries are a part of the game. The gladiator goes until he can't go anymore. 7. But that didn't bother me that much. He rushed for over 100 yards, caught several passes, and helped the Cowboys continue their path to the Super Bowl. Now, the tackler is fined $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, whatever it is for a blow to the head. By submitting comments here, you are consenting to these rules:Readers' comments that include profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, harassment, or are defamatory, sexist, racist, violate a third party's right to privacy, or are otherwise inappropriate, will be removed. 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 No. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. You ever go to a retired players association convention? said Yaras-Davis. There's the toughness of getting the snot knocked out of you, and the can't-be-intimidated, never-quit kind of tough. You're taught to lead with your head. He makes this big fist. But many former players are experiencing health problems after the spotlight dims, the celebrity fades and they cease to be larger than life. 27. Jim Otto - Wikipedia For the next fifteen years, Otto became a fixture at center for the Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. One of pro footballs legendary ironmen, Jim played in 210 consecutive regular-season games from his rookie-season opener to the final game of his last season. They've asked for my brain. Runyan has started 180 consecutive games at right tackle, and has played in the postseason on seven occasions. You got hit in the head, and you had amnesia. I don't like to think about what these guys are talking about with regards to concussions and how it could affect our lives. 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, when that tackler -- in so many cases, if you watch the television, you watch the film, you see that tackler coming in with his head and his shoulders, which he's been taught to use to tackle his whole life. I wanted to play well every week, no matter what, but in this game, we started out with Jim Carter in the middle. 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. Jim Otto Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges 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. It has come upon people and hurt people for periods of time, you know? And then tell me about a good solid head hit that you remember from the NFL as well. We havent seen the worst yet.. He finally returned after a three-year absence. 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 Raiders missed the playoffs for the first time in 5 years in 1971, despite scoring 344 points (24.6 points/game), 2nd of 26 teams in the NFL. How tall is Jim Otto? A lot of things. Favre has earned three MVP awards and led the Packers to a championship in 1996. He wasted little time eliminating one other problem his size. 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. There is also a tremendous fear perpetuated by management that younger guys are a threat if you cant perform.. What's going on? And boy, the rest of the day was hell for me. The ironic part? He was issued jersey number 50 for the AFL's inaugural season, 1960, but switched to his familiar 00 the next season. And when he drops his head, he drops his head right to the spot where the tackler is coming in with his head and shoulders. Why? 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. You sit there. 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. Former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charlie Krueger was a tough guy. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. I forget words. Well, a huge hole opened, and I saw him coming. Or Boston, one of those, or North Carolina. In 1997, Otto's daughter, Jennifer, a 39-year-old mother of four, died from a blood clot. Bucko Kilroy, Guard, Philadelphia Eagles (1943-1955). . He endured torn-up knees, broken hands, broken ribs, and an acutely-painful hamstring tear but never missed a game. And it bothers me. I don't make want to make excuses. Players rarely give much thought to life after football. I mean, like that disease CTE [chronic traumatic encephalopathy] --. But I'll tell you whathe had more knockouts than any of us. Brown fractured the face of an Eagles running back, broke another players vertebrae, and knocked a Steelers running backs eye out of its socket. It was really bad. OK. Yeah, but you didn't know about -- I mean, the concussions. And so yes, he broke my helmet; he broke my face mask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here. Garrison wrapped his thumb in tape and played the next day, rushing for over 100 yards. For the next 15 years, he was a fixture at center for the Oakland Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. That's number one. The FRONTLINE Interview: Jim Otto | League of Denial: The NFL's Let me ask you. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. I think the positive situations would certainly outweigh the negatives.. Most of these players are young, and they feel invincible, said Stuart Fishelman, a Baltimore doctor who provides sports psychology services. Dick Plasman, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears & Chicago Cardinals (1937-1947). Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory 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.. And that happened to me in college, too, so it -- each time [I] had a very sickly feeling after it had happened, you know? Chuck Bednarik, Center & Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles (1949-1962), The greatest collision of all time was Bednarik hitting Gifford. 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. WebLatest on C Jim Otto including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. While an encore performance on the field isnt possible, Jims glorious playing career can be appreciated again this week in the Gold Jacket Spotlight. That's the way football is, and if you don't want to play it that way, we can get you playing some girls' games. Heart of a Champion: The 40 Toughest Players in NFL History Garrison has also played through a separated shoulder, a severely broken nose and a broken collarbone. Well, in some cases guys are heroes, and all of a sudden they're not heroes. And over here these guys are wanting the world. Enumerate the results. The Cowboys won the game, earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and captured the Super Bowl title. Some things couldnt be measured, however, like Jims self-motivation, commitment and pride. I'm telling you about it right now: I hurt. Deacon Jones, Defensive End, Los Angeles Rams & San Diego Chargers & Washington Redskins (1961-1974), The NFL's unofficial record-holder with 26 sacks in the 1967 season, Deacon coined the term sack. Jones said that toughness is defined not by playing through pain, but by avoiding pain in the first place. But I don't think it's that important, you know, to remember someone's name. He owned numerous Burger King Restaurants near Sacramento, California until the early 1990s. Its not for whiners.. I mean, if you played marbles against Mike Webster, he still would beat you. Yeah. You want to spell football: T-U-F-F. And I've refused at this point yet to give them that. Ray Lewis has won a Super Bowl MVP, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and has earned nine Pro Bowl invitations. 21. Right. He was not a great linebacker. Butkus's opponents claimed that Butkus was like an odor that you could feel or sense on the field. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. There is a new level of information, and they've done some good studies on it, which are very important. Jim Brown, Running Back, Cleveland Browns (1957-1965), Arguably the greatest combination of power and speed the game has ever seen, Brown missed one game in his nine-year career. 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. Some players have catheterized themselves and replaced their own urine with clean samples before testing.. 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? "Uh-uh, can't do it," you know? Oh no. When you have a blow like that, it's a concussion; there's no doubt about it. He won eight rushing titles before abruptly retiring at the age of 30. Twenty-three, 22, you lose count after a while, said Otto, the former Oakland Raiders center. He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. We met at the line of scrimmage, and you could hear the thud all over the Polo Grounds. He was double-teamed, every play, for his entire career. Larry Csonka, Fullback, Miami Dolphins & New York Giants (1968-1974, 1976-1979). He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Jack Youngblood, Defensive End, Los Angeles Rams (1971-1984). Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. Courtesy of Pro Football Hall of Fame Grasping lifes highs and lows for Jim Otto his excellence on the football field and the lifelong physical toll achieving that excellence extracted requires little more than reading the first few pages of his aptly titled autobiography, The Pain of Glory.. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. If they enjoy hitting somebody, let them hit people; let them play football. WebIn addition to his football injuries, Otto also had two strokes, three heart attacks, and diabetes which caused blindness in one eye. New Columns From Your Class Correspondents - Cornellians In 14 seasons of play for the Oakland Raiders, Jim Otto played had a punishing history of injuries. In a playoff game in 1970, Garrison broke three ribs in the first quarter and continued playing after he was carried off the field. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Lawrence was Dick Butkus, but with speed and range, said John Madden, analyst for Fox television. Do you associate Dalby and Webster's post-career declines and troubles with the hard-hitting nature of the game? Otto is also the subject of works by artist Matthew Barney.[3]. Jim Otto He suffered a cracked vertebra, a concussion, and crushed intestines during a car crash before his senior year of college. FOOTBALL'S PAIN A REMINDER TO JIM OTTO - The New York Times Theyd shoot you up, and you could get painkillers anywhere. 8. 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. I don't know anything that much about Junior. A Jim Otto is doing this every play. Associated With Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory Like they'd say, "Hey, Jim, what's this? 12x Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). Of those who did not leave because of injury, 56.2% reported similar emotional problems. Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963). WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. And Nitschke, it was right toward the end of his career, and he was I guess letting Carter get some time in there. He would come and help me put up hay for my horses and stuff like that. Its an orthopedics surgeons dream. Raider, grew up in Wausau, Wisconsin, a medium-sized town in the central part of the state where he excelled as a hockey goaltender and as a football center at Wausau High. I was paid to play football, not hang out in the training room.. Back then, owners would do anything to maximize their payrolls to win the war games. Otto used to collapse in the early years of his retirement, even though he walks without difficulty now. If they don't enjoy it, then they should play soccer or they should play something else. 22. That's the way Mike Webster would say it, too. 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. Dobler swore that he would never intentionally blind someone, only blur their vision. 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. Immediately everybody rushes to blame football or blame some other thing happened in their life either socially, emotionally or psychologically. Davis.". But pro football is a brutal game, a sport that long has glorified pain and punishment. 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 --. During his fifth training camp, he suffered the injury that ultimately led to amputation. I haven't necessarily told them what I'm thinking. Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett calls LT an old-school player. I've had over 20 concussions myself, and I don't like them. FRONTLINE Watch FRONTLINE Then there's mental toughness, when you're tough under pressure and not losing your poise. No matter how many passes youve caught or touchdowns youve thrown, thats nice, but it doesnt mean anything in the real world., The transition period isnt always smooth, said Yaras-Davis, noting that the average career of a player is less than four years.
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