jim otto injuries

Hardy Brown, Linebacker, Brooklyn Dodgers & Chicago Hornets & Baltimore Colts & Washington Redskins & San Francisco 49ers & Chicago Cardinals & Denver Broncos (1948-1956, 1960). Not one. and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. The psychological high and its addiction is parallel to people who become addicted to cocaine or a smoker who has a dependency on cigarettes. Theyre still in that state of denial. I'm sure he would. We met at the line of scrimmage, and you could hear the thud all over the Polo Grounds. 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. Larry Csonka, Fullback, Miami Dolphins & New York Giants (1968-1974, 1976-1979). With a broken jaw wired shut, McDonald could only drink milkshakes and watched his weight plummet from 175 to 143. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. 35. The AFL permitted the unusual number because it was a pun on Otto's name (aught-oh). His right leg was eventually amputated in 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. We had the same thing, similar, happen to a center who took my place after I retired, Dave Dalby. In 1990, four players were suspended. Gold Jacket Spotlight: Jim Otto's Pain & Glory - pfhof 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. NAPA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. Some play with injuries because they fear they might lose their job or position and their self-concept and identity. In 1997, Otto's daughter, Jennifer, a 39-year-old mother of four, died from a blood clot. Plasman refused to wear a helmet. He was double-teamed, every play, for his entire career. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. Contact FRONTLINE 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. Once you leave the game, people forget about you quite quickly, said Drew Pearson, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. 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. And I think it's very unfair. No. He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. He owned numerous Burger King Restaurants near Sacramento, California until the early 1990s. Was that right? 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. He endured torn-up knees, broken hands, broken ribs, and an acutely-painful hamstring tear but never missed a game. I can't really explain it to you here. 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. 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). And boy, the rest of the day was hell for me. The ironic part? Hein remains the only offensive linemen to ever win the MVP award (1938). So there's different degrees of concussions; I want you to know that. When players retire, they cite feelings of abandonment, loneliness, paranoia, helplessness, despair and loss of self-esteem. 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. Yeah, just on the line, hitting each other. 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've had various different cognitive tests regarding my brain. 27. I mean, we battled in there, and this is the result of it right here, sitting here, looking at you. 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. Jim Otto: The Pain of Glory - Jim Otto, Dave Newhouse - Google It has come upon people and hurt people for periods of time, you know? If you get hit in the head and a little dizziness comes out of it, you've suffered a concussion. 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. He bit one tackle so many times that the player requested a rabies shot. 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? Bleier eventually played on four Super Bowl championships and earned a reputation as both a fearsome blocker and a powerful runner. Unitas could intimidate without being one of the physical players. Players were not allowed to get medical second opinions until 1982, according to the NFLPA. I forget words. Giants lineman Al DeRogatis once accused Kilroy of biting him on the nose. THE BREAKS OF THE GAME OF THE GAME His famed right shoulder was responsible for dozens of broken noses and jaws. Was there anybody that helped Mike Webster go through rehab at that time? I wanted to play. 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. That is my complete and honest feeling. Marsh took more than 100 painkilling injections from the Raiders and continued to play, which only made his condition worse. They're no longer heroes. He makes this big fist. Oftentimes you'll see the contact where a tackler will tackle a runner or the quarterback, and right away they flag him, and it's going to cost them $20,000, $50,000, whatever it is for that hit. Ive heard guys like Jim Otto and Dan Hampton say they would do it again. Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett calls LT an old-school player. 18. 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. How Many Surgeries Has Jim Otto Had? - Sportsmanist And she says, "I didn't marry you for that leg anyway." Thats why I think Id come back and do it again.. 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.. Why? 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. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. The young people that are coming out and playing football today, I want them to continue to play football; I want them to have fun playing football. Well, in some cases guys are heroes, and all of a sudden they're not heroes. He turned 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. Also, once the NFL became a billion-dollar business about 1980, teams became less likely to risk injuries with million-dollar players, and urged them to participate in year-round conditioning, which includes weight training and aerobic exercise. Dobler swore that he would never intentionally blind someone, only blur their vision. 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. My wife is starting to try to convince me to do it. 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. McDonald was the last NFL player to not wear a facemask. Former Colts linebacker Mike Curtis said those cases are few and too highly publicized. We havent seen the worst yet.. 16. We dont keep records, but were seeing greater numbers of psychological problems when theyre finished playing.. 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. Do you feel like that's associated with football, too? 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 Could someone please explain to me why Jim Marshall is not in the Hall of Fame? A lot of things. 30. Big was in.. 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. 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.. According to Yaras-Davis, a knee injury forced former Chicago Bears defensive lineman Roger Stillwell to get special devices to pull himself out of bed. It has been 20 years since Otto retired after a Hall of Fame career. Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff said, Hardy Brown was a designated hitter. I have sat there and thought about it. There was recently a Washington Redskins player who got cut and shot his bed full of bullet holes, said Yaras-Davis, who declined to name the player. Raider," Jim Otto - Sports Even as the surgeries mounted and routine elements of daily living became more and more challenging Waking up is the best part of my day, he wrote Jim has repeated in many interviews since his retirement that we wouldnt change history. 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. They told me if I took the shots and played, it would get better, said Marsh. Lawrence Taylor, Linebacker, New York Giants (1981-1993), LT was easily the most disruptive defensive force in NFL history. I don't know what other players are thinking. 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. Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens (1996-present). It was the first injury that he had suffered and he would never participate in another snap. The origin of the since-outlawed helmet-to-helmet hit is sometimes traced to Brown. In addition to playing offensive center at UM, he also played linebacker on defense. Dick Plasman, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears & Chicago Cardinals (1937-1947). It's the way we were taught to hit. Thats one of the major reasons why so many of these guys walk with limps.. Jim Strub wrote from a mountainside in Colorado. Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and Former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charlie Krueger was a tough guy. Entries that are unsigned or are "signed" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. They want my brain at I think it's Michigan or --. For the next 15 years, he was a fixture at center for the Oakland Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. Longtime Raiders team doctor Robert Rosenfield, who died last January of cancer, diagnosed it as strained ligaments. He soon was established as the Raiders center. Dobler punched Pittsburghs Mean Joe Greene in the solar plexus and kicked the Rams Merlin Olsen in the head. Players rarely give much thought to life after football. He would come and help me put up hay for my horses and stuff like that. 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. In 1995, Nagurski was honored when the Football Writers Association of America voted to have his name attached to college footballs Defensive Player of the Year trophy. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. 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. I saw the bone. Yeah, but you didn't know about -- I mean, the concussions. He was issued jersey number 50 for the AFL's inaugural season, 1960, but switched to his familiar 00 the next season. 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. During his first 10 years he suffered the usual injuries such as broken noses, fingers and ribs, and he played through it all. I don't like to think about what these guys are talking about with regards to concussions and how it could affect our lives. There's so many things psychologically that can affect each and every person in this world, not just football players. Retirement affects athletes in different ways, said Fishelman, the Baltimore doctor. Garrison has also played through a separated shoulder, a severely broken nose and a broken collarbone. Coaches had a way of making you feel less manly if you didnt play. Never misses a down. Mark Bavaro, Tight End, New York Giants & Cleveland Browns & Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1990, 1992-1994). And --. There's a tear near the break, and his bone is sticking out. About FRONTLINE Hitting harder than anyone else was very important to us. Journalistic Guidelines I thought he killed Frank. His joints became riddled with arthritis, and he developed debilitating back and neck problems. So all of a sudden here comes Raymond into the game. But no, amnesia, it's a serious thing. He ran 32 times for 168 yards and caught 10 balls for 61 yards. Well, a huge hole opened, and I saw him coming. In 1975, he was replaced by Dave Dalby. My first thoughts were, I got sick. But pro football is a brutal game, a sport that long has glorified pain and punishment. If they enjoy hitting somebody, let them hit people; let them play football. He dragged Ronnie Lott twenty yards. 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. American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. . Chuck Bednarik, Center & Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles (1949-1962), The greatest collision of all time was Bednarik hitting Gifford. Unitas also has an artificial knee and will have a hip replacement soon. He has fought off three life-threatening bouts of infections to his arthritic joints, and almost died on the handicapped table once. Teammate Charlie Waters recalls the time that Garrison accidentally cut his thumb with a knife so that it was dangling from his hand. Jim Otto - Wikipedia Stillwell, who played only three seasons with the Bears, walks with a cane. He has played through numerous injuries, including a broken bone in his back. Nearly two out of three retirees live with a permanent injury. PBS Terms of Use A Living Raider Legend, "Mr. Raider," Jim Otto - Sports Hines Ward played wide receiver, tailback, quarterback, and punt returner in college. 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. FRONTLINE Watch FRONTLINE Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963). Otto eventually had to have his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? That crackling thud can mean a broken bone or a torn cartilage--and a redefined life. In 1999, he was ranked number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. And Baltimore Colts Hall of Fame quarterback John Unitas once-golden right arm has a restructured right hand. He was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 1998. Damn fools. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. Going across the middle against Dick Butkus was considered attempted suicide. 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. Rocky Bleier, Running Back, Pittsburgh Steelers (1968, 1971-1980). In one game, he was knocked unconscious by a 49er defender. And I think if you were to evaluate Mike Webster, it was a matter of pride. I don't think it's hogwash. Twenty-three, 22, you lose count after a while, said Otto, the former Oakland Raiders center. The FRONTLINE Interview: Jim Otto | League of Denial: The NFL's I'm just astounded, and he's using this hand that is broken as a club. Double-zero recalls stories about all 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 --. Jim Otto That's number one. Nobody took me off the field, said, "Jim, you've got to do this." And I'm sure there's a lot of studies going on with regard to what was going on with him prior to this. The Pro Football Hall of Fame recently received new artifacts from Super Bowl LV. I was hitting him with such force, and he was coming at me with such force that this is what happened. Right. 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 had my arms around his legs, and my shoulder dug into him. 34. Jim Otto Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges 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. Kilroy denied the charge. 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.. It's not for weak-hearted guys. Website design & development by americaneagle.com copyright 2021 Pro Football hall of fame all rights reserved, Enshrinement Week Powered by Johnson Controls, Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic. Jim Otto What were your first thoughts when you started hearing those stories after his retirement? WebGet the latest career stats for Jim Otto of the on CBS Sports He was once the leagues iron man, but Ottos body is now a combination of plastic joints, flesh and screws. Otto worked diligently to build his body up to his playing weight of 250 pounds. 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. 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. When you looked at your wife and you didn't know who she was, like, who's this chick? I played football because I loved the game, and I did everything I could to win, and people knew that, Jim said. Conrad Dobler, Guard, St. Louis Cardinals & New Orleans Saints & Buffalo Bills (1972-1981). Nagurski once knocked unconscious four would-be tacklers on a kickoff return touchdown in his rookie season. This is FRONTLINE's old website. And my amnesia that I had happened in high school and college. Mike Webster is doing this every play. WebJim Otto was an All-Star in the first 13 of his 15 seasons every year in the AFL from 1960 through 1969 and three of his five seasons in the NFL. Jim Otto Hell no, I wouldnt do it all over again, said Krueger. Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus had a similar situation with the Bears. Enumerate the results. FactSnippet No. Jim Otto is 6-2 (188 cm) tall. There have been problems with steroids. I don't have knees anymore. Then we go back in. There wasn't anybody. It is filled with sights and sounds of collisions that are sometimes startling and other times frightening. Nagurski became a professional wrestler after his NFL career and was a two-time world heavyweight champion. He underwent surgery to have 30 inches of his intestines removed, and returned for the second game of the season. 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. Below is a look at some of Jim Ottos career accomplishments and highlights. 25. 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. And that's what I'm doing. He chewed through the bars of his face mask and reportedly ate the window panes of the team bus. The NFLPA report found that of the players leaving the game because of injury, 70.6% had emotional problems some time during the sixth-month transition period after football. Players are bigger now. Like they'd say, "Hey, Jim, what's this? Yeah, I think it was in -- I'm not exactly sure what year; it was '72 or something. Jim Otto - Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame 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. Lugol's Iodine Mouth Rinse, Articles J