Legendary NFL center Jim Otto dies aged 86

Legendary Oakland Raiders center Jim Otto has died at the age of 86, the team has announced.

Otto, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, played 210 straight regular-season games.  

The now Las Vegas Raiders said in a statement: ‘The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto… The Original Raider. 

‘The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated. His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 70s, and his ferocious work ethic and talent enabled him to start a remarkable 210 consecutive league games for the Oakland Raiders.

‘Considered undersized when coming out of the University of Miami, Jim handled the first snap in franchise history and went on to be selected as the AFL’s All-Star center for the entirety of the league’s existence. 

‘One of only 20 players to play in every season of the American Football League, he was named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team and was selected to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team in 2019. Jim was known to many as ‘Mr. Raider,’ and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year of eligibility.

‘”00″ was the foundational piece of a transcendent offensive line that not only propelled the Raiders to success on the field but resonated with fans and helped build the Raiders persona and mystique.

‘Beyond the gridiron, Jim was a successful businessman and remained an important part of the Raiders organization, serving as a team executive and providing a perpetual presence at games and events. Jim was a man whose words and actions epitomized the motto “Commitment to Excellence”.

‘The sincerest prayers of the entire Raider Nation are with his wife Sally, his son Jim Jr. and wife Leah, and his 14 grandchildren – Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman and Ellie.’

More to follow.