Legendary Oakland Raiders center Jim Otto, who did battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers throughout his 15-year Hall of Fame career, is dead at 86. The Raiders made the announcement Sunday night to their Twitter page.
“’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,” the statement in part read, referring to Otto’s double-zero jersey.
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) May 20, 2024
One of the core pieces of the Steelers-Raiders 1970s rivalry, Otto was a starter during the 1972 Immaculate Reception playoff game. Otto was a starter in every game he played in, never missing any of a possible 210 contests. He made 12 Pro Bowls and 10 All-Pro teams. Only eight players in NFL history made more Pro Bowls. No one has more first-team All-Pro bids, Otto’s 10 tied with WR Jerry Rice.
Otto made up a fierce Raiders’ offensive line that at one point, consisted entirely of Hall of Famers: Art Shell, Ron Mix, Gene Upshaw, Bob Brown, and himself.
He began playing professionally in 1960 with the Raiders, a career that spanned through the 1974 season. After retiring, he became a first-ballot Hall of Famer as part of the 1980 class. In 2019, he was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary team. In the league’s 2010 list of the NFL’s greatest players, Otto ranked 63rd, five spots ahead of Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster. Otto also ranked above legendary names like WR Randy Moss, OL Bruce Matthews, and FS Ed Reed.
A great 2013 Sports Illustrated piece described the Steelers-Raiders rivalry, one that centered literally and figuratively around Otto and DT Joe Greene. This one focused on their final duel, the 1974 AFC Championship game, but reflected on Otto’s legacy.
“Early on [Otto] asked the Raiders for jersey number “00” because, he said, his last name began and ended that way (aught-oh). Double O became his moniker, and the zeros on his jersey looked like two eyes opened wide. He wore a face mask with two simple horizontal bars, a look more common to wide receivers and quarterbacks, none of that cagelike protection many linemen used. Opponents gouged his eyes, and after some games Otto looked in the mirror and thought he’d been in a knife fight. But he was wily, a tactician, and through the years he doled out more pain than he received.”
Pittsburgh shut down Oakland’s running game, holding them to just 29 yards on 21 carries. The catalyst to a 24-13 victory, the Steelers won their first Super Bowl two weeks later.
Though on the rival’s side, Otto defined what it meant to be a football player. Tough. Resilient. But with a calm and less rugged side than you might think (as referenced in the above SI article, when Greene once accused Otto of holding, he fired back and said the only person he holds is his wife). He personified the era and the rivalry between the Steelers and Raiders, one of football’s best then and still today.
