No. Ronnie Lott was a cornerback who hit like a linebacker. Never misses a down. WebJim Otto is generally recognized as one of the greatest and most durable centers the game of football has ever seen. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. And that is something that I'm dealing with. 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? But I don't think you can blame it -- I don't know. Curtis was nicknamed The Animal and was one of the angriest men to ever play in the NFL. He has had two major back surgeries, 16 knee operations and five artificial knees. We invariably would attack a bunker from where the enemy is shooting machine guns. No. His first words: Did we score? Believe it or not, Plasman suffered from blindness and post-concussion syndrome until his death at age 67 in 1981. And so yes, he broke my helmet; he broke my face mask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here. Chuck Bednarik, Center & Linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles (1949-1962), The greatest collision of all time was Bednarik hitting Gifford. If they enjoy hitting somebody, let them hit people; let them play football. He was once the leagues iron man, but Ottos body is now a combination of plastic joints, flesh and screws. A Jim Otto is doing this every play. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. He liked to think that his best hits border on felonious assault., 14. Before his death in 1992, Raiders defensive lineman Lyle Alzado said long-term steroid use was the cause of the brain tumor that eventually killed him. Jim Otto starred for the Oakland Raiders, but his roots were in Wausau, Wisconsin. Joe Greene, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-1981), Nicknamed Mean," Joe Greene was one of only a handful of defensive players in NFL history who could singlehandedly change the outcome of a game. No. 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 wanted people to respect me.. 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. He has played through numerous injuries, including a broken bone in his back. Otto's body was punished greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 74 operations, including 28 on his knee (nine of them during his playing career) and multiple joint replacements. Then there's the toughness a person has, an aura, that he can intimidate other people by his play or his toughness.. Do you feel like the suicide thoughts are related to the pain or related to retirement? Sam Huff, Linebacker, New York Giants & Washington Redskins (1956-1969), A pro football linebacker is just naturally tough. Yes, Id do it all again. For the next 15 years, he was a fixture at center for the Oakland Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. 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. Larry Wilson, Safety, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972), Larry Wilson is best known for inventing the safety blitz. Few occupations can provide the riches and fame, yet simultaneously the danger, of pro football. 1 seed for Division 1 baseball playoffs, High school tennis: Southern Section playoff pairings, High school baseball: Southern Section playoff pairings, Dig this: Long Beach States Mason Briggs could be next big thing at libero. Raider," Jim Otto - Sports 6. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. Jim Otto had his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007.[2]. The gladiator goes until he can't go anymore. When Giants defensive tackle Jim Pietrzak wished him good luck in the playoffs, he punched him. His joints are riddled with arthritis, and he has debilitating back and neck problems. I've had various different cognitive tests regarding my brain. I think if you were to look at me and evaluate me, it was a matter of pride. Krueger endured as many as 50 procedures in which bloody fluid was removed from his swollen knee and replaced with steroid compounds. Is there something about Wisconsin, or is it something about how you just approached that position itself, the center? Nearly two out of three retirees live with a permanent injury. The content here may be outdated or no longer functioning. He was middle linebacker for the Packers. Theyd shoot you up, and you could get painkillers anywhere. For the next fifteen years, Otto became a fixture at center for the Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. Doesn't show it to anybody. 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? Additional funding is provided by the Park Foundation, the John and Helen Glessner Family Trust, the Ford Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, You couldn't be upset about the hit; it was clean and legal. --Sam Huff, Bednarik was the last NFL player to play offense and defense. Garrison wrapped his thumb in tape and played the next day, rushing for over 100 yards. It's incredibly debatable, but here is my attempt to rank them in order for toughness. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. 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. You say that I come up with words. Nagurski became a professional wrestler after his NFL career and was a two-time world heavyweight champion. 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. So when you retire from football and you've been involved in football, some kids -- it never happened to me. I think that everything that has caused my body to be a problem has been from football, you know? 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. About FRONTLINE Since 1995, Otto has worked for the Raiders in the department of special projects and is active in the business world. And you couldn't remember. I wanted to play well every week, no matter what, but in this game, we started out with Jim Carter in the middle. There's a battle, and that battle is going on. That's number one. Among Doblers principal offenses were biting, gouging, punching, kicking, and grabbing the face mask. Some players have catheterized themselves and replaced their own urine with clean samples before testing.. 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. He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. And they'll come up with some answers. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. But Jim suffered greatly for that 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.. Don Meredith, Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys (1960-1968), Meredith was really tough. One contract can provide financial security for a lifetime. Anything loosea knee pad, a shoe, a chin strapwould be ripped off by a Butkus tackle. And I wanted to be a help to David. Every game. And even in soccer, you have problems with your head hitting the ball, two heads coming together or whatever. 15. I bit his ear. Kilroy, who played back in the days when offensive linemen weren't allowed to extend their arms to block, was considered the dirtiest player in the NFL, and he helped Philadelphia win back-to-back NFL championships. We'd attack the bunker, and the quarterbacks would be sitting in a tank with the general saying, 'Well, what kind of attack are you planning?' I don't like to think about what these guys are talking about with regards to concussions and how it could affect our lives. Now, the amnesia one, that was before the NFL, is that right? I'm going to be just like you, Pops." But has it always been one of those things that's been in there that players have known about other players? Former Chicago Bears tight end and head coach Mike Ditka waddles like a wooden toy soldier because of an artificial hip. So you were saying it was war out there. He knocked the helmet off Minnesota receiver Sammy White in the Super Bowlprobably the hardest hit I have ever seen. PBS Privacy Policy He retired from the Arena Football League in 1992. 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. 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. He also had a ramp to enter the bathtub. They told me if I took the shots and played, it would get better, said Marsh. 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. Raider played and played and played constantly proving wrong several coaches who in high school, college and the pros considered him undersized to hold up against defensive linemen and linebackers. They are similar to those experienced by rape victims and soldiers returning from combat. 28. 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 --. 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 I was hitting him with such force, and he was coming at me with such force that this is what happened. What is the result exactly? Rob Huizenga, in his book Youre Okay, Its Just a Bruise, suggests that some team doctors were involved in a silent conspiracy with management to put players back on the field at any cost. It was a matter of pride in the way we did things. If I had a graph I could show you it. Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons & Green Bay Packers & New York Jets (1991-present). He hasnt jogged since January 1989. Otto is also the subject of works by artist Matthew Barney.[3]. Marshall earned his fame as a member of the Purple People Eaters of the early 1970s. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, this three-time NFL MVP played with a number of injuries, including a badly broken nose, broken fingers, ripped arm tendons, and torn knee cartilage. It all swelled up, and I couldn't see, but I kept playing. But those things would either stimulate them or it would put them under to the point where the pain was no longer there. Like they'd say, "Hey, Jim, what's this? He got beat up so bad in his early years. He wasn't drafted by any NFL team, so he joined the Oakland Raiders of the new AFL, went on a strength program to increase his weight by 50 pounds, and became Oakland's starting center for the next 15 seasons. Most current players feel they have more leverage since Butkus filed a $1.6 million suit against the Bears in 1974 and came away with a $600,000 settlement. Is that what you're saying? If they don't enjoy it, then they should play soccer or they should play something else. Perhaps the most painful of Jim Ottos 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. Below is a look at some of Jim Ottos career accomplishments and highlights. After a few days, Otto gave out a press conference telling the nation that he had retired from the game of football. What do you mean by that? The AFL permitted the unusual number because it was a pun on Otto's name (aught-oh). He 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 concussions, kicked-in teeth and a bout of double pneumonia. Kilroy denied the charge. Lewis missed two games, returned wearing a heavy brace, and registered 11 tackles against Pittsburgh. What were your first thoughts when you started hearing those stories after his retirement? The guy coming down the field to cover the kickoff, the guy with the ball with the kickoff, hey, this is football. Unitas could intimidate without being one of the physical players. These are young people who have achieved a lot of emotional and economic success at an early age, but they never think about their careers ending. When I retired I was down. In the opening chapter of his autobiography, Jim provides an accounting: 38 surgeries (a total now estimated to have doubled since the books 2000 publishing date), including 28 on his knees alone, both of which are artificial, as are both shoulders. And that's what I'm doing. His dedication and durability symbolized the teams Commitment to Excellence motto. When Lotts finger didnt heal properly, he told the doctors to cut it off, and they amputated his pinkie at the third knuckle. Web Site Copyright 1995-2016 WGBH Educational Foundation 13. But a lot of guys no longer get the "Hey, Joe, how you doing. " Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. He proudly stated that he played football because it was the only way he could hit someone and get away with it. Csonka was a bull in a china shop. 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 but has said that he And then tell me about a good solid head hit that you remember from the NFL as well. 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. There were two times. 30. I said why isn't there somebody taking care of him? American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. He comes in like he's going to hit the man midsection, which there's no penalty for, and just as he hits coming in on the midsection, you'll see that ballplayer, the guy with the ball, drop his head. I was proud that the NFL started the random drug testing, and Im sure use has decreased, said Huizenga, the former Raiders doctor, but its still there. 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. ISIS' growing foothold in Afghanistan is captured on film. Some things couldnt be measured, however, like Jims self-motivation, commitment and pride. Football is a contact sport, and injuries are a part of the game. If we were fighting a war, the linebackers would be the first guys to get killed. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. Entries that are unsigned or are "signed" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. 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. 16. And if you cant take the injuries, get the hell out. Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). PBS Terms of Use Fencik, a Bears safety, speaks about a hit that occurred in practice. Jim Otto weighed 255 lbs (115 kg) when playing. Do you feel like those injuries that they suffered, those hits that they took on the line, like you took, contributed to their illnesses? Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and 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. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Theyre still in that state of denial. 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Over the course of his career, Jim It has to really be studied. Flat-out refusedthat is, until the league made him. 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. 40. He won eight rushing titles before abruptly retiring at the age of 30. 4. I put my head down and charged into the hole. 22. And I went, "Yay." I am really sore, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to take care of that. A lot of things. Former Colts linebacker Mike Curtis said those cases are few and too highly publicized. He was not a great linebacker. Immediately everybody rushes to blame football or blame some other thing happened in their life either socially, emotionally or psychologically. He also fought off three life-threatening bouts of infections due to his artificial joints, and during one six-month stretch, was without a proper right knee joint because he had to wait for the infection to clear up before another artificial one could be implanted. I've had scans of my brain, and it's been explained to me what is really wrong with my brain. 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. But let them play. WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Now, the NFL average is about 300, and increasing. The highs an athlete gets from the highly selective field makes it hard for them to settle into another pursuit. We went to Green Bay to play the Packers, and in the book I wrote that I had a big fan base from my hometown in [Wausau, Wis]. It's a tough sport. Trafton played before the NFL enforced late-hit, roughing, or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. Or Boston, one of those, or North Carolina. He waited six months between artificial knees 5 and 6 after fighting off an infection that nearly took his life. Well, a huge hole opened, and I saw him coming. WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Doesn't say anything. Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett calls LT an old-school player. And a lot of times these guys fall into that category or one of those categories, and it happens that they commit suicide. Krueger now cant kneel and has problems walking on uneven surfaces.