Curtis was nicknamed The Animal and was one of the angriest men to ever play in the NFL. Coaches had a way of making you feel less manly if you didnt play. Once you leave the game, people forget about you quite quickly, said Drew Pearson, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. 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. He thanked me for continuing the column for so long and was grateful that so many of us were still sentient enough to read it. He became homeless, those stories. Nobody took me off the field, said, "Jim, you've got to do this." Davis.". We had the same thing, similar, happen to a center who took my place after I retired, Dave Dalby. And it's a good hit. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. Few occupations can provide the riches and fame, yet simultaneously the danger, of pro football. 17. And so yes, he broke my helmet; he broke my face mask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here. WebBut Jim, remembering that his college injuries had all come when he was on defense, chose to let down a little during defensive tryouts and then really go all out when it came time for offensive team trials. He chewed through the bars of his face mask and reportedly ate the window panes of the team bus. While an encore performance on the field isnt possible, Jims glorious playing career can be appreciated again this week in the Gold Jacket Spotlight. I wanted people to respect me.. Journalistic Guidelines Lawrence was Dick Butkus, but with speed and range, said John Madden, analyst for Fox television. There was about 150 people come, and naturally I wanted to play well and everything. I would say that suicide has been in the past one of the least spoken about things among players, among owners, among the NFL of anything. The artificial surfaces are much harder than grass. I'm against all that. One contract can provide financial security for a lifetime. Counting preseason, postseason and Pro Bowl games, that number swells to 308 consecutive games played, with rarely a missed practice, either. But I don't think it's that important, you know, to remember someone's name. 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. They told me if I took the shots and played, it would get better, said Marsh. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. For the next fifteen years, Otto became a fixture at center for the Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. I don't know anything that much about Junior. Flat-out refusedthat is, until the league made him. That's number one. He is regarded as the second dirtiest player in the NFL and a 2008 poll revealed that one of the scariest things in the NFL is being blocked by Runyan on a screen pass. Including pre-season, regular season and post-season games, Otto competed in 308 consecutive games. Back then, owners would do anything to maximize their payrolls to win the war games. Since 1995, Otto has worked for the Raiders in the department of special projects and is active in the business world. The guy coming down the field to cover the kickoff, the guy with the ball with the kickoff, hey, this is football. Deacon perfected the head slap, a move that would be eventually banned by the NFL because it was too effective., 29. He soon was established as the Raiders center. 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. Lewis's toughness peaked when he dislocated his elbow so seriously that a teammate was forced to help him put on his jewelry. And a lot of times these guys fall into that category or one of those categories, and it happens that they commit suicide. Sam Huff, Linebacker, New York Giants & Washington Redskins (1956-1969), A pro football linebacker is just naturally tough. He liked to think that his best hits border on felonious assault., 14. One great performance, such as Joe Namaths for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, can bring endless endorsements. He plays the entire game. Corporate Sponsorship In 1951 alone, he knocked out 21 players. Jim Otto weighed 255 lbs (115 kg) when playing. Favre has started 287 consecutive games, including the postseason, an all-time record for a quarterback. Jon Runyan, Tackle, Houston/Tennessee Oilers & Titans, Philadelphia Eagles (1996-present). A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? We're not the only guys. 32. 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. It is filled with sights and sounds of collisions that are sometimes startling and other times frightening. Is Jim Otto in the Hall of Fame? Do you feel like the suicide thoughts are related to the pain or related to retirement? Mel Hein, Center, New York Giants (1931-1945). What were your first thoughts when you started hearing those stories after his retirement? 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. He's probably one of the best known retired NFL players to do that. There's a tear near the break, and his bone is sticking out. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback & Safety, San Francisco 49ers & Los Angeles Raiders & New York Jets & Kansas City Chiefs (1981-1995). They've asked for my brain. There's a battle, and that battle is going on. We'd go hunting together; we did a lot of different things together, Dave and I. 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. I put my head down and charged into the hole. But I'm not out there crying about it. 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. I know he was a great football player. Otto eventually had to have his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007. Marsh says his current doctors have concluded that the bone in his ankle may have been broken in the training-camp incident. Ray Lewis, Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens (1996-present). FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. 8. Perhaps the most painful of Jim Ottos 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. WebJim Otto This article was written by Rich Shmelter For 15 seasons, the 00 on Jim Ottos uniform stood out like a beacon. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. The first time in high school, I can't really remember anything other than coming out of amnesia and thinking, where have I been? And then you have a guy like Junior Seau come along this last year. Well, I'm trying in my mind not to relate that to my situation, you know. In the 1969 regular season, Oakland scored 377 points (26.9 points/game), once again leading the AFL, beating the Houston Oilers in the divisional round before losing to the Chiefs. It's the way we were taught to hit. Jim Marshall, Defensive End, Minnesota Vikings (1960-1979). Fencik, a Bears safety, speaks about a hit that occurred in practice. 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. Ten years of lawsuits against the 49ers left him with a $1 million settlement in 1989 and plenty of bitterness. Marsh took more than 100 painkilling injections from the Raiders and continued to play, which only made his condition worse. They never told me part of my knee was missing, said Krueger. Double-zero Well, I'm very fortunate that I can do that, because there are times that I can't remember people's names. Hines Ward, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-present). 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. But in my heart, I'm leaning to very possibly doing it, donating my brain, because if there is something there that can help others, that's what I should be doing. 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 then there's the injured tough, which is no-regard-for-your-body-and-play-with-broken-bones tough. George Trafton, Center, Chicago Bears (1920-1921, 1923-1932). He knocked the helmet off Minnesota receiver Sammy White in the Super Bowlprobably the hardest hit I have ever seen. Well, in being taught to lead with your head and shoulders to make a tackle, and basically place your head to where it's going to hit the ball, because you get some good fumbles that way when you tackle and place your head and shoulders to where you're going to hit the side where he's carrying the ball. Conrad Dobler, Guard, St. Louis Cardinals & New Orleans Saints & Buffalo Bills (1972-1981). But in this particular case, it was pretty good blows he was hitting me with to break my nose, break my cheekbone and my zygomatic arch bone up here. It was a matter of pride in the way we did things. 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.. WebAs a result of injuries sustained during his playing career, he has endured more than 70 surgeries, including nearly 30 knee operations. We're going to get a broken leg, a broken shoulder or something, but I'm going to hit you like nobody else. He makes this big fist. WebJim Otto (born January 10, 1992) is a retired American football Offensive Tackle. During his first 10 years he suffered the usual injuries such as broken noses, fingers and ribs, and he played through it all. Jim Otto had his right leg amputated on August 1, 2007.[2]. They're no longer heroes. And boy, the rest of the day was hell for me. The ironic part? He proudly stated that he played football because it was the only way he could hit someone and get away with it. Maybe probably more so in my life is the pain that I'm going through. He hasnt jogged since January 1989. He has fought off three life-threatening bouts of infections to his arthritic joints, and almost died on the handicapped table once. It came from the relations with the game, yes. Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor revolutionized pro football in the 1980s. He got beat up so bad in his early years. And you couldn't remember. 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. He turned Players were not allowed to get medical second opinions until 1982, according to the NFLPA. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. He has had two major back surgeries, 16 knee operations and five artificial knees. 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. 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. We need people in the National Football League now, and I think we have various different projects going within the NFL -- the NFL Players Association, the NFL Alumni -- to help these guys now, because I did go to the Alumni, I did go to the Players Association and get monies from them for other rehabs for other players. You want to spell football: T-U-F-F. I've had amnesia like that. He wasted little time eliminating one other problem his size. I look at Dave Dalby, because he used to tell me he wanted to follow me in my footsteps. It's strange; it's really strange. 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. Enumerate the results. Dick Plasman, Wide Receiver, Chicago Bears & Chicago Cardinals (1937-1947). Marsh played with the Raiders seven years, during which he was hospitalized 18 times and had 13 surgeries. I'm sure he would. He was one of the best 4th-and-1 runners in NFL history. He played five more games before the loose bone mass was removed. Its like someone putting your body on I-695 at 6 p.m. and letting it get bounced around by the traffic.. You wouldnt believe the number of divorces when the big money stops coming in. 1952. American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Mr. 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. WebIn addition to his football injuries, Otto also had two strokes, three heart attacks, and diabetes which caused blindness in one eye. 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. Then we go back in. He owned numerous Burger King Restaurants near Sacramento, California until the early 1990s. But I don't think you can blame it -- I don't know. And from what I understand and read -- never met him -- it does sound like he played that game exactly like you described. I don't like to think about what these guys are talking about with regards to concussions and how it could affect our lives. I was depressed because I wasn't running out on the field anymore, when they announced "At center, Jim Otto." I wanted to play. He played in an era when quarterbacks did not receive much protection, specifically on late hits. But I'm still going at my age, and --. Utleys injury received a lot of media attention because it happened during a game. Anything loosea knee pad, a shoe, a chin strapwould be ripped off by a Butkus tackle. Jim Otto was elected into the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1980. Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and He gave the following advice to future Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey: Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts., 20. Kilroy denied the charge. The former Titans star quarterback has injured nearly every part of his body at one time or another. During his fifth training camp, he suffered the injury that ultimately led to amputation. And I went, "Yay." 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. Injuries and operations. 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. His joints became riddled with arthritis, and he developed debilitating back and neck problems. And my amnesia that I had happened in high school and college. And then a year ago there were four suicides among not necessarily the best noted players but some players, and the Players Association claimed that it's been because of concussions and stuff like that. The highly educated are hiring counselors to advise them on masking agents and certain other breakdown products. Well, during my career, I had a lot of hits to the head. After the game, we go into the locker room and he says, Hey Doc, I think I got a problem. Andy Russell, linebacker, 36. Krueger now cant kneel and has problems walking on uneven surfaces. 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 Tell me about that. I mean, it's affected my life; it surely has. 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 --. Do you feel like there's an increased notoriety of players when something very bad happens like a suicide? They are similar to those experienced by rape victims and soldiers returning from combat. Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis made the announcement Wednesday as part of a wide-ranging news conference touching on the state of the team, the recent death of Bill Walsh and pensions for former NFL players. How much did Jim Otto weigh when playing? Almost no one leaves this game unscarred either physically or mentally.. 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. Ever since the NFL began random drug testing in 1990, the consensus among players, coaches and team medical personnel is that steroid use has dropped significantly. He played a game against the Saints with a dislocated shoulder. I was at a gathering in August, I guess it was, and Jim Brown was there, and he was saying the same thing, that it was different back then. Theyd shoot you up, and you could get painkillers anywhere. Its an orthopedics surgeons dream. I think the positive situations would certainly outweigh the negatives.. And it's not being selfish, not on my behalf being selfish because I can't do it, and I would want it. When other coaches started seeing what a guy that size could do, they all wanted monster players with speed. Garrison has also played through a separated shoulder, a severely broken nose and a broken collarbone. 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. Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. Or what about if you had amnesia for two days? He played three games with a fractured tibia. His claim to fame occurred in 1985 when his left pinkie was caught between the shoulder pads and helmet of Cowboys running back Timmy Newsome, shattering the bone. And I wanted to be a help to David. Minor injuries, therefore minor distractions, he called them. What is the result exactly? It all swelled up, and I couldn't see, but I kept playing. His right leg was eventually amputated in He said, Football is tough. Larry Wilson, Safety, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972), Larry Wilson is best known for inventing the safety blitz. And --. Plasman refused to wear a helmet. 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. Its not for whiners.. Of those who did not leave because of injury, 56.2% reported similar emotional problems. I don't make want to make excuses. It was really bad. 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? He suffered a cracked vertebra, a concussion, and crushed intestines during a car crash before his senior year of college. Why isn't there somebody that can help him? My wife is starting to try to convince me to do it. And I've refused at this point yet to give them that. Im not out for revenge or anything, but I do think they took advantage of my loyalty.. That's the way Mike Webster would say it, too. But you're talking about a different kind, the much more common, everyday, every play? , 39. 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. Let's play football. He counts three near-death experiences directly related to infections or septic shock from football-related surgeries. Jerry Kramer, Guard & Kicker, Green Bay Packers (1958-1968), Kramer endured 23 operations and required over 500 stitches in his NFL career, including a colostomy, which he described as a horror movie that hasn't been made yet., 26. 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. FactSnippet No. Team doctors injected his knees with cortisone and other high-powered drugs in 1972 and 1973, causing permanent damage, he said. I don't know what other players are thinking. Here's the last question. He suffered from chronic back pain due to Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Ernie Holmes once sat on a bridge and shot at passing trucks, and then was arrested for shooting a police officer in the leg before surrendering. Nicknamed Rambo for his tough play and physical resemblance to Sylvester Stallone, Bavaro broke seven tackles on one catch across the middle against the 49ers in a 1986 game. The Pro Football Hall of Fame recently received new artifacts from Super Bowl LV. 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. . Every game. You seem completely with it and pulling up words and memories and having no problems at all. 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. Twenty-three, 22, you lose count after a while, said Otto, the former Oakland Raiders center. Namaths famously fragile knees are so painful that he cant carry his children down steps. He finally returned after a three-year absence. 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 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. I was hitting him with such force, and he was coming at me with such force that this is what happened. Let me ask you. 16. And he hung with me. 27. If you want to get into something else, play with the girls., 2. I was paid to play football, not hang out in the training room.. He paralyzed wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a preseason game in 1978 on a clean hit. Some play with injuries because they fear they might lose their job or position and their self-concept and identity. 7. Perhaps the most painful of Jim Otto's 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. In the Eagles' next game, against the Giants, McDonald caught three touchdowns and returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown. He endured torn-up knees, broken hands, broken ribs, and an acutely-painful hamstring tear but never missed a game. 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? The impact and velocity of some collisions, normal Americans cant appreciate because they are not on the field, said John Lopez, head of Towson Sports Medicine and former trainer with the Baltimore Colts. When Giants defensive tackle Jim Pietrzak wished him good luck in the playoffs, he punched him. Nagurski once knocked unconscious four would-be tacklers on a kickoff return touchdown in his rookie season. Never misses a down. Five years later, in 2002, Otto was stricken with prostate cancer, though the cancer is currently in remission. Hines Ward played wide receiver, tailback, quarterback, and punt returner in college. He needed 74 surgeries for his football injuries, including the amputation of one of his legs. Ive heard guys like Jim Otto and Dan Hampton say they would do it again. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Kentucky Derby storylines: Training death puts early pall over Churchill Downs, Dodgers vs. Philadelphia Phillies: How to watch, start times and betting odds, Elliott: Pissed off Kings must improve in key areas to break Oilers playoff stranglehold, Shohei Ohtanis seventh home run of the season helps Angels avoid sweep, Florida Panthers upset record-setting Boston Bruins in Game 7 OT thriller. Since then, only three players have been suspended for the minimum four weeks for a first offense. 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. Butkus has bitten officials, bitten opponents in the groin, scratched, punched, everything. Web Site Copyright 1995-2016 WGBH Educational Foundation 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. He 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. Teammate Hugh Gallarneau claims that, He had a piece of cement for a head. He once dove into a brick wall attempting to catch a pass, busted open his head, and was carried off semiconscious. He was double-teamed, every play, for his entire career. What about when you heard about Mike Webster's decline afterward, you know? Is there something about Wisconsin, or is it something about how you just approached that position itself, the center? Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. Now, when you're telling, I guess it was maybe in your book, that you talked about the hit that you took from Ray Nitschke, when you -- I guess it was your nose. (AP Photo) Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb In 1975, he was replaced by Dave Dalby. So he stayed there for the rest of the series, and then we came off, and I'm watching him because I'm the only guy who saw that he had a compound fracture. You're the tackler, and you get fined. 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. 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. I'm telling you about it right now: I hurt. Mike Webster is doing this every play. 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. I wanted to help Dave Dalby and Sally did to because we loved him and I didn't see that happening in Pittsburgh with Mike Webster. Then there's mental toughness, when you're tough under pressure and not losing your poise. I got upset. Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. WebJim Otto was born in Wausau, WI. I didn't bite his nose, he said. 25. Otto used to collapse in the early years of his retirement, even though he walks without difficulty now. And he told me that so many times: "Pops, I'm going to be just like you. 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. Bronko Nagurski, Running Back, Chicago Bears (1930-1937, 1943), As Giants linebacker Johnny Dell Isola said during their playing days years ago, I had heard a lot about him, but I thought most of it was exaggerated. I used to watch you play when I was a kid --. If they enjoy hitting somebody, let them hit people; let them play football. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. "Uh-uh, can't do it," you know? I think, why am I thinking this? 12. It has to really be studied. Over his 14-year career, which Perhaps the most painful of Jim Ottos 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. Johnny Unitas, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers & Baltimore Colts & San Diego Chargers (1956-1974). Larry Csonka, Fullback, Miami Dolphins & New York Giants (1968-1974, 1976-1979). 801,422 12. Jim Otto played before my time as a fan but I know his name and looked forward to reading his story. I don't know what they were taking. In 15 seasons, Otto played 210 consecutive games and made the AFL All-Star or Pro Bowl team 12 times. This is FRONTLINE's old website. And then the next game you did that snap that you're --. 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. And that's what I'm doing. Tommy McDonald, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles & Dallas Cowboys & Los Angeles Rams & Atlanta Falcons & Cleveland Browns (1957-1968). Do you associate Dalby and Webster's post-career declines and troubles with the hard-hitting nature of the game? But Jim suffered greatly for that glory.
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