Jason Kelce is Great, But No Jim Otto

As the Philadelphia Eagles' Jason Kelce retires to great fanfare, let us not forget that the greatest center of all-time is Jim Otto, who wasn't drafted by the Raiders but inherited.

One of the most talented best draftees to play for the Las Vegas-Oakland-Raiders in their 64-year history was a player they did not select.

Minneapolis was supposed to be one of the original eight franchises in the American Football League during its inaugural season in 1960, even drafting a whole class of players along with the other seven teams.

However, the established National Football League stepped in and convinced the Minneapolis owners to go with them, and they created the team that became the Minnesota Vikings.

When the eighth franchise was in limbo, some of the other AFL raided the draft list of the city yet to be named for several talented players, among them running back Abner Haynes going to the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) and wide receiver Don Norton landing with the Los Angeles Chargers.

However, they missed the best player of them all -- future Hall of Fame center Jim Otto.

We don’t know which round Otto was selected in because that is not part of the eight draft lists, but after Oakland was chosen as the site of the eighth AFL franchise, Otto stepped into the Raiders’ starting lineup on the first day and remained there for 15 seasons.

Jason Kelce deserves the Hall of Fame, he is genuinely great,  but he isn't Jim Otto / © Kirby Lee | 2022 Sep 18

Otto was a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds when he came out of Miami (Fla.), but he bulked up to 260 rounds or more and played in 210 consecutive regular-season games before retiring in 1975.

“His skills as a center were just perfect,” Raiders Hall of Fame Coach John Madden said. “He was one of those guys who never wanted to come out of practice. That’s the opposite of most starters, who will say, ‘Send in the second guy.’

“Jim was the Oakland Raiders center, and he wasn’t going to give up his spot.”

When Al Davis came from the San Diego Chargers and took over as coach and general manager of the Raiders in 1963, he made sure that Otto, known to this day as “The Original Raider,” understood that he was the leader of the Silver and Black on the field.

Otto was shaken up and took himself out of a game that season, but Davis was waiting for him with a message when he got to the sideline.

“When I was with the Chargers, we felt that if we could get you out of the game, the rest of the Raiders would quit because you are the leader of this team,” Davis told him, and Otto got the message.

Otto never again came out of a game under his power when the Raiders had the ball, even if he was slightly injured.

Said Otto: “What Al said to me became etched indelibly in my mind. I took a beating sometimes, but I stayed in the game. I didn’t want to disappoint him, the fans, my family, or my teammates. I was captain for 12 of 13 years, and I guess I was the leader.

“It was hard sometimes because I had a chronic problem with my neck. I would get a stinger and it would just about knock me out. But there was no way I was going to come out of the game. What Al said that one time was enough.”

“Double-0,” as Otto also was known because he wore Number 00 beginning in his second season, anchored probably the best offensive line of all-time, which that also included fellow Hall of Famers tackle Art Shell, guard Gene Upshaw, tight end Dave Casper, and for a short time tackles Bob Brown and Ron Mix.

“There was a lot of talent on that line, and it would have been easy for the guys to try to do things their own way,” Upshaw recalled. “But Otto pulled things together so that we were all on the same page. There is no question that he was the leader of the gang.”

Otto was the only all-league center the AFL had during its 10-year history. He was selected All-Pro in 1970 and played in three Pro Bowls after the AFL-NFL merger was complete.

In addition, he is a member of the All-Time AFL Team and the NFL’s 100th Anniversary Team.

“I just wanted to be the best, because I knew I was the best,” Otto said.

However, 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.

In a book he wrote called “The Pain of Glory,” Otto described near-death experiences from medical procedures, including fighting off three life-threatening infections due to complications from his artificial joints.

During one six-month period, he was without a right knee joint because he had to wait for an infection to heal before another artificial knee could be implanted.

“It was all worth it and I would do it over again,” said Otto, who is 86 and lives with his wife, Sally, in Auburn, Calif.

And Raider Nation has Minneapolis to thank for all that Otto did.

From February 27 to March 4, 2024, the NFL Scouting Combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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