He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. I put my head down and charged into the hole. 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. Krueger endured as many as 50 procedures in which bloody fluid was removed from his swollen knee and replaced with steroid compounds. It has to really be studied. 21. The 2003 NFL MVP, McNair has never missed a playoff start and led the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999. 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. Right. The Cowboys won the game, earned home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and captured the Super Bowl title. Including pre-season, regular season and post-season games, Otto competed in 308 consecutive games. We'd go hunting together; we did a lot of different things together, Dave and I. In 1972, he thought he broke his back on a hit by a Minnesota Vikings linebacker, so he crawled off the field. The Most Risky Job Ever. Reporting on ISIS in Afghanistan. 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. Jim Otto, center for the Oakland Raiders, poses on Aug. 15, 1970. FRONTLINE reports from Iraq on the miscalculations and mistakes behind the brutal rise of ISIS. Unitas missed most of the 1968 season due to injury but returned in the Super Bowl to lead Baltimore on its only touchdown drive in a 16-7 loss to the Jets. Jim Otto - Injuries and Surgeries | Injuries Surgeries Jim Otto Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. Every game. Gary Fencik: I had the displeasure of tackling, by accident, Walter only once in my 12-year career. If anybody tells you anything different, then they are dumber than I think they are., Krueger replied: Oh yeah, wait till some of these guys turn 65, and they have a bad heart, crummy knees or a screwed-up personality. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. Raider," Jim Otto - Sports How Many Surgeries Has Jim Otto Had? - Sportsmanist If they enjoy hitting somebody, let them hit people; let them play football. George Trafton, Center, Chicago Bears (1920-1921, 1923-1932). Its like someone putting your body on I-695 at 6 p.m. and letting it get bounced around by the traffic.. 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. There have been problems with steroids. In one game, he knocked out the entire Washington Redskins backfield one by one. He was also named the starting center on the AFL All-Time Team. Hein played fifteen seasons with the Giants and never missed a play. He had a game-winning tackle of future Hall of Fame running back Jim Taylor in the closing seconds of the Eagles 17-13 win in 1960. I mean, it's affected my life; it surely has. Marshall earned his fame as a member of the Purple People Eaters of the early 1970s. Mike Webster is doing this every play. Too many times we hear about the negatives because were former athletes, but the media ignores the players who make positive contributions, said Curtis, a D.C. commercial real estate broker. Dobler, in an ESPN poll, was named the dirtiest professional athlete of all time. But I don't think you can blame it -- I don't know. It would become so embarrassing that I stopped going out in public, said Otto, who had his knees drained and injected with painkillers four times a week during his last three playing years. Mark Bavaro, Tight End, New York Giants & Cleveland Browns & Philadelphia Eagles (1985-1990, 1992-1994). Doesn't say anything. 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. Former Colts linebacker Mike Curtis said those cases are few and too highly publicized. 4. 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. Garrison has also played through a separated shoulder, a severely broken nose and a broken collarbone. And they'll come up with some answers. We invariably would attack a bunker from where the enemy is shooting machine guns. And that is something that I'm dealing with. THE BREAKS OF THE GAME OF THE GAME Maybe probably more so in my life is the pain that I'm going through. 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. Minor injuries, therefore minor distractions, he called them. ISIS is in Afghanistan, But Who Are They Really? It is, because there's some people who think there's a connection between all those hits that you take and suicide, like there's a physiological connection there, you know? Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. And I think it's very unfair. There is also a tremendous fear perpetuated by management that younger guys are a threat if you cant perform.. Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. Ten years of lawsuits against the 49ers left him with a $1 million settlement in 1989 and plenty of bitterness. I don't know anything that much about Junior. When you looked at your wife and you didn't know who she was, like, who's this chick? Within 12 plays, Trafton had knocked each player out of the game, sending one of them to the hospital with a broken hand and an 11-inch cut across the forehead. Now, you were talking about Webster and how he would approach the game. Yes, Id do it all again. He hasnt jogged since January 1989. When you have a blow like that, it's a concussion; there's no doubt about it. 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 Jim Otto was a Raiders ironman - Las Vegas Review-Journal Larry Csonka, Fullback, Miami Dolphins & New York Giants (1968-1974, 1976-1979). Two years later Unitas played the entire season with a broken vertebrae. He won eight rushing titles before abruptly retiring at the age of 30. Hitting harder than anyone else was very important to us. Is that what you're saying? Grasping lifes highs and lows for Jim Otto his excellence on the football field and the lifelong physical toll achieving that excellence extracted requires little more than reading the first few pages of his aptly titled autobiography, The Pain of Glory.. Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). I just -- I know and I've told that those are the battle scars of a gladiator. (AP Photo) Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb We met at the line of scrimmage, and you could hear the thud all over the Polo Grounds. They told me if I took the shots and played, it would get better, said Marsh. Two years ago, Detroit Lions guard Mike Utley took a hit and suffered severe spinal damage, leaving him nearly a quadriplegic. Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963). 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. No. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. According to several experts, the emphasis on size in the mid-1980s led to a peak use of steroids, which increase strength, muscle definition and aggressiveness. 34. He rushed for over 100 yards, caught several passes, and helped the Cowboys continue their path to the Super Bowl. It was a matter of pride in the way we did things. There's the toughness of getting the snot knocked out of you, and the can't-be-intimidated, never-quit kind of tough. What is the result exactly? Hardy Brown, Linebacker, Brooklyn Dodgers & Chicago Hornets & Baltimore Colts & Washington Redskins & San Francisco 49ers & Chicago Cardinals & Denver Broncos (1948-1956, 1960). Thats one of the major reasons why so many of these guys walk with limps.. Jim Otto was elected into the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1980. It's Earl Campbell. --Gary Fencik, safety, 10. What about these memory issues or anything like that involving your thinking? Otto is also the subject of works by artist Matthew Barney.[3]. The highs an athlete gets from the highly selective field makes it hard for them to settle into another pursuit. 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. "If you want Otto to respond, just ring a bell. Nicknamed The Brute, Trafton broke the leg and ended the career of halfback Fred Chicken by throwing him into a fence. We had the same thing, similar, happen to a center who took my place after I retired, Dave Dalby. Jim Otto I saw the bone. 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. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback & Safety, San Francisco 49ers & Los Angeles Raiders & New York Jets & Kansas City Chiefs (1981-1995). Former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charlie Krueger was a tough guy. You are fully responsible for your comments. So there's different degrees of concussions; I want you to know that. 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. His head still down, Nagurski ran full speed into the brick outfield wall there at Wrigley Field. Jim Otto I was depressed because I wasn't running out on the field anymore, when they announced "At center, Jim Otto." and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. The site navigation utilizes arrow, enter, escape, and space bar key commands. Anything loosea knee pad, a shoe, a chin strapwould be ripped off by a Butkus tackle. Giants lineman Al DeRogatis once accused Kilroy of biting him on the nose. But let them play. Csonka was a bull in a china shop. He got beat up so bad in his early years. You got hit in the head, and you had amnesia. And then there's the players below who contain all of these qualities. Even as the surgeries mounted and routine elements of daily living became more and more challenging Waking up is the best part of my day, he wrote Jim has repeated in many interviews since his retirement that we wouldnt change history. Hines Ward, Wide Receiver, Pittsburgh Steelers (1998-present). OK, you started by saying that suicide is not something that people talk about in the NFL, or have [not] until fairly recently anyhow. And it's not being selfish, not on my behalf being selfish because I can't do it, and I would want it. My nose was broken pretty, pretty good. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame receives No. Bucko Kilroy, Guard, Philadelphia Eagles (1943-1955). Nothing dirty about it. WebHow did Jim Otto loose his leg? Lewis is one of the greatest playmakers and natural team leaders the game has ever seen. Players rarely give much thought to life after football. 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. Looked like a raccoon. Bob Lilly, 37. And that's what I'm doing. 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. 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. [1] In the 1967 regular season, Oakland scored 468 points (33.4 points/game), leading the AFL, but lost Super Bowl II to the Vince Lombardi-led Green Bay Packers. 38. Lawrence was Dick Butkus, but with speed and range, said John Madden, analyst for Fox television. Butkus's opponents claimed that Butkus was like an odor that you could feel or sense on the field. WebIn addition to his football injuries, Otto also had two strokes, three heart attacks, and diabetes which caused blindness in one eye. Former Raiders internist Dr. One great performance, such as Joe Namaths for the New York Jets in Super Bowl III, can bring endless endorsements. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. I think if you were to look at me and evaluate me, it was a matter of pride. Or what about if you had amnesia for two days? I'm going to meet you someplace in there, and maybe one of us is going to lose a leg. How much did Jim Otto weigh when playing? I've had 74 surgeries all told throughout my body, all over my body. Former offensive lineman Steve Courson, who played eight seasons for the Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, has blamed alcohol and steroids for his dilated cardiomyopathy, a weakened heart muscle. 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. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. Few occupations can provide the riches and fame, yet simultaneously the danger, of pro football. Hall of Fame quarterback Bobby Layne has called Wilson pound for pound the toughest player in the NFL., 31. The only first-team All-AFL center in the leagues 10-year history, Jim helped the Raiders rise from a 9-33 start in their first three years of existence to a team that won seven division titles and an AFL title and made a Super Bowl appearance before he retired. Jim Otto I am really sore, and I'm trying to figure out the best way to take care of that. And with your head traumas, with the head injuries, tell me about one in particular. 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. Mel Hein, Center, New York Giants (1931-1945). Privacy Policy Bill Romanowski, Linebacker, San Francisco 49ers & Philadelphia Eagles & Denver Broncos & Oakland Raiders (1988-2003). Butkus was a turnover machine and earned eight Pro Bowl selections in his nine seasons. And everything is actually true to my heart, to my mind. Jim Otto Steve Sabol had the following to say about Butkus: His career stands as the most sustained work of devastation ever committed on any field of sport, anywhere, any time., Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. They blame these problems for failed relationships, unemployment and drug or alcohol addictions. Favre has earned three MVP awards and led the Packers to a championship in 1996. Major funding for FRONTLINE is provided by John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Emmitt Smith, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys & Arizona Cardinals (1990-2004), Emmitt Smith transformed the epitome of toughness on national television in the last game of the season in 1993.
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