Jim Otis

[racepug]

Hi. Does anybody have any memories of Jim Otis?

[JWL]

He had 10 rushes in an overtime period on 10/31/76. It is hard to get double digit rushing attempts in a regular season overtime session.

[RichardBak]

I believe he invented the elevator.

[rhickok1109]

When I was the sports editor of the Celina, OH, Daily Standard, Jim Otis was the fullback, placekicker, and middle linebacker for the Celina High School football team. His father, James Otis Sr., was the doctor who delivered my first two children. Dr. Jim, as everyone called him, had been Woody Hayes roommate at Denison College, so it was a foregone conclusion that Jim Jr. would play football at Ohio State. He was a big burly kid, very likeable, kind of a teddy bear (and very similar to his dad in that respect). I was very happen to see him have some success in the NFL.

Woody Hayes used to visit Dr. Otis for a couple of days every year. The doctor invited me over to chat with Woody during one of those visits. About 10 years after I'd left Celina, I met Woody again at the Pro Football HOF. He was there to introduce Jim Parker, who was being inducted. He remembered me from our meeting in Celina. We chatted a bit about Jim Otis Jr., who had recently signed with the Cardinals. Woody thought that would be a better fit for him than Kansas City, which turned out to be true.

When I told Woody I was now in New Bedford, MA, he said, "That was the hometown of one of my best running backs, Bobby Watkins. I'm very proud of Bobby. He's now a vice-president of Seagram's." I was impressed that he knew that.

[RichardBak]

You know, I had totally forgotten Otis was a 1,000-yd rusher for the Cards in '75. What most of us in "that state up north" remember of Otis is him scoring 4 TDs in the '68 Michigan-Ohio game. That was the time Woody went for a 2-pt conversion in the waning minutes when he was ahead 50-14. Asked why he went for two, Woody famously answered, "Because I couldn't go for three."

[racepug]

You know, I had totally forgotten Otis was a 1,000-yd rusher for the Cards in '75. What most of us in "that state up north" remember of Otis is him scoring 4 TDs in the '68 Michigan-Ohio game. That was the time Woody went for a 2-pt conversion in the waning minutes when he was ahead 50-14. Asked why he went for two, Woody famously answered, "Because I couldn't go for three."

Heh. That's absolutely one of my favorite football quotes of all time.

[conace21]

Conrad Dobler wrote about Otis in his autobiography. Apparently, Otis was a smoker, and his father was a health-conscious physician who had forbidden his children from smoking. Otis asked Dobler not to ask him for a cigarette after a game when his father was visiting and would be in the locker room. Naturally, Dobler had a bunch of teammates go up to Otis, in front of his father, and asked if he had a cigarette. Dobler then did it himself, and pushed it, asking "Isn't that a pack of cigarettes in your coat pocket?" He finally backed off, but wrote that Otis was going to have to buy up every copy of his book in order to keep the secret.

[racepug]

Heh. My favorite Conrad Dobler stories: 1) Merlin Olsen, after he retired, was approached by Conrad Dobler's father and asked if he had a problem with him (or words to that effect). Merlin Olsen told him: "Sir, I'm retired and in the broadcast booth, now, and I've put all the animosity towards your son behind me. Matter of fact I was in the locker room before the game and he and I shook hands." Conrad Dobler's father: "Check your fingers." 2) "Mean" Joe Greene had heard all about Conrad Dobler but hadn't played against him so one year at the Pro Bowl (as related by Cedric Hardman in the book "The Super '70s" by Tom Danyluk) CH: "[Joe] had a badly pinched nerve in his right arm and was in bad shape. I said 'Joe, what are you playing for? Why are you even here?' He said: 'Well, I don't get to play against that Conrad Dobler and I've heard so much about him. I came down to grade him.' Towards the end of the game the NFC scored a touchdown to go ahead. I was on the sideline, looking down toward the end zone. All I could see was this big right leg pumping up and down and a crowd starting to gather. I said to myself, 'I bet that's Joe." Sure as heck, he was down there stomping on Dobler.'"

[Bryan]

You know, I had totally forgotten Otis was a 1,000-yd rusher for the Cards in '75.

I remember reading that, after the Cards last regular season game of the 1975 season, Terry Metcalf called the team together in the locker room and made Jim Otis stand up on a table. Metcalf said "Gentleman, take a good look, because this is going to be the last white guy in history to ever lead the conference in rushing."

[RichardBak]

Ha! Until you just mentioned it, I'd forgot that Otis actually led the NFC that year. I've grown so used to a bunch of guys routinely rushing for 1,000 yds each season the last 30-40 years, it's sometimes hard to recall a time when it actually was still a pretty notable achievement. 1975 was still a 14-game schedule. I see Otis beat out Chuck Forman by just 6 yards.