Aught Oh
Posted: Wed May 22, 2024 3:11 am
"00"
I watched Jim Otto play football from the mid-sixties until he hung up his cleats in 1974.
Probably because I lived in the Bay Area and got to see him frequently I considered him the best Center in football.
I knew who Tingelhoff, Iman and Mansfield were. I was vaguely familiar with Bowman. And Forrest Blue received a lot of (deserved) attention as the center for the 49ers.
But Jim Otto was a part of what I understood to be the best Offensive Line in football (with fellow Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw and Art Shell).
Certainly the best left side of an O Line.
But Otto's influence on me far exceeded his play.
Jim Otto exemplified the sacrifice a leader and an athlete must endure to excel.
Playing through pain and injuries, taking on opponents bigger and stronger than himself, leading by example... these qualities had a huge influence on me as I grew up... both in how I later played the game and how I lived my life.
Maybe this is all a touch melodramatic (just a touch) but I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not witnessed Otto's sacrifice and determination to be the best he could be. And I am grateful to him for it.
Rest In Peace, Jim Otto.
And thank you for everything you did for me and the many, many young men who watched you play and lead and became better people for it.
"There (are) times right now that I'm sore. It gets you thinking... where did I go wrong? And you know... it all comes back to me: Jim, you did (exactly) what you wanted to do."
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... toJi00.htm
I watched Jim Otto play football from the mid-sixties until he hung up his cleats in 1974.
Probably because I lived in the Bay Area and got to see him frequently I considered him the best Center in football.
I knew who Tingelhoff, Iman and Mansfield were. I was vaguely familiar with Bowman. And Forrest Blue received a lot of (deserved) attention as the center for the 49ers.
But Jim Otto was a part of what I understood to be the best Offensive Line in football (with fellow Hall of Famers Gene Upshaw and Art Shell).
Certainly the best left side of an O Line.
But Otto's influence on me far exceeded his play.
Jim Otto exemplified the sacrifice a leader and an athlete must endure to excel.
Playing through pain and injuries, taking on opponents bigger and stronger than himself, leading by example... these qualities had a huge influence on me as I grew up... both in how I later played the game and how I lived my life.
Maybe this is all a touch melodramatic (just a touch) but I wouldn't be the person I am today had I not witnessed Otto's sacrifice and determination to be the best he could be. And I am grateful to him for it.
Rest In Peace, Jim Otto.
And thank you for everything you did for me and the many, many young men who watched you play and lead and became better people for it.
"There (are) times right now that I'm sore. It gets you thinking... where did I go wrong? And you know... it all comes back to me: Jim, you did (exactly) what you wanted to do."
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/ ... toJi00.htm