Joe Greene, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-1981), Nicknamed Mean," Joe Greene was one of only a handful of defensive players in NFL history who could singlehandedly change the outcome of a game. Do you associate Dalby and Webster's post-career declines and troubles with the hard-hitting nature of the game? Since then, only three players have been suspended for the minimum four weeks for a first offense. In Otto's final year, 1974, Oakland scored 355 points (25.4 points/game), leading the NFL, and then avenging their loss to the Dolphins during 1974-75 NFL playoffs before losing to the Steelers again. You wouldnt believe the number of divorces when the big money stops coming in. During his fifth training camp, he suffered the injury that ultimately led to amputation. It's incredibly debatable, but here is my attempt to rank them in order for toughness. In 1997, he spit in the face of wide receiver JJ Stokes. 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. I've been going to pain clinic now for about a month, two months, where they're working on various different things on my body to release the pain from my neck, from my back, from certain parts of my body that's really bothering me. 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 underwent surgery to have 30 inches of his intestines removed, and returned for the second game of the season. Plasman refused to wear a helmet. Like they'd say, "Hey, Jim, what's this? I mean, he'd figure out a way to beat you, and so would Jim Otto. I'm over here, I had a couple dozen concussions or more, and I hurt. Nobody is helping me. I'm telling you about it right now: I hurt. But I'm not out there crying about it. So you were saying it was war out there. Theyre still in that state of denial. There's a battle, and that battle is going on. Because I don't want to believe that that's what's happened. Ronnie Lott was a cornerback who hit like a linebacker. Players rarely give much thought to life after football. The Rock Island fans were so angered that a rock-throwing mob chased him from the field. He was not a great linebacker. And --. If you get hit in the head and a little dizziness comes out of it, you've suffered a concussion. Graves experience spans over 37 years as a football administrator of the NFL. Don Meredith, Quarterback, Dallas Cowboys (1960-1968), Meredith was really tough. How many games did Jim Otto play? You are fully responsible for your comments. And I think it's very unfair. Yeah, I think it was in -- I'm not exactly sure what year; it was '72 or something. I saw Meredith's nose broken so bad that it spread all over his face. McDonald suffered exactly zero broken noses and knocked out teeth in his career. Anything loosea knee pad, a shoe, a chin strapwould be ripped off by a Butkus tackle. They blame these problems for failed relationships, unemployment and drug or alcohol addictions. In 1999, he was ranked number 78 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. -- but we never associated that and concussions or hits with long-term brain trauma. Now, the amnesia one, that was before the NFL, is that right? He was double-teamed, every play, for his entire career. Namaths famously fragile knees are so painful that he cant carry his children down steps. And that's why Sally and I came to the forefront Did anybody do anything for Mike Webster with Pittsburgh? Fencik, a Bears safety, speaks about a hit that occurred in practice. He led the Eagles to championships in 1949 and 1960. And he hung with me. 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. Tab will move on to the next part of the site rather than go through menu items. Left and right arrows move across top level links and expand / close menus in sub levels. He proudly stated that he played football because it was the only way he could hit someone and get away with it. WebGet the latest career stats for Jim Otto of the on CBS Sports There is a new level of information, and they've done some good studies on it, which are very important. Some players have catheterized themselves and replaced their own urine with clean samples before testing.. , 39. I had my arms around his legs, and my shoulder dug into him. 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. And then being in that position to hit the ball, the runner drops his head, the quarterback drops his head or whatever it might be, and you have head-to-head contact. And that happened to me in college, too, so it -- each time [I] had a very sickly feeling after it had happened, you know? They do it now, which is good. I haven't necessarily told them what I'm thinking. 12. The scouts also found out that Otto had suffered some shoulder injuries, and that Otto loved the contact that football provided and destroyed anyone on the opposing team looking to get past him. And so yes, he broke my helmet; he broke my face mask in here, which broke my nose and set it over here. 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. Since 1995, Otto has worked for the Raiders in the department of special projects and is active in the business world. 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. With the Cowboys and Giants fighting for the NFC East and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, Emmitt played the entire game with a sprained and separated right shoulder. And it bothers me. And if you cant take the injuries, get the hell out. Right. 21. American Football Wiki is a FANDOM Lifestyle Community. Walt Garrison, Running Back, Dallas Cowboys (1966-1974). 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. 15. 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. And yet I'd be playing, you know? 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. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Trafton played before the NFL enforced late-hit, roughing, or unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. If they don't enjoy it, then they should play soccer or they should play something else. Do you feel like there's an increased notoriety of players when something very bad happens like a suicide? Thats when doctors operated on his back for 11 1/2 hours to remove scar tissue and Theyd shoot you up, and you could get painkillers anywhere. When other coaches started seeing what a guy that size could do, they all wanted monster players with speed. NAPA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. Romanowski played in 243 consecutive games, a record for a linebacker, and played for four Super Bowl champions. Walter Payton, Running Back, Chicago Bears (1975-1987). Few occupations can provide the riches and fame, yet simultaneously the danger, of pro football. I realize that. Yes, Id do it all again. In 1958, with three broken ribs and a punctured lung, he led the Colts to the NFL title while wearing a protective harness. There's a tear near the break, and his bone is sticking out. 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. [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. The guy coming down the field to cover the kickoff, the guy with the ball with the kickoff, hey, this is football. Perhaps the most painful of Jim Ottos 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. He turned I don't have knees anymore. 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. WebJim Otto 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. Jim Otto, center for the Oakland Raiders, poses on Aug. 15, 1970. Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. Nobody took me off the field, said, "Jim, you've got to do this." Greene was notorious for kicking a player when he was down and had to be ejected from a game in 1975 for repeatedly kicking a Cleveland Browns player in the groin. I have sat there and thought about it. I've had various different cognitive tests regarding my brain. 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. They've asked for my brain. It becomes quite a shock.. He got beat up so bad in his early years. I don't make want to make excuses. Ernie Stautner comes in the huddle, and his thumb is broken back against his wrist. Steve Sabol, President of NFL Films, once stated, There are so many definitions of toughness. That's the way Mike Webster would say it, too. It was the first injury that he had suffered and he would never participate in another snap. You got your nose broken, right? I'm not complaining about it. 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. I played football because I loved the game, and I did everything I could to win, and people knew that, Jim said. Runyan has started 180 consecutive games at right tackle, and has played in the postseason on seven occasions. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. He finally returned after a three-year absence. Once you leave the game, people forget about you quite quickly, said Drew Pearson, the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. Back then, owners would do anything to maximize their payrolls to win the war games. As he approached me on the sideline, he shook his head and said, That last guy really gave me a good lick, coach.' No. Brett Favre, Quarterback, Atlanta Falcons & Green Bay Packers & New York Jets (1991-present). Otto worked diligently to build his body up to his playing weight of 250 pounds. His head still down, Nagurski ran full speed into the brick outfield wall there at Wrigley Field. I know that in my mind, in Jim Otto's mind -- and I'll be honest with you right now -- that thoughts of suicide have gone through my head at different times. Throughout his Hall of Fame career, this three-time NFL MVP played with a number of injuries, including a badly broken nose, broken fingers, ripped arm tendons, and torn knee cartilage. Jim Otto weighed 255 lbs (115 kg) when playing. I walked by Frank, and he was laid out. Jon Runyan, Tackle, Houston/Tennessee Oilers & Titans, Philadelphia Eagles (1996-present). A lot of things. They didn't do that to me, but they would, they would always accuse me of that and they would razz me about it, you know? He won eight rushing titles before abruptly retiring at the age of 30. Yeah, just on the line, hitting each other. Sam Huff, Linebacker, New York Giants & Washington Redskins (1956-1969), A pro football linebacker is just naturally tough. Otto went down with a torn ACL. Does that take a certain temperament? Perhaps the most painful of Jim Otto's 23 surgeries occurred five years ago. In most cases I would like to be able to be out there doing something for somebody else, helping somebody else, and I can't. 6. I think I'm just kind of touchy about thinking that my body is going to be separated from something and probably not in the same grave, maybe that's what I'm thinking of. and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation. 35. I'm sure he would. Johnny Unitas, Quarterback, Pittsburgh Steelers & Baltimore Colts & San Diego Chargers (1956-1974). Larry Csonka, Fullback, Miami Dolphins & New York Giants (1968-1974, 1976-1979). We're going to get a broken leg, a broken shoulder or something, but I'm going to hit you like nobody else. He said, Football is tough. 24. 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. Let them play it the way it's supposed to be played, the way the rules are, and don't keep changing the rules. And with your head traumas, with the head injuries, tell me about one in particular. A Jim Otto is doing this every play. We met at the line of scrimmage, and you could hear the thud all over the Polo Grounds. And playing with concussions, playing with other problems that we did play with, never coming off the field --. I don't know what other players are thinking. Wausau High School and University of Miami, American Football League All-Star players, American Football League All-League players, http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/U/UpshGe00.htm, Hall of Famer Jim Otto recovering after having right leg amputated, Jim Otto profile at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, 10 All-AFL selection (1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969). There's the toughness of getting the snot knocked out of you, and the can't-be-intimidated, never-quit kind of tough. He was a football and ice hockey star at Wausau High and had no knee trouble, although he says he did play a season on a severely injured ankle. And there's a lot of guys like us. Krueger now cant kneel and has problems walking on uneven surfaces. Giants lineman Al DeRogatis once accused Kilroy of biting him on the nose. They are similar to those experienced by rape victims and soldiers returning from combat. And then the next game you did that snap that you're --. Injuries and Surgeries Otto punished his body greatly during his NFL career, resulting in nearly 40 surgeries, including 28 knee operations (nine of them during his The young people that are coming out and playing football today, I want them to continue to play football; I want them to have fun playing football. I'm going to be just like you, Pops." Longtime Raiders team doctor Robert Rosenfield, who died last January of cancer, diagnosed it as strained ligaments. Looked like a raccoon. Bob Lilly, 37. Former Los Angeles Raiders offensive lineman Curt Marsh, who retired in 1987, had his right foot and lower leg amputated Sept. 21. WebIn addition to his football injuries, Otto also had two strokes, three heart attacks, and diabetes which caused blindness in one eye. 22. As a 248-pound defensive end, he played in 282 consecutive games. 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. I'm hurting like a son of a gun. But those things would either stimulate them or it would put them under to the point where the pain was no longer there. Ronnie Lott, Cornerback & Safety, San Francisco 49ers & Los Angeles Raiders & New York Jets & Kansas City Chiefs (1981-1995). Double-zero recalls stories about all of his famous Raider teammates, his most memorable opponents, and the behind-the-scenes life of an NFL Hall of Famer. Most current players feel they have more leverage since Butkus filed a $1.6 million suit against the Bears in 1974 and came away with a $600,000 settlement. And so these thoughts that have come through your head are fairly recent then? Told by doctors that he would never play football again, Bleier, recipient of the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, spent two full years attempting to return to the NFL. WebThe official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. When you looked at your wife and you didn't know who she was, like, who's this chick? With the Raiders, he won 1 AFL/AFC championship in 1967 against the Houston Oilers, but lost 5: in 1968, 1969, and 1970, 1973, and 1974 to the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs, Baltimore Colts, Miami Dolphins, and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively, all 5 teams winning the Super Bowl of their respective years, playing alongside Gene Upshaw, a Hall-of-Famer, at left guard from 1967 until Otto's final year in 1974. 13. As a rookie in 1920, he angered the Rock Island Independents so bad that they sent four players into the game on a mission to destroy Trafton. The symptoms are nightmares and cold sweats. And I went, "Yay." Entries that are unsigned or are "signed" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Coaches had a way of making you feel less manly if you didnt play. Teammate Charlie Waters recalls the time that Garrison accidentally cut his thumb with a knife so that it was dangling from his hand. 28. Double-zero recalls stories about all And it was about two days after the football game in high school my senior year. And then tell me about a good solid head hit that you remember from the NFL as well. In 1951 alone, he knocked out 21 players. WebJim Otto, Mr. And sure, this hurts, but, you know -- and it can hurt somebody, but I don't think a guy should get fined for doing something he was taught to do all through high school, in college and now in the pros. 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 but has said that he NFL tough guy was fined for: kicking fullback Larry Centers in the head (1995); breaking Kerry Collins' jaw on a preseason helmet-to-helmet hit (1997); throwing a football at linebacker Bryan Cox and hitting him in the groin (1999); punching tight end Tony Gonzalez (1999); and breaking the eye socket of teammate Marcus Williams in a scrimmage, forcing him to retire (2003). So all of a sudden here comes Raymond into the game. In 1975, he was replaced by Dave Dalby. Mr. Former San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Charlie Krueger was a tough guy. Deacon perfected the head slap, a move that would be eventually banned by the NFL because it was too effective., 29. NAPA, Calif. -- Hall of Fame center Jim Otto recently had his right leg amputated and is recovering in a hospital in Utah. Well, I'm very fortunate that I can do that, because there are times that I can't remember people's names. 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. Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! 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. What about these memory issues or anything like that involving your thinking? Well, a huge hole opened, and I saw him coming. Of those who did not leave because of injury, 56.2% reported similar emotional problems. Minutes later, he set up the winning touchdown with a fake handoff. And she says, "I didn't marry you for that leg anyway." Jim Otto was elected into the Hall of Fame as a Player in 1980. They want my brain at I think it's Michigan or --. 33. But a lot of guys no longer get the "Hey, Joe, how you doing. " I mean, if you played marbles against Mike Webster, he still would beat you. 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. 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. It's like the way that you used to do it. For the next 15 years, he was a fixture at center for the Oakland Raiders, never missing a single game due to injury. Ex-Cowboys wide receiver Bob Hayes and former Miami Dolphins running back Mercury Morris have served time on drug convictions. Well, the rules and regulations today have really changed football to a certain degree because of the contact rules. Injuries and operations During one six-month stretch, he was without a right knee joint because he had to wait for an infection to heal before another artificial knee could be implanted. Larry Wilson, Safety, St. Louis Cardinals (1960-1972), Larry Wilson is best known for inventing the safety blitz. Most of these players are young, and they feel invincible, said Stuart Fishelman, a Baltimore doctor who provides sports psychology services. 38. 34. Gary Fencik: I had the displeasure of tackling, by accident, Walter only once in my 12-year career. "Uh-uh, can't do it," you know? Football has given me so many memories that money cant buy, he said. And over here these guys are wanting the world. He waited six months between artificial knees 5 and 6 after fighting off an infection that nearly took his life. 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. 801,422 12. If we were fighting a war, the linebackers would be the first guys to get killed. But pro football is a brutal game, a sport that long has glorified pain and punishment. 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. 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. During his first 10 years he suffered the usual injuries such as broken noses, fingers and ribs, and he played through it all. He was one of the best 4th-and-1 runners in NFL history. Former Colts linebacker Mike Curtis said those cases are few and too highly publicized. 8. 1. There have been problems with steroids. 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.. Jim Otto was a Raiders ironman. 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. It was really bad. He only called timeout one time and that was to reset his broken nose. Now, the tackler is fined $20,000, $30,000, $50,000, whatever it is for a blow to the head. 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. 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. Immediately everybody rushes to blame football or blame some other thing happened in their life either socially, emotionally or psychologically. Well, as you know, it didnt get better. 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. It's detailed, proudly, in his book, "The Pain of Glory" (ISBN 1-58261-066-5), published in 2000. Jim Otto played before my time as a fan but I know his name and looked forward to reading his story. His dedication and durability symbolized the teams Commitment to Excellence motto. He suffered a cracked vertebra, a concussion, and crushed intestines during a car crash before his senior year of college. 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. WebLatest on C Jim Otto including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on NFL.com Get hit in the head so hard your eyes were crossed? Bleier's story is one of the greatest in the history of sports. I'm against all that. He also had a ramp to enter the bathtub. Jim cant walk through an airport without the metal detectors going off, said Miki Yaras-Davis, director of benefits for the NFL Players Association. Now, nobody in America knows that, like they know about the guy who had a concussion, like the guy who is in class-action suits, suing the National Football League because they had a concussion. When you have nobody helping you in a situation like that, I would imagine it's a pretty empty feeling to be going through life with that problem and nobody is coming to help you. But you're talking about a different kind, the much more common, everyday, every play? Among Doblers principal offenses were biting, gouging, punching, kicking, and grabbing the face mask. We went to Green Bay to play the Packers, and in the book I wrote that I had a big fan base from my hometown in [Wausau, Wis]. 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 thought he killed Frank. He tells a very straightforward biography of himself, deals out very little dirt but tells it as he sees it. (AP Photo) Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Herb There were two times. Tommy McDonald, Wide Receiver, Philadelphia Eagles & Dallas Cowboys & Los Angeles Rams & Atlanta Falcons & Cleveland Browns (1957-1968). He retired from the Arena Football League in 1992. Butkus, once the the most feared player in football, sometimes walks as if one leg is inches longer than the other. Csonka was a bull in a china shop. He is famous for his crack-back blocks, and broke the jaw of Cincinnati rookie Keith Rivers in a 2008 contest. Damn fools. What do you mean by that? Bleier eventually played on four Super Bowl championships and earned a reputation as both a fearsome blocker and a powerful runner. He paralyzed wide receiver Darryl Stingley in a preseason game in 1978 on a clean hit. He played a game against the Saints with a dislocated shoulder. I've had amnesia like that. He plays the entire game. When you talk about your knees, legs, those kind of things, those kinds of injuries, clearly related to football, I mean, you know when these injuries started probably and all that. Is there something about Wisconsin, or is it something about how you just approached that position itself, the center? Do you feel like the suicide thoughts are related to the pain or related to retirement? Yeah, but you didn't know about -- I mean, the concussions. It's like cutting their leg off, let's say. Ernie Stautner, Defensive Tackle, Pittsburgh Steelers (1950-1963). Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. You seem completely with it and pulling up words and memories and having no problems at all. Why is Frank McCourt really pushing it? Butkus has bitten officials, bitten opponents in the groin, scratched, punched, everything.
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