Wausau Native & Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto - Photo by James Flores / Getty Images
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) – One of the area’s most successful athletes has passed away.
According to NBC News, Jim Otto, also known as “Mr. Raider,” passed away on Sunday night at age 86. Otto was born in Wausau in January of 1938. He was an alumnus of Wausau East High School before he attended and played football at the University of Miami and then for the Oakland Raiders, where we won the 1967 AFL championship and were voted first-team all-pro in 1970. Otto was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980 after his career also included awards such as being a three-time Pro Bowler and being voted first team all AFL nine times (1960–1965) and (1967–1969).
In a statement, the Las Vegas Raiders mourned the loss of Otto, saying, “The Raiders family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto, the original Raider. Jim’s personification of consistency and his influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated. His leadership and tenacity were hallmarks of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and 1970s.” Current Raiders star pass rusher Maxx Crosby also weighed in on Otto calling him an “absolute legend & incredible person.”
Otto is survived by his wife Sally, son Jim Jr., daughter-in-law Leah, and 14 grandchildren: Alice, Sarah, Amy, Amanda, Josiah, Hannah, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Jennifer, Avery, Noah, Aiden, Roman, and Ellie.
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