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Jim Otto: Raiders and the NFL world mourn the football legend

The NFL world is in mourning Monday following news of the death of Oakland Raiders legend and Hall of Famer Jim Otto, who died at the age of 86, the team confirmed Sunday evening.

Otto spent 15 seasons in professional football – all with the Raiders – and never missed a game. The former center was a nine-time AFL All-Star, three-time NFL Pro Bowler and ten-time first-team All-Pro. He was a member of the Raiders who won the 1967 AFL championship.

“Mr. Raider” was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year in 1980. He was ranked No. 76 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players and was named to the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019.

The Raiders released a statement on his death Sunday evening:

The Raiders family deeply mourns the passing of Jim Otto. The original raider. A personification of perseverance, Jim's impact on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated. His leadership and tenacity were a hallmark of the dominant Raider teams of the 1960s and '70s, and his fierce work ethic and talent enabled him to start a remarkable 210 consecutive league games for the Oakland Raiders. Considered undersized after graduating from the University of Miami, Jim achieved the first breakthrough in franchise history and was voted the AFL's All-Star center for the league's entire existence. One of only 20 players to play in every American Football League season, he was named a starter on the AL All-Time Team and was selected to the NFL's 100th Anniversary Team in 2019. Jim was known to many as “Mr. Raider” and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first year as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“00” was the cornerstone of a superior offensive line that not only helped the Raiders succeed on the field, but also resonated with fans and helped reinforce the Raiders' personality and mystique.

Here's a look at the reaction on social media:

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