WAUSAU, Wis. (WSAW) – Wausau native and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Otto died Sunday night, the Las Vegas Raiders announced in a statement. He was 86.

Otto was a graduate of Wausau High School in 1956 where he starred as a center and linebacker under legendary head coach Win Brockmeyer. He went on to play pro football with the Oakland Raiders in the American Football League, becoming a fixture for 15 years at center for the Raiders. He never missed a game due to injury, playing in 2010 consecutive games, earning the nickname ‘Mr. Raider’. He was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980, his first season eligible.

“The Raiders Family is in deep mourning following the passing of Jim Otto. The Original Raider,” the Las Vegas Raiders said in a statement. “The personification of consistency, Jim’s influence on the American Football League and professional football as a whole cannot be overstated”

“Jim was a man whose words and actions epitomized the motto ‘Commitment to Excellence’”

Otto is survived by his wife Sally his son Jim and 14 grandchildren.

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