European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 23, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Jim Otto battered Knees but no regrets by Gary Pomerantz Cox mews services in Otto Rolls up his Pant logs to expose to Yjih Rcd Knees. Co ahead feel i says Otto  Farro. Us league Center with the Oakland raiders for 15 Fasoni until 1975 the knee n to and and ,t with a metallic Cluni inside ii was opera of upon seven wee Cailini. And surgical  t visa around it it a the Idith time that Otto has endured Ricc surgery the 10h since his retirement for lhi",5l-year old football Dinosaur iossili2ation has been rapid and less than merciful he has Boen Given five artificial Knees Lour on the right one on the left. Otto s Interior landscape ravaged As it is is a Mark contrast to his surroundings. He liver in a stylish sprawling Home in Auburn. Calif the House sits alongside a Goll Couise in front of a Jacuzzi. Swimming Pool and Lake but Otto can t play Golf not even with a Carl his legs and tack can t Lake it about 45 Miles away to owns 134 acres with 10.000 Walnut Trees Bui tie can 1 drive a tractor or tend to the Harvest to tie pain is All Day Long every Day of Rny life Olio says i m in fear thai Iii need neck surgery in the next five to six. Years naturally. I be got a lot of pain in Rny neck and shoulders both Knees Hurt right now my ankle hurl my Back hurts i can t Bend Over or pick anything up and i can t Druc Lor any distance because i got son.1 and can t move because Olio owns live area but a King franchises and has  , arbitrator Sam Kaget rejected i is attempt to receive total and Lull football  my in 19sg an arbitration Victory would vet in woith$4,000per month to of o.  instead receives $ 1.295 monthly according to the players Union he s no Ian of Vico Lon Baroi or. A former nil official and son of the late Green Bay coach the younger Lombardi once asked Otto if he really needed a walking Cane upon entering an arbitration hearing or if it was merely for of Lee i respect his lather Otto says but Vince Lombardi or  players Union records indicate Otto has received More than $140,000 in league benefits since his retirement it helped him Only somewhat. His last Back surgery Cost him $44,000. To says and his moot recent knee surgery will Cost him slightly More Otto estimates he has paid about 1esq 000 out of his own pocket Lor the surgeries since his retirement that s financial hardship no matter who you  he a a. And yet Olio is optimistic that hell someday walk without the Aid of crutches or canes. Most remarkably of All. Otto insists his football career was entirely Worth those paralysing repercussions i be had a few real Low Days since i retired he says but i Don t think i regret things at  Gene Upshaw. The nil players Union chief and former Raider says to go through Jim Otto s pain and still say it All was Worth it that s More than psycho it shows the Pride in the Man " Otto is c fool 2 and 225 pounds Down 30 from his playing Days. He s still imposing when Lully upright. He was. By most accounts. Iho Best Center Ever to play the game. He played in a Ihen nil record 210 consecutive games and was the Only All league Center the old american football league Ever knew. Only the scoreboard clock or darkness got him Oil the Field. Upshaw says i remember seeing blood on his face in the huddle. I tried to wipe it off and he pushed my hand away and said leave it there other times he d get Knockin cold and he d Wake up and Lell us just stand to up and i la play " football made Otto a hero somebody you read about in the Pap cars. That s More than most kids Horn Nassau vvis., can claim Olio s Homo address matches his old Icsey number double Zero and Iho License plate on his truck roads i am of his living room is a raiders museum. His name is inseparable irom football. Yet when Otto s 23 year old son Jimmy suffered a shoulder injury thai ended his football career Lor Utah state last year his father was saddened but hardly disconsolate. My son does t need Loo Ball like i did Otto says. To has recognition Hie has my name. To can move on to of her  Otto says he always wanted to be recognized As the Best because i came irom a family with no Money and no recognition " if it s True lie body is a Temple Otto s is the Temple of doom there was the vertebrae Lusion in his lower Back live years ago his son Jimmy walked into the intensive care room saw Otto Ari Ashen color irom blood loss then noticed the heart Monitor line go completely horizontal on the screen. A Cord Hod come Loose accidentally he thought his father had died scariest moment of my life the son says Olio wore a body Brace for 5vz months after that surgery. One Day after his emancipation irom the Brace he sat in a chair at a speaking engagement in a Sacramento hotel at which Point Hie chair and the fusion both gave Way. Olio has sued the hotel Lor $600,000 in damages to says and plans to have More Back surgery in january. Then there was the 1981 surgery on Otto s nose to Correct a deviated septum. He d broken the nose 12 limes. The septum had been twisted to an a Shapo cutting off virtually All nasal breathing then there was Iho most a Eccl operation when Bone and ligament was removed irom a cadaver that s right. Irom a dead person and placed into Olio s newest artificial right knee to belter hold the device in place. You get an eerie perspective when Sally Otto walks into the room holding pieces irom one of her husband s former metallic Knees and says. The doctor told us to leave those in the Sun to dry out. But Iho wind blew Thorn on to the  jokes Don t work to ease the pain either. I m not a Lunny Guy Otto says candidly. That s Why you Don t Sec me on any Lite Beer commercials " and this is the Cru of the Jim Olio Story. He is nol a Lunny Guy he is. Pure and simple a Loo Ball Guy. Yet. Otto admits he has cried in some of his most private pained moments. Each time to says he has scolded himself for be Elm sell pity. Hit s True the body is a Temple Otto s is the Temple of doom Otto deserves help says former raiders assistant and san Francisco users president Bill Walsh. Mickey Yaras director of benefits Lor the nil players association says it s ludicrous that Olio can t receive Lull football related disability. To gain that Benefit according to the nil collective bargaining agreement a ormer player must he unable to work at any Job because of a Loo Ball injury Otto is sell employed successfully so Yaras chastised nil owners Lor seeking loopholes in the language of Iho agreement. Ii a player is in an Iron lung Selling pencils on a Street Corner Iho owners consider that  Yaras says nor have the raiders helped pay Lor his surgeries Olto notes. On the one hand to says. The raiders have Boen such a big part of my Lile. Suing them would to like suing myself yet he pulled out a piece of his former knee and pointed out the Scull Marks that he says show the knee was off by Lour degrees i could sue our raiders team doctor you take this to court and i would gel $1 million " Bot i John Madden a Lormor raiders head coach and san Francisco 49crs president Bill Walsh a former raiders assistant say Otto deserves help. Without Guys like Jim  Madden said Iho league would t to where it is  Upshaw recalls Olio using a Cane at last year s Hall of Fame ceremony Bui when he got to the Slago he walked across without the Cane. I know to was in i remondous pain and to was limping terribly i thought he d collapse at any moment. But to just smiled and hid his  Walsh says of Olto. Only a person with tremendous will and determination could have Kopl choir rationale and in a sense their sanity while going through those things and nol become bitter and continually Bitler Over their plight there is a Burger King billboard Oil Highway 80 which shows Jim Olio in his raiders uniform helmet in hand waving to the crowd. My ears wore cauliflower cd and Hurt when i pulled the helmet Over them i never took my hotpot off not on the sideline or anything Olto explains. Except once. Olto had played in the opening series in a 1975 pro season Gamo against the 49ers. The drive went 13 plays Many of them runs Over Olio s right or left Side and ended with a touchdown. When Otto Lell the yield after thai series his career was Over. In an arbitration Case Otto would lustily when i left the 49crs game. I Felt like my legs my Back my whole rear end was going to Lall off. Right on Down. I had abused Rny body quite  but now he smiles at the recollection and says but i look Oil my helmet and waved to my Wile in the crowd and said that s it baby. I m All done " tuesday May 23, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 13