We lost a gridiron legend today.

Hall of Fame Center, Jim Otto, known as Mr. Raider, passed away today at the age of 86.

Otto was undrafted in 1960, as the teams in the National Football League considered the Center to be too small to take his skills to the next level.  They got it wrong.  The AFL took shape the same year, and the Oakland Raiders saw something in the Miami Hurricane, and Otto was given the opportunity to win the Center job with the Raiders.  Otto won it as a rookie, and he would start the next (and first) 210 Games for the team.

Otto was not just the best Center of the AFL in the 1960s; he was the top man in front of the Quarterback in all of Professional Football. He became an 11-time AFL All-Star/Pro Bowl Selection and was so dominant that no other center was a first-team All-Pro in the entire history of the American Football League.

The Raiders would win the division seven times with Otto at Center, and won the AFL Championship in 1967.  Otto played his entire career with the Raiders and is the best Offensive Lineman in team history.

In 1980, Otto was inducted into Canton in his first year of eligibility. 

We at Notinhalloffame.com would like to extend our condolences to the fans, family and friends of Jim Otto.

The problem with running a Hall of Fame-related website is that many of the big ones we cover all have announcements within months of each other.  The backbone of what we do is list-related, so this results in a long push to revise what we already have; specifically, now with our Football and Basketball Lists.

At present, we have a minor update as we have completed the eighth ten of the 2024 Football List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 71 to 80:

71. Leslie O’Neal
72. Pat Swilling
73. Jay Hilgenberg
74. Alan Ameche
75. Jeff Saturday
76. Karl Mecklenburg
77. Chuck Foreman
78. Logan Mankins
79. Keith Jackson
80. Eddie Meador

Rankings are impacted annually based on your comments and votes.

Thank you all for your patience. We will soon unveil more changes to the football and basketball lists.

Gene Shue's journey in the world of basketball took off at the University of Maryland, where he showcased his skills as an All-ACC Selection. As a talented and innovative guard, Shue was chosen as the third overall pick by the Philadelphia Warriors in 1954. However, a brief stint in Philadelphia ensued after a dispute over his first paycheck, leading to his trade to New York. Shue's fortunes turned when he was traded to the Fort Wayne Pistons, providing him with the opportunity to become a key starter and a standout player.

Following the relocation of the franchise to Detroit, Shue experienced the peak of his playing career. He achieved an impressive five consecutive All-Star selections from 1958 to 1962, and notably received All-NBA honors in 1959-60 and 1960-61. During these standout seasons, Shue maintained an impressive average of over 20 points per game and secured seventh and tenth place in the MVP voting, respectively.

After this remarkable phase, Shue continued to play for two more years, one with New York and the other with Baltimore. His association with the Baltimore team extended beyond his playing career, as he later took on the role of coach and achieved the remarkable feat of winning two Coach of the Year Awards.

The problem with running a Hall of Fame-related website is that many of the big ones we cover all have announcements within months of each other.  The backbone of what we do is list-related, so this results in a long push to revise what we already have; specifically, now with our Football and Basketball Lists.

At present, we have a minor update as we have completed the third ten of the 2024 Basketball List, which you can comment on and vote on:

The new 21 to 30:

21. Glen Rice
22. Paul Silas
23. Johnny Kerr
24. Larry Kenon
25. Rasheed Wallace
26. Rudy LaRusso
27. Peja Stojakovic
28. Tyson Chandler
29. Willie Naulls
30. Larry Johnson

Rankings are impacted annually based on your comments and votes.

Thank you all for your patience. We will soon unveil more changes to the football and basketball lists.