Rare AFL/ AFC Black Durene Raiders Jersey worn by Jim Otto & Hurricanes College Jersey.. Directly from Jim Otto. 

Bid or Buy it today.   Otto joined the Oakland Raiders of the AFL in 1960 and played in every single game, including pre and postseason games for the next fifteen seasons (1960-1974). Otto was a member of the 1967 Raiders team that fell to the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl II. He was named to 12 consecutive Pro Bowl appearances (9 – AFL and 3 – NFL) and was a ten-time All-Pro First Team selection. Jim was the prototypical Oakland Raider, fierce, competitive and passionate about the game. Under the tutelage of head coach John Madden and new ownership by Al Davis, Jim’s durability and talent helped the Raiders emerge from cellar-dweller to perennial power contender. Jim Otto was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

JIM OTTO 1969 – 1971 Raiders Durene Home Jersey

Hall of Fame Center Jim Otto’s career spanned a decade and a half of offensive line trench warfare. He was the quintessential Raider and his longevity
saw him start in the heavy knit/durene jersey era and finish in the 1970s mesh era. Although his AFL career started with Otto wearing his college #50,
he quickly switched to a unique #00, matching the vowels punctuating his surname.

This Raiders jersey is a black durene home jersey made by Wilson. This was unique because when Al Davis took over the Raiders, he switched the colors
from black and gold to Black and silver. He also switched the team’s uniform supplier from King O’ Shea to Sand Knit, a supplier he was familiar with from
his days at West Point. From 1963 through 1968, the Raiders were virtually a Sand Knit cub, their simplistically beautiful jerseys were characterized by lightweight
durenes, diminutive 2″ NOB lettering and horizontally dominant sleeve numbers.

In 1969, Wilson made inroads to the team on the black home jerseys. The road jerseys were still made by Sand Knit with the aforementioned style features.
Most Raiders players wore the Wilson durene jerseys during 1969, while a smattering of players can be seen wearing the Sand Knit holdovers. what were the
differentiating features? On the Wilson made jerseys, the seems were more pronounced, the sleeve numbers were visibly NARROWER, and the NOB remained
in the diminutive category, at 2′ in height (actually about 1 & 7/8 -1 & 15/16″ as exhibited on this jersey). The final differentiating feature was less visible.
The numerals and NOB lettering were made of much stiffer and more rigid tackle twill.

Prior to switching to mesh in 1972, the Raiders would continue to use Sand Knit for their white road jerseys, and for the most part, used the Wilson black durenes
in 1970 and somewhat in 1971. (Note in 1971, photographic evidence shows a mix of Sand Knit and Wilson jerseys, suggesting Sand Knit still provided a
set or two in that final 2 year period of durene jerseys.

This beautiful Otto representation shows multiple season use, commencing no earlier than 1969. it was probably used in 1969, the last AFL season, and again
in 1970, perhaps even in 1971. It features a period (1967 – 197) Wilson size 46 tail label, the pronounced Wilson seam stitching, the NARROW ’00’ sleeve
numbers, the stiffer twill identifiers, and the unique NOB 1 & 15/16′ serrated font letters. Close inspection of all these Raiders Wilson made jerseys from this
1969 – 1971 period show small lettering but in a font style differing from Sand Knit’s 1963-1971 font style. This version is more looped and the serfs more pronounced
than its Sand Knit counterparts. Note accompanying photograph with nameplate examples of Ben Davidson and Warren Wells. these exemplars from 1969/70
exactly match the Otto lettering. The 3 button crotch piece tail remains intact.
For whatever reason, the Black durenes have always been scarcer than their white road counterparts, making this rare AFL/AFC gem a Hall of Fame Classic.