Otis Sistrunk, best known as a star defensive end for the Oakland Raiders in the 1970s, was a product of Spencer High, the predominant football power in the Georgia Interscholastic Association. Sistrunk was a dominant defensive end, but chose to enter the United States Marine Corps after high school. After his years of service, Sistrunk returned to football and played in two semi-pro leagues for the next five years and garnered three all-star selections. An NFL scout saw him in a 1971 all-star game and gave Sistrunk a tryout, which landed him a spot on the Raiders. “The Trunk” made the NFL All-Rookie team in 1972 and the Pro Bowl in 1974. He started on the Raiders’ 1976 Super Bowl championship team, the first in franchise history. In three of his seven NFL seasons, all with the Raiders, he finished with double-digit sacks with a career-high 13.5 coming in his 1975 season. He also had seven fumble recoveries and three interceptions in his career. Sistrunk was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982 in the second annual class. After his professional football career, Sistrunk returned to Georgia and worked in Fort Benning for 12 years. He now runs Cowan and Memorial Stadium on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the state of Washington.
