He wore very thick glasses,'' he said. Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . ''But growing up, I didn't feel like I had to take care of either my father or my mother. ''My sisters would bring a radio so she could listen to what was happening. My father, and later on my sisters, prepared most of the meals. At Stanford, Plunkett set a school records for passing yards (2,156) and touchdowns (14) as a sophomore, and then broke those records in subsequent seasons finishing his NCAA career with 7,809 passing yards and 53 touchdowns. He's as tough a guy as I've ever met. I asked to be traded, Plunkett says, and Mr. Davis said no.. With eighteen passing and three rushing touchdowns added to his 2,715 passing yards on the year (which broke his own conference record), Plunkett was awarded the 1970 Heisman Trophy. ''She had a bad experience on a plane a few years ago coming back from visiting her family in New Mexico. The second title came after more struggles, after losing his starting job to Wilson and then regaining it after Wilson was injured. When Jim was eight years old, his father died of a heart attack. Once he arrived at the school, he played quarterback and defensive end for the football team. Despite his strong first two seasons, Plunkett was a long-shot Heisman candidate compared to the other favorites: quarterbacks Archie Manning of Mississippi and Joe Theismann of Notre Dame. Friends and family, meanwhile, wonder why the Pro Football Hall of Fame has snubbed him. He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. The press made much of his personal story. And our father would tell us to take care of our mother. And he ended up an emblem of individual and shared achievement on a team that's linked forever by one revered season. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. Life, it seems, has been a struggle for Plunkett. Plunkett showed his talent for tossing the football by winning a throwing contest at the age of 14 with a heave of over 60 yards. From the spoken words of influential leaders, to emotionally powerful lyrics in a song, heroic audio is all around us. In the spring, his daughter, Meghan Plunkett, graduated with a business and marketing degree from Manhattan College in New York, which she attended on a volleyball scholarship. The first time he demonstrated athletic promise was at the age of 14, when he won a throwing contest with a toss of over 60 yards. New York, NY, 10006. At Stanford, Plunkett set a school records for passing yards (2,156) and touchdowns (14) as a sophomore, and then broke those records in subsequent seasons finishing his NCAA career with 7,809 passing yards and 53 touchdowns. I do feel somewhat slighted, Plunkett says. Born to blind Mexican-American parents, Jim Plunkett beat the odds to make a name for himself. Had they insisted on it, the number of Heisman Trophy winners at Stanford would still be zero. Once he reaches the Hall of Fame, Eli Manning should be among the first group of players voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center Several worthy Raiders, including Daryl Lamonica, Cliff Branch, and Lester Hayes, are no longer present in Canton, Ohio. Plunkett was born to William and Carmella Plunkett (his mother was Mexican, his father was also of Mexican descent) in San Jose Calif. His mother lost her sight when she was 20. In 1983, Plunkett followed a similar script, this time taking the reins from Marc Wilson at midseason and helping the Raiders to their third and most recent NFL title. My father wouldn't let my mother cook. The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. Her dad was afraid she'd stay in New York. His final seasons in a backup role included the Green Bay Packers team that won Super Bowl XXXI. Two weeks later, Stanford beat UCLA for the first time in eight years. He played for the Patriots for four seasons, before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1975. "I wasn't an in-your-face guy." Submit your film TODAY!! Stanford, CA 94305-6105. Jim Plunkett, Class: Induction: 1990 Sport(s): - Position: Quarterback Years: 1968-1970 Place of Birth: Santa Clara, CA Date of Birth: Dec 05, 1947 Jersey . [5][6], Plunkett was born to Mexican-American parents with an Irish-German grandfather on his paternal side. His dad sold newspapers at a corner stand in San Jose, right outside San Francisco. But she might have. Jim Plunkett (http://www.stanfordalumni.org/. Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. From 1984-86, Plunkett made only 17 starts, mostly because of injury. As a result, he was raised by his mother who worked as a secretary to support the family. Although Plunkett is easily spotted at Stanford events and extends his help to each new generation of athletes, his connection to Lasater, Moore, Schultz and Vataha is part of his identity. In a call with Rod Rust, the assistant coach who had recruited him, Plunkett relayed his fears. Jim Plunkett wanted out, but Al Davis balked. Still, he remains active at Stanford, regularly attending events on campus and raising money for athletic scholarships through his annual charity golf tournament. Plunkett led the 49ers to a 61 start before faltering to an 86 record. The Raiders have never made the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team, and everything they have done since the inception has been bad. Physically and mentally, I was not in the best shape. ''I'd go there and help him,'' Jim Plunkett said. "Many people felt I was washed up, and I wasn't sure they were wrong. '', That's not always easy when the hucksters move in. He was a good student and an excellent athlete. "When I found out I'd finished second to Jim," said Theismann in 1984, "I was genuinely crushed. ''So if I had quit, she probably would have liked that. ", Plunkett, shy and modest, took a different view: "I wanted the Heisman, but my whole life wasn't centered on it.". Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California, on December 5, 1947. And the people who grew close to him 40 years ago are the same ones who are closest to him today: a circle of love and mutual support that owes its origins to a team and a time that shaped Jim Plunkett's life, and those of many others. Jim Plunkett is the story of a three-year NFL career that was filled with busts. Although Plunkett passed for 19 touchdowns and led the Pats to a 7-7 record in 1974, injuries mounted. Plunkett, the most celebrated player in Stanford history, won his school's first Heisman after leading the Indians to an 8-3 record and a Rose Bowl berth. For his career, Plunkett completed 1,943-of-3,701 passes for 25,882 yards with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. He played in two Super Bowls and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XV. Early life []. His junior year was even better when he set league records for touchdown passes (20), passing yards (2,673) and total offense (2,786), ranking third nationally in total offense and fifth in passing. The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year then As the No. He played for the last time in 1986, his injuries and pain settling the issue. Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. Plunkett, who had assumed the starting quarterback job as a sophomore, piled up three seasons of record-breaking numbers, all long ago eclipsed by other Stanford players. He was the first Latino to win the Heisman Trophy. His parents were blind, and he chose nearby Stanford so he could be near them. [4] In 1983, Plunkett again ascended from backup to starter to quarterback the relocated Los Angeles Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII. To this day he has a tendency to drop into the background, heightened sometimes by the pervasive sadness of his son's death. His mother, Carmen, had not seen the outside world since she was 19 years old due to typhoid. He was born to the parents of William Plunkett and Carmella Plunkett. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. That goes to show that Jim Plunkett never ever gave up, even after everybody else did. . His parents in San Jose were both blind, and his father died his junior year, so Plunkett and his sisters worked to support their mother. I never wanted to worry them unnecessarily. It was a memorable year as he surpassed many of his league records, passing for 2,715 yards and 18 touchdowns as Stanford went 8-3 and won the Pac-8. RUN 80. His career began as a backup to Plunkett but he was never able to establish himself as a starter. [20], Interviewed in 2017, Plunkett told of being in "constant pain" and discussed the effects of at least ten career concussions. During training camp in 1980, Plunkett asked to be traded because he expected to have virtually no playing time again. "We'd all gone to public schools instead of prep schools, and none of us had a lump of cash in our pocket," Lasater recalls. Jim was out of football for two years, before being signed by the Oakland Raiders in 1979. In junior high school, he became a passing quarterback. In the "Year of the Quarterback," he was voted the Heisman Trophy, easily beating out Notre Dame's Joe Theismann and Mississippi's Archie Manning. ", I got so many great letters. Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. Plunkett spent most of the 19841986 seasons either injured or as a backup, and missed the entire 1987 season following rotator cuff surgery. Prominent among the photos and memorabilia is a famous trophy depicting a football player in a classic stiff-arm pose. By this time, Jim's two older sisters, Genevieve (16 years older than Jim) and Mary Ann (5 years older than Jim) had been born; Jim was born in 1947, after the family had moved to Santa Clara. Stanford went 22-8-2 in his three years, and he said his best . Knee and shoulder surgeries became almost commonplace, and after a season of limited play in 1975, he asked to be traded. Click here to donate. Plunkett, the most celebrated player in Stanford history, won his schools first Heisman after leading the Indians to an 8-3 record and a Rose Bowl berth. It's the trudge of 15 surgeries and back pain that makes it difficult for him to stand for more than an hour at a time. Plunkett, 63, is still involved with the Raiders, co-hosting a team-produced weekly television program, The Silver and Black Show, and sitting in Davis box during games. If Plunkett was a leading passer, he was also a sentimental favorite. His father, William, was legally blind and worked as a news vendor. The most celebrated player in Stanford football history came from just down the road, and a world away. Our type of system was almost perfect for Jim, Flores says. He is the only eligible quarterback with two Super Bowl wins as a starter not to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1970, he led Stanford to a 9-3 record and a Rose Bowl appearance against mighty Ohio State. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California on December 5th, 1947. James William "Jim" Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played college football . He became the second multiple recipient of the W.J. He spent 12 years in the NFL, beginning with the Philadelphia 76ers and continuing with the Washington Redskins, Oakland As, and Philadelphia 76ers. He was a member of the National Football Leagues Atlanta Falcons for 16 seasons. His performance led to Plunkett playing in a state all-star game and that in turn led to interest from numerous colleges. In college, however, Jim won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the Rose bowl. "We've all tasted what life has to deliver," says Schultz. He retired during the 1988 pre-season as the fourth-leading passer in Raiders history. What happened to Hart was not unintended. In the 1984 Super Bowl, Plunkett passed for 172 yards and one touchdown in the Raiders' 38-9 rout of Washington, to that point the biggest Super Bowl victory margin. This display of offensive firepower led Washington State coach Jim Sweeney to call Plunkett "The best college football player I've ever seen." His mother, Carmen, was sightless since . Jim also had two sisters. The once-reticent Plunkett does Raiders postgame radio interviews and a weekly TV highlights show and gives corporate speeches. "The team was full of an awful lot of talented guys as well as egos," says Schultz, who was a strong safety. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. '', His father died at age 56 after Jim Plunkett's sophomore year at Stanford. They are a permanent set: Plunk, Red, B.M., Schultzie and Rabbit. Harbaugh, who has a reverence for football tradition, is emphatic about Plunkett's identity now. He never let go of his dream. Jim got cut after everyone called him washed up. Then, in 1980, he was picked up by the Oakland Raiders and led them to the Super Bowl. (Photo: Courtesy Jim Plunkett), HISTORY LESSON: The memorabilia room in Plunketts home is a reminder of his playing days, as are his knees, replaced a few years ago with titanium and Teflon. The Raiders became the first team from the Wild Card era to win a Super Bowl. His father was a police officer and his mother was a homemaker. His parents were both blind. I was supposed to make my bed, but if I didn't, she'd walk in and feel the bed to see if I had. At Stanford, Plunkett set a school records for passing yards (2,156) and touchdowns (14) as a sophomore, and then broke those records in subsequent seasons finishing his NCAA career with 7,809 passing yards and 53 touchdowns. He is a role model for never giving up. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Jim was a hard worker because, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he spent his time trying to improve. The nice thing now is that with the money I'm making, she has no financial problems. His parents were poor and blind, but they were very proud. He also sits on the board at the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto, supporting a cause close to his heart. led four postseason wins. He also captured the Maxwell Award for the nations best quarterback and was named player of the year by United Press International, The Sporting News, and SPORT magazine. After two seasons as a backup to Ken Stabler, Plunkett opened the 1980 season backing up newcomer Dan Pastorini, whod been acquired in a trade for Stabler. He is the son of Native American and Hispanic parents. His parents were both blind. Since 1995, The MY HERO Project has been using media, art and technology to celebrate the best of humanity. For any number of questions about what sustains Plunkett, what fulfills him, there is just one answer: "I love my wife. Armada Halogen is the leading technology powered travel security risk management company with swift response capabilities. "The best college football player I've ever seen," said Washington State coach Jim Sweeney. A former rhythmic gymnastics powerhouseand current Stanford sophomoreexplains why shes OK with how things turned out. "He was on my shoulder the whole time," Moore recalls. Since Jim Plunkett's parents were blind, he worked a lot of his early years cleaning up gas stations. After having both knees replaced a few years ago, he says, Im in less pain. He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. I still feel good when I think about it.". That's where he was a leader. It was probably very hard to live with blind parents, but Jim figured out a way to do it. It proved to be one of the most astute decisions made by the Raiders oft-criticized owner. America loved the kid. My mother would tell us kids to take care of our father. Plunkett made his athletic debut when he was 14 years old, winning a throwing contest with a distance of over 60 yards and demonstrating his potential. Slow to recover from the surgery on his neck, Plunkett didn't impress anybody during spring practice at the end of his freshman year. He competed in basketball, baseball, track and wrestling - earning a California High School Individual Wrestling Championship. Enter the 2022 MY Hero Songwriting/Music Video Contest! It just felt unbelievable to me, Jim said, knowing what I did. Despite the fact that Andrew Lucks dazzling arm elevated the game to a whole new level, the notion that college football was primarily a running game was quickly overturned. Plunkett threw for 2,935 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 18 picks in that season. But there always seems to be something Stanford-oriented on his schedule, such as a dinner he hosted in September at his home for every quarterback on the Stanford roster. '', His mother attended the 1971 Rose Bowl game that Stanford won, 27-17, from Ohio State. The day Plunkett threw a football 80. He responded by throwing for 2,156 yards and 14 touchdowns as a 1968 sophomore before adding 2,673 yards and 20 scores as a 1969 junior, helping him to finish eighth in that years Heisman vote. Rallying the Raiders from a 2-3 start, he capped his comeback season by passing for three touchdowns in a most-valuable-player performance in the Super Bowl. He then capped his collegiate career by leading Stanford to a 27-17 upset of unbeaten Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl, completing 20-of-30 passes for 265 yards and one touchdown. Jim continued to play for the Raiders until his retirement in 1986. ''I know my mother didn't make the trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl because she doesn't fly anymore,'' he said. He wasnt selected to the Pro Bowl, never made the All-Pro team, and completed less than half of his passes. Then he threw for 261 yards again in the Super Bowl. Professionally created material to help you get started in hero film making! . "We're as close as any group of guys can be," says Plunkett. Theyre both very important to me, Plunkett says of his Super Bowl victories, but the first one, after the resurrection, the struggle, the payoff at the end was quite incredible.. [14] The Raiders, however, believing that Marc Wilson did not have the experience they wanted, called on Plunkett to start for the remainder of the year. When the San Francisco 49ers released Jim Plunkett in 1978, he was stubborn enough to believe that he could still be a useful quarterback somewhere. Or if they wanted to clean the house, they cleaned the house. [15], Plunkett is the subject of annual debate about whether he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Browse our About Page to get quick overviews of the different areas of MY HERO. Then followed three sensational seasons at Stanford, culminating with the 1970 Heisman Trophy. Born to blind parents, he worked several part-time jobs in high school to help support the family. "We came so close to making an unbelievably catastrophic decision. Upon entering Stanford University, Plunkett endured a rough freshman campaign after being weakened by a thyroid operation. It was never "just football" to them, Schultz remembers. Tom Flores, then the Raiders coach, was not surprised. "Stanford is in both our hearts," says Gerry Plunkett, Jim's wife of 28 years, "because I see how very much it means to him.". "I'd never been in a losing situation before.". His mother lives in San Jose with Mary Ann, the younger of his two sisters. He set a new Pacific 8 record with 2,156 yards passing and 14 touchdown passes in his first season as a Stanford quarterback. In 1971, he was drafted with the first overall pick in the NFL draft by the New England Patriots (the team was still known as the Boston Patriots at the time of the draft; the name change to New England did not become official until March 21 of that year). [9], The Plunketts moved to California during World War II. After Jimmy's death, Meghan chose to keep the dog with her in part to honor what she believed would have been her brother's wish. He's still connected to the Raiders. Jim Plunkett played 15 NFL seasons, but his eight years with the Raiders defined his career. "I was extremely quiet when I got to Stanford," acknowledges Plunkett. Four hours before a Raiders preseason game in Oakland, Plunkett can walk in relative anonymity through the smattering of fans near the stadium's press entrance. ''Especially in the parks,'' he recalled. With a Super Bowl MVP in hand, Plunkett's comeback season was complete. ''I want to make the most of my situation,'' Jim Plunkett was saying now, alluding to his potential income from motion pictures, books, commercials, endorsements and corporate sponsors, ''but without compromising my integrity and dignity.
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