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He retired during the 1988 pre-season as the fourth-leading passer in Raiders history. She has high blood pressure. In 1968, he threw for 14 touchdowns and set a Pac-8 record with 2,156 yards passing. Thirty years ago this week, Plunkett led the Raiders to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. ''Especially in the parks,'' he recalled. But his stellar performances week after week, as well as a bootstrapped marketing campaign by the athletic department (see sidebar), increased Plunkett's visibility. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the Raiders franchise, whom he led to two Super Bowl titles.[1]. Its still hard for me to talk about it, Plunkett says during a phone interview, his voice catching. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. He would have been so proud to have been around all that. I took a tough road to get where I finally got.. "Our daughter was very upset; she didn't want to feel she was letting Jimmy down," says Plunkett. Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . But as far as shes concerned, its still a work in progress. But he also was gifted with staunch confidence and a ferocious appetite for challenges. He is valued at Stanford not only for his academic achievements, but also for his humility and commitment as a student from the very beginning. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. Born to blind parents, he worked odd jobs to help support his family as a teen and almost was forced to give up football when a cancerous lump was . Stanford, CA 94305-6105. Still, he remains active at Stanford, regularly attending events on campus and raising money for athletic scholarships through his annual charity golf tournament. Plunkett received the Voit Trophy in both 1969 and 1970. Browse and share audio in our library. JIM PLUNKETT is on a roll. I know life goes on but its been devastating. His parents were blind from the start. He became the second multiple recipient of the W.J. It seems to me that Jim has a lot of courage because he played even when he was injured or in pain. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California, on December 5, 1947. And he ended up an emblem of individual and shared achievement on a team that's linked forever by one revered season. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. And if I left some clothes on the floor, she would step on them and find out. But Plunkett was the face of the team's success, that strong chin like a pointer for his powerful arm. Despite his lack of fame, his contributions will not go unnoticed. For that, he collected a black and silver Toyota automobile and a Seiko watch from Sport magazine at a luncheon at the Waldorf-Astoria last week. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Mike Antonucci is the senior writer at Stanford. Jim Plunkett, 74, was a former American football quarterback who played for the Philadelphia Packers and the Houston Texans. He was named the NFLs Comeback Player of the Year in 1981. The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. His mother then took a job as a bank teller to support the family. Every single one of the teams tenures has resulted in a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro selection, and the tenure has been disastrous. Later in his career, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles. A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. Ever since then, her doctor hasn't wanted her to fly. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. 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. Any time that I didn't do that, I heard about it. Before family and friends in Northern California, Plunkett had two inconsistent years with the 49ers and then was released before the 1978 season. "I'd never known anybody could throw a football so hard it whistled until Jim did it. Our gallery features art in the theme of heroism. Plunkett was selected by the New England Patriots as the number one overall draft choice in 1971. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities! Ken Stabler won one Super Bowl championship as Ken Stabler played Sloth in The Goonies. John Matuszak portrayed him in the film. He was the first Latino to win the Heisman Trophy. Wanting to stay closer to home to help look after his parents, Plunkett decided to attend Stanford University. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Bill Parcells was the first Hispanic-American head coach of the NFL, and Tom Flores won two Super Bowl rings. Jim Plunkett is the only NFL quarterback to win Super Bowls with the same team in both Oakland and Los Angeles (with the same team in both cities). "I'm proud of that game," Plunkett said of Oakland's 27-10 victory over Philadelphia. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. Friends and family, meanwhile, wonder why the Pro Football Hall of Fame has snubbed him. Plunkett beat Notre Dame's Joe Theismann and Archie Manning of Ole Miss to win the award. "Some of it has been wonderful and some of it has been absolutely horrific. He is a role model for never giving up. [3] His tenure with the Patriots was productive, but after an injury-shortened 1975 season he was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played in 1976 and 1977. Jim Plunkett wanted out, but Al Davis balked. After surgery, Plunkett resumed playing too quickly and performed so poorly on the freshman team that then-Stanford coach John Ralston asked him to switch to defensive end. led four postseason wins. Tara VanDerveer took the Cardinal from doormat to dynamo and helped boost womens athletics. [21], Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 01:58, List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders, List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders, "HOF Voter: Jim Plunkett Would Not Get My Vote", "Jim Plunkett and the Pro Football Hall of Fame", "Jim Plunkett's road to Super Bowl champion wasn't always smooth", "Greatest Cinderella stories in NFL history", "Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Franchise Encyclopedia", "Oakland Raiders Quarterback Jim Plunkett vs. Denver Broncos Quarterback John Elway: Fan Take", "Why Raiders QB Jim Plunkett is not a Hall of Famer", "Barnwell: How the 'average' NFL QB has changed dramatically", "A Deeper Look at the Stabler Hall of Fame Debate", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", "Former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett opens up on health: 'My life sucks', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jim_Plunkett&oldid=1140846577, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 01:58. Health Scare Nearly Ends Plunkett's College Career Jim Plunkett was the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford and led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Perhaps the most profound expression of the men's continuing devotion occurred during the anguish that overwhelmed them when the Plunketts' 25-year-old son Jimmy died two years ago. After a 59 season in 1977, the 49ers released him during the 1978 preseason. 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. Last Update: May 30, 2022. Jims son jumped from a high-rise apartment building four years ago while suffering from severe manic depression. I still feel good when I think about it., Assistant coach Mike Whitewho later was head coach for Cal, the University of Illinois and the Oakland Raidersremembers vividly the doubts about whether Plunkett "could project enough" to motivate a team as a quarterback. He also owns a beer distributorship. His upbringing was difficult as both his parents, William and Carmen, were blind. His father William died of a heart attack in 1969. 1 pick in the 1971 draft had been all but branded an NFL washout, his promising rookie-of-the-year season with the New England Patriots notwithstanding. Rust didn't hesitate: We will honor your scholarship, he said. Plunkett was born to Mexican-American parents with an Irish-German grandfather on his paternal side. Plunkett didn't stop there. Plunkett led the 49ers to a 61 start before faltering to an 86 record. "I was extremely quiet when I got to Stanford," acknowledges Plunkett. When Gerry Plunkett recently won her sixth Stanford Women's Golf Club championshipshe and Jim are avid players she told friends that an appropriate celebration should have included temporarily covering up her husband's Heisman, just to emphasize her moment in the spotlight. Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. It had been anything but a happy Bay Area homecoming for the rifle-armed quarterback who first gained widespread notice at San Jose James Lick High. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990. He played in two Super Bowls and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XV. LATE RALLY: After struggling early in his NFL career, Plunkett led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. Jim Plunketts parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. He holds the Raider record, and is tied for the league record, for the longest career pass, which occurred during a 99-yard pass play against the Washington Redskins on October 2, 1983. Jim continued to play for the Raiders until his retirement in 1986. However, five weeks into the 1980 season, his career took a major turn when starting QB Dan Pastorini fractured his leg in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Jim was born in San Jose, California, in 1948. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. . Was it that his parents were blind or they were deaf?, Jim threw a football 60 yards in his first ever competition. Three seasons later, he did it again, helping the relocated-to-Los Angeles Raiders defeat the Washington Redskins for the title. At tailgates, they are now the keepers of the same patch of ground in the Chuck Taylor Grove that was established by players' parents in the 1960s. He was traded in 1976 to the 49ers, and in 1980, joined the Oakland Raiders and quarterbacked them to two Super Bowl wins in 1980 and 1983, and was named the MVP of the 1980 match-up. They also helped Carmen with cooking and other household chores. 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. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis), THE HOME TEAM: Gerry and Meghan with Jim at their Atherton residence. Wins over Oregon State and Washington nailed down the Pac-8 title and a January 1 Rose Bowl berth. [19], Plunkett was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 in San Francisco, California, and finally the California Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 in recognition for both his college and pro football careers. My sisters Genevieve and Mary Ann don't like to tell me that my mother is coming to the game because they know I'll worry that she's all right.''. He is the son of Native American and Hispanic parents. Ball Carrier. This display of offensive firepower led Washington State coach Jim Sweeney to call Plunkett "The best college football player I've ever seen." 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 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. 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. And while he is a celebrity, he is hoping to complete a pass at the Raiders' treasury for a new contract that might double his $180,000 annual salary.
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