Heart of a Legend | STANFORD magazine With a career total offense of 7,887 yards, including passing for 7,544, Plunkett set an NCAA record. Leading James Lick High School in San Jose to an unbeaten season as a senior, he was chosen for a state all-star game and was heavily recruited by colleges. Prior to retiring, he earned between $400,000 and $600,000 per year. In spite of never being selected to a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, and everything the Ravens have done pre-raid, his tenure has been worthwhile. Browse our About Page to get quick overviews of the different areas of MY HERO. The First Deaf Player In The NHL: Jim Kyte. [17] The arguments against his induction center on Plunkett having only three winning seasons, unimpressive career statistics, and no Pro Bowl or All-Pro selections. 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. Jim Plunkett was a football quarterback for Stanford University from 1968-1970. ''But growing up, I didn't feel like I had to take care of either my father or my mother. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. "I don't know where I would have gone," Plunkett says, "but I would have transferred. [15], Plunkett is the subject of annual debate about whether he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His mother, Carmen, was sightless since she was 19 because of typhoid fever. But none of it came easily. BSK 80. 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. He did not like the area he lived in, often did not have money for dates, and avoided bringing friends to his house. Jim Plunkett's parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. "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. As a result, he was raised by his mother who worked as a secretary to support the family. The race was 440 yards, and Moore says he expected to beat Plunkett, "who never looked good as a runner," by 30 yards or more. Jim Plunketts parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. Jim had many obstacles he had to overcome. I remember my father always told me to come straight home after school. [13] The Patriots finished the season at 68 for fourth place in the AFC East. Plunkett went on to an NFL career that included two Super Bowl victories while quarterbacking the Raiders, but also included years of physical trauma that left him hobbled and in near constant pain. "I worried more about Stanford being good enough for Jim Plunkett," he says. He was the starting quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal from 1968 to 1970. He never let go of his dream. The Truth About Johnny Cash: Was The Country Legend Tone Deaf? I have taught linguistics and phonetics at multiple universities for the past 15 years.Technology has made exciting advances in phonetics, the science concerned with the structure and function of human speech, in recent years. UCLA coach Tommy Prothro had called Plunkett the "best pro quarterback prospect I've ever seen", echoing Sweeney's words from the year prior. His parents were poor and blind, but they were very proud. "The best college football player I've ever seen," said Washington State coach Jim Sweeney. Since Jim Plunkett's parents were blind, he worked a lot of his early years cleaning up gas stations. She's 67 now and I don't think she went to any of the Raider games last year. And then there's family. Plunkett's performance startled almost everyone as he completed 11-of-14 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions as Oakland defeated San Diego 38-24. But she might have. 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. His final seasons in a backup role included the Green Bay Packers team that won Super Bowl XXXI. Even Plunkett's buddies underestimated him occasionally. "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.". '', When he and his mother, Carmen, took walks, he would describe the scenery to her. Five mostly difficult seasons in New England followed, preceding a trade to the 49ers and, in 1978, Plunketts outright release. He was the first Latino to win the Heisman Trophy. His father William died of a heart attack in 1969. He competed in basketball, baseball, track and wrestling - earning a California High School Individual Wrestling Championship. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft and went on to have a successful career in the league. He was born to a blind mother and father.. Back-to-back winning seasons had been blemished by key losses, and they were down to their last chance to win a championship. And we've known that we're there for each other.". Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. ACC 77. The Raiders have never made the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team, and everything they have done since the inception has been bad. He was a quarterback, although the coaches weren't so sure he should be. 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 . Nothing got draped over the Heisman. Although Plunkett passed for 19 touchdowns and led the Pats to a 7-7 record in 1974, injuries mounted. He was a good student and an excellent athlete. (Photo: Bettmann/Corbis), THE HOME TEAM: Gerry and Meghan with Jim at their Atherton residence. Mike Antonucci is the senior writer at Stanford. Plunkett was born to Mexican American parents with an Irish-German great-grandfather on his paternal side. At this time, Heisman voters are spread out across five regions. Whenever we went on a trip, we usually took a bus. The 1971 Rose Bowl is regarded as the period when Stanford football returned to prominence. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990. In his first game as a starter, he completed eleven of fourteen passes with a touchdown and no interceptions. Plunkett threw for 2,935 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 18 picks in that season. 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. For his career, Plunkett completed 1,943-of-3,701 passes for 25,882 yards with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. ''The thing I'm sorry for,'' he said, ''is that my father worked so hard but he wasn't around for the best part -winning the Heisman Trophy, going to the Rose Bowl, being the No. They delighted last summer in the wedding of their daughter, Meghan, but theyre still mourning the loss of their son, James Jr., who was 25 when he died in November 2008. 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. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. His mother then took a job as a bank teller to support the family. Upon entering Stanford University, Plunkett endured a rough freshman campaign after being weakened by a thyroid operation. "I'd never been in a losing situation before.". What happened to Hart was not unintended. Jim Plunkett Jeopardy Template A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. Visitors, teachers, students, and MY HERO staff publish all kinds of stories, from inspirational essays about a close friend, to important global issues. As he grew up, Jim learned how to be his parent's "eyes" by helping them cross the street. 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. In his high school years, he worked during the summer.[11]. 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). Jims son jumped from a high-rise apartment building four years ago while suffering from severe manic depression. CAR 70. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. The year of practice and no play helped Plunkett. Sometimes the measure of a hero isnt that he did something amazing, but that he inspires many people. Jim attended high school at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. He played for the Patriots for four seasons, before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1975. New England also influenced the AFC East championship race, as Plunkett's 88-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to former Stanford teammate Randy Vataha on the final day of the season dropped the Baltimore Colts to a 1040 record and into second place in the division behind the 1031 Miami Dolphins. ", In addition to mustering his physical skills, Plunkett had to change the coaches' perception of what a leader was. 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. Plunkett's parents were both born in New Mexico, both Mexican Americans; his mother, whose maiden name was Carmen Blea, was born in Santa . 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. '', Jim Plunkett is reminded of that whenever he visits his mother now. '', William Plunkett had a news stand in San Jose, Calif., at first in the Post Office building, later in the Unemployment Office. 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. The defense included linebacker Jeff Siemon, '72, and tackle Pete Lazetich, '72, who became first-team All-Americans the following season and helped lead Stanford back to the Rose Bowl. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett won by a wide margin. After all, the quarterback Jim Plunkett replaced early last season, Dan Pastorini, made nearly $360,000. ''Especially in the parks,'' he recalled. As a sophomore, 1968, he passed for 2,156 yards, a record in what was then the Pac-8 Conference. (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 next season, he threw only 15 passes. His parents were blind from the start. Jim Plunkett's road to Super Bowl champion wasn't always smooth Several worthy Raiders, including Daryl Lamonica, Cliff Branch, and Lester Hayes, are no longer present in Canton, Ohio. Wins over Oregon State and Washington nailed down the Pac-8 title and a January 1 Rose Bowl berth. "We had experienced an awful lot of disappointment," including two straight defeats to USC on late field goals. jim plunkett parents blind After returning to the backup role in 1983, Plunkett again assumed starting duties, this time after an injury to Marc Wilson. My mother would tell us kids to take care of our father. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. He played for the New England patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders in addition to the 49ers. Jim Plunkett - Wikipedia Early life []. [9] He also owns a beer distributorship. Only his family means more, and even in that context, there is a special rapport. He is estimated to be worth $10 million, with the majority of his money coming from his NFL career. Jim was drafted by the New England Patriots in the first round of the 1971 NFL Draft. Then followed three sensational seasons at Stanford, culminating with the 1970 Heisman Trophy. He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. Plunkett was the first player of Hispanic heritage to be drafted with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. [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.
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