He also owns a beer distributorship. Despite some impressive moments in the Silver and Black, he will never make the Hall of Fame. He was the first of three children born to James and Geraldine Plunkett. "Many people felt I was washed up, and I wasn't sure they were wrong. After returning to the backup role in 1983, Plunkett again assumed starting duties, this time after an injury to Marc Wilson. DAC 79. He was also named the nations top football player in addition to winning the Maxwell Award. . What made it hard for Jim to grow up? Stanford went 22-8-2 in his three years, and he said his best game was a 27-17 victory over Ohio State in the Rose Bowl January 1, 1971. Browse and share audio in our library. ", I got so many great letters. A Heisman Trophy winner and future College Football Hall of Fame inductee at Stanford,[2] Plunkett was selected first overall by the New England Patriots in the 1971 NFL Draft. But in a Stanford timeline, the ultimate demarcation is Before Plunkett and After Plunkett. "He gutted out that entire run. The next year he was, to San Francisco. ''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. The world's most inspirational film competeition because of YOU. Harbaugh, who has a reverence for football tradition, is emphatic about Plunkett's identity now. Prior to the 1976 NFL Draft, Plunkett was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for quarterback Tom Owen, two first-round picks in 1976, and a first and second-round pick in 1977. In 1968, he threw for 14 touchdowns and set a Pac-8 record with 2,156 yards passing. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. Moore, a tight end who went on to an eight-year NFL career, talked himself into a one-on-one foot race with Plunkett the summer before their senior season, when players gave up trips home and time off to continue training together. When my room was a mess, my mother always knew. Then he threw for 261 yards again in the Super Bowl. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. He's a good guy.". He was named Rookie of the Year that first season, but little worked out for either him or the team from that point on, and he took a steady beating behind the Pats' weak offensive line. After two seasons in oblivion, the 32-year-old quarterback took the Oakland Raiders to Super Bowl XV and was selected as the most valuable player in their 27-10 triumph. Prior to retiring, he earned between $400,000 and $600,000 per year. When starting quarterback Dan Pastorini suffered a broken leg early in the 1980 season, Plunkett stepped in and led the Raiders all the way to a 27-10 Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, throwing three TD passes and becoming the game's most valuable player. He set a new Pacific 8 record with 2,156 yards passing and 14 touchdown passes in his first season as a Stanford quarterback. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990. His father died of a heart problem in 1969. '', Jim Plunkett works for the Peninsula Center for the Blind in the San Jose area. The tumor turned out to be benign, but Plunkett has never forgotten the generosity shown by Rust. In three seasons with the Indians, Jims total offensive records included most pass attempts (962); most pass completions (530); most net yards passing (7,544); most touchdown passes (52); most plays total offense (1,174); and most yards total offense (7,887). Browse, share, and add to our enormous collection of inspiring hero films. '', William Plunkett had a news stand in San Jose, Calif., at first in the Post Office building, later in the Unemployment Office. He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. He was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first deaf player to win the award. As White notes, the Stanford coaching staff had learned football as mostly an exercise in running the ball. He would have been so proud to have been around all that. Plunkett completed 16 of 25 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown in the game. Were jim plunkett's parents blind? Explained by FAQ Blog The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. In his senior year, 1970, he led Stanford to a conference championship and their first Rose Bowl appearance since 1952, a game that ended with a 2717 Stanford victory over the heavily favored Ohio State Buckeyes. Also Read: Mike Golic Jim Plunkett - Academic Kids His mother then took a job as a bank teller to support the family. Yasmine Sherif, who leads Education Cannot Wait, a UN-hosted, global fund for education in emergencies. "I'm 10 years older than you," says a sportswriter celebrating his 72nd birthday. Friends helped talk him out of retiring and, two weeks later, he signed with the Raiders. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. "After 10 years and struggling with New England and San Francisco," he said, "that first one meant a lot to me.". Anyone can read what you share. In addition to this, he became the second of four players to win the Heisman Trophy and Super Bowl MVP, alongside Roger Staubach, Marcus Allen, and Desmond Howard. It's the trudge that comes from aching knees, although they've been better since he had bone and cartilage replaced with titanium and Teflon a couple of years ago. He got his opportunity when starter Dan Pastorini suffered a broken leg against Kansas City. As a result, he is revered not only for his achievements at Stanford, but also for his humility and loyalty from the start. 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. Learn more here. James William Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. The 32-year-old Plunkett came off the bench to relieve Pastorini, throwing five interceptions in a 3117 loss. Jim Plunkett - Biography America loved the kid. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. But she might have. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. 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. 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). Jim Plunkett, on the other hand, is well known as one of the most absent Raider. He grew up in a poor family and his parent's financial condition was extremely weak, his father was a news vendor who had to support his blind wife along with his three children. He became the starting quarterback for the Raiders midway through the 1980 season. His mother lives in San Jose with Mary Ann, the younger of his two sisters. I never wanted to worry them unnecessarily. [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. His father died before his junior season and Plunkett made sure there was time to spend with his mother no matter how great the pressures at Stanford. 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. Prominent among the photos and memorabilia is a famous trophy depicting a football player in a classic stiff-arm pose. (optional), What is a news vendor? Carmen was born blind as a result of typhoid fever, which occurred when she was 19 years old. It seems to me that Jim has a lot of courage because he played even when he was injured or in pain. They later moved to San Jose where William ran a newsstand, and where they were able to find low-cost housing. Thirty years ago this week, Plunkett led the Raiders to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. 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. ''If they wanted to go somewhere, they went. [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. '', His mother attended the 1971 Rose Bowl game that Stanford won, 27-17, from Ohio State. He is the son of Native American and Hispanic parents. Plunkett's pro career started promisingly after the New England Patriots made him the No. 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. The 1972 season brought a different look: only eight touchdown passes, 25 interceptions (up from 16 as a rookie), a 3-11 record and many hard knocks. The Life And Career Of QB Jim Plunkett (Complete Story) Since 1995, The MY HERO Project has been using media, art and technology to celebrate the best of humanity. Wanting to stay near home and attend a university with strong academics, Plunkett selected Stanford over California, in part because the radical political environment in Berkeley could be hard on athletes. I like that. [13] The Patriots finished the season at 68 for fourth place in the AFC East.