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. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Enter the 2022 MY Hero Songwriting/Music Video Contest! He was the youngest of three children and his parents divorced when he was just a toddler. He is an inspiration to all who know him. Jim Plunkett | Latina/o/x @ Stanford - Spotlight at Stanford He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. As he grew up, Jim learned how to be his parent's "eyes" by helping them cross the street. . "He was on my shoulder the whole time," Moore recalls. Sometimes the measure of a hero isnt that he did something amazing, but that he inspires many people. ''I know my mother didn't make the trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl because she doesn't fly anymore,'' he said. Jim also had two sisters. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. As a sophomore, 1968, he passed for 2,156 yards, a record in what was then the Pac-8 Conference. 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. Before family and friends in Northern California, Plunkett had two inconsistent years with the 49ers and then was released before the 1978 season. Upon entering Stanford University, Plunkett endured a rough freshman campaign after being weakened by a thyroid operation. ''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. Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. Thirty years ago this week, Plunkett led the Raiders to victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV. During the NFL season, Plunkett co-hosts the team's weekly TV program, The Silver and Black Show, and he sits with owner Al Davis during games. His father, William, was legally blind and worked as a news vendor. Early life []. (Photo: Timothy Archibald), BAND OF BROTHERS: With Jack Lasater, Randy Vataha, Bob Murphy and Jack Schultz. But his stellar performances week after week, as well as a bootstrapped marketing campaign by the athletic department (see sidebar), increased Plunkett's visibility. Plunkett was born December 5, 1947 in Santa Clara, California and was a high school star there. LATE RALLY: After struggling early in his NFL career, Plunkett led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. "I was extremely quiet when I got to Stanford," acknowledges Plunkett. Then followed three sensational seasons at Stanford, culminating with the 1970 Heisman Trophy. I remember my father always told me to come straight home after school. MAC 76. Since 1995, The MY HERO Project has been using media, art and technology to celebrate the best of humanity. BSK 80. Plunkett spent most of the 19841986 seasons either injured or as a backup, and missed the entire 1987 season following rotator cuff surgery. 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. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. Last Update: May 30, 2022. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. Resisting the temptation to turn pro in 1970, Plunkett stayed for his senior season. He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. Playing for a traditionally mediocre program on the West Coast, Plunkett was a long-shot Heisman candidate compared to the other favorites: quarterbacks Archie Manning of Mississippi and Joe Theismann of Notre Dame. "Our daughter was very upset; she didn't want to feel she was letting Jimmy down," says Plunkett. 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. When the dog began to display some nervous aggression, Meghan despaired. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. At this time, Heisman voters are spread out across five regions. Continuing to be effective, Plunkett finished second in the NFL in passing yards in 1973, and in 1974 led the Patriots to an impressive 6-1 start, and the team's first non losing season in eight years, finishing second in the NFL in team scoring with 348 points, seven behind league leader Oakland. He competed in basketball, baseball, track and wrestling - earning a California High School Individual Wrestling Championship. This display of offensive firepower led Washington State coach Jim Sweeney to call Plunkett "The best college football player I've ever seen." Jim Plunkett - Biography Biography Plunkett was born to Mexican American parents with an Irish-German great-grandfather on his paternal side. Were jim plunkett's parents blind? - askingforanswer.com I remember them saying that they weren't handicapped, that they could do just about anything except see. Sports of the Times; Jim Plunkett's Blind Parents, https://www.nytimes.com/1981/03/01/sports/sports-of-the-times-jim-plunkett-s-blind-parents.html. What John Sande, '71, the team's center, remembers is a sound. "I'd never been in a losing situation before.". Harbaugh, who has a reverence for football tradition, is emphatic about Plunkett's identity now. But in a Stanford timeline, the ultimate demarcation is Before Plunkett and After Plunkett. The Remarkable Story Of Jim Plunkett: From Police Officer's Son To 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. He also owns a beer distributorship. 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. Rust's mother had gone blind, and he related so strongly to the Plunkett family's closeness that he had moved beyond any concern about what Plunkett could contribute to Stanford. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. jim plunkett parents blind - armadahalogen.com William Plunkett first worked in the Richmond shipyards. His mother lives in San Jose with Mary Ann, the younger of his two sisters. In junior high school, he became a passing quarterback. He will always be remembered as one of the Silver and Blacks best players, and his exploits in the teams past will live on after his playing days are over. When my room was a mess, my mother always knew. He didn't want her to get burned on the stove.''. The Oakland Raiders have had a total of 25 members inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, including players, executives, and coaches. . In 1983, Marc Wilson was the Raiders starter who went down hurt, and Plunkett again came off the bench, and again spurred the team to a Super Bowl championship, a 38-9 trouncing of the Washington Redskins. 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. He never let go of his dream. The day Plunkett threw a football 80. Other quarterbacks who started for two Super Bowl winning teams but are not yet members of the Hall of Fame include Joe Gibbs Washington Redskins (Mark Rypien and Doug Williams), Tom Flores Oakland Raiders (Jim Plunkett), and Warren Moons San Francisco 49ers (Don Maynard). He was sacked six times in one game at Pittsburgh, on his way to 97 sacks over three seasons (1972-74). 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. From the Americans WhoTell the Truth portrait series. The 1971 Rose Bowl is regarded as the period when Stanford football returned to prominence. ''My parents were very stubborn,'' he said. 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. Diamond in the Rust: Davis Reclaims Plunkett From NFL Junkyard Jim Plunkett - Sports Junkie Two weeks before the Patriots defeated the Colts, Plunkett engineered a 3413 victory over the Dolphins. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. '', William Plunkett had a news stand in San Jose, Calif., at first in the Post Office building, later in the Unemployment Office. His net yards passing and most yards total offense were NCAA records at the time. Jim Plunkett Hispanic Heritage 83 OVR - Madden NFL 23 - MUT.GG He didn't play well for the freshman team, and when his performance didn't improve the next spring, coach John Ralston suggested a switch to defensive end. Tara VanDerveer took the Cardinal from doormat to dynamo and helped boost womens athletics. From the spoken words of influential leaders, to emotionally powerful lyrics in a song, heroic audio is all around us. Initially serving as a backup for the Raiders, Plunkett became the starting quarterback during the 1980 season and led them to win Super Bowl XV, where he was named MVP. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California, on December 5, 1947. America loved the kid. The answer is no. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. After a 59 season in 1977, the 49ers released him during the 1978 preseason. Three points are awarded for first place on a ballot, with two points for second place and one point for third place. Some of them said my story gave them a new sense of purpose in life. '', Jim Plunkett is reminded of that whenever he visits his mother now. Plunkett received the Voit Trophy in both 1969 and 1970. Plunkett excelled in athletics from a young age and went on to attend Stanford University on a football scholarship. 1981 Topps Jim Plunkett | PSA CardFacts 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. 1973 Topps Jim Plunkett | PSA CardFacts Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. In the NFL, prospects who were expected to make big waves are frequently busts. "Some of it has been wonderful and some of it has been absolutely horrific. The Raiders became the first team from the Wild Card era to win a Super Bowl. 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. Jim continued to play for the Raiders until his retirement in 1986. Plunkett's arrival ushered in an era of wide-open passing, pro-style offenses in the Pac-8, a trend that has continued to the present. He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. 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.''. "I'd never known anybody could throw a football so hard it whistled until Jim did it. Still, he remains active at Stanford, regularly attending events on campus and raising money for athletic scholarships through his annual charity golf tournament. 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. Tom Flores, then the Raiders coach, was not surprised. QB Survey: Tom Flores, Jim Plunkett bucked the odds Jim Plunketts story is something out of a movie, and he has his rightful place in history, but he is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Read our IMPACT:blog to see how teachers, visitors and organizations around the world are using MY HERO to affect positive changes in the world. William was legally blind and worked as a news vendor, in addition to working as a news vendor. 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. A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. 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. The Truth About Johnny Cash: Was The Country Legend Tone Deaf? The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. ", Plunkett, shy and modest, took a different view: "I wanted the Heisman, but my whole life wasn't centered on it.". It proved to be one of the most astute decisions made by the Raiders oft-criticized owner. ", In 2009, Jim, Gerry and their daughter, Meghan, filmed an episode of the TV program Dog Whisperer (scheduled to air in October 2010) featuring the pit bull, Gotti, that had belonged to Jimmy. Geez, you'd think that we could have seen pretty quickly that he could throw the ball.". His mother, Carmen, was sightless since . Check out the Jim Plunkett Hispanic Heritage 83 item on Madden NFL 23 - Ratings, Prices and more! Ball Carrier. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett won by a wide margin. He retired during the 1988 pre-season as the fourth-leading passer in Raiders history. Health Scare Nearly Ends Plunkett's College Career Throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns, Plunkett was named the game's MVP; subsequently, Plunkett has the distinction of being the first minority to quarterback a team to a Super Bowl victory and the only Latino to be named Super Bowl MVP. While Jim Plunketts story is a well-known one, he is not a Hall of Fame quarterback; he is considered an unlikely figure in the movie industry. ''My father was legally blind from birth, but he could get around.He. Jim Plunkett, on the other hand, is well known as one of the most absent Raider. [15], Plunkett is the subject of annual debate about whether he belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. led four postseason wins. Jim Plunkett's road to Super Bowl champion wasn't always smooth They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. I like that. ''My father was legally blind from birth, but he could get around.He could see a little bit. After having both knees replaced a few years ago, he says, Im in less pain. Were jim plunkett's parents blind? Explained by FAQ Blog His excellent arm strength and precision made him attractive to pro teams that relied much more heavily on the passing game than most college teams of the late 1960s. In 1968, he threw for 14 touchdowns and set a Pac-8 record with 2,156 yards passing. "The show became kind of a tribute to him.". Otherwise, Plunkett might not have been playing for the Oakland Raiders in the fall of 1980, when the Heisman Trophy winner from Stanford jump-started an improbable career resurrection that culminated in two Super Bowl victories. 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. But as far as shes concerned, its still a work in progress. He's as tough a guy as I've ever met. A doctor discovered a thyroid tumor, which nearly ended his college career. "They'd never faced a passing team such as ours," he said. It hasn't all been laughs. Accepting Ongoing Submissions! His mother, Carmen, had not seen the outside world since she was 19 years old due to typhoid. Jim attended James Lick High School in East San Jose, California.He won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 as quarterback for Stanford University. The press made much of his personal story. 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. My father wouldn't let my mother cook. But he's quick to turn conversations into the kind of comedic sparring he perfected in locker rooms. It foretold the enduring intensity of Plunkett's relationship with Stanford. Jim attended high school at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. Former Raider and Stanford star quarterback Jim Plunkett of Atherton wasn't too pleased with that last one. His mother, Carmen, was sightless since she was 19 because of typhoid fever. He played for the 49ers for two seasons, before being released in 1977. Stanford, California 94305. ''She had a bad experience on a plane a few years ago coming back from visiting her family in New Mexico. Prominent among the photos and memorabilia is a famous trophy depicting a football player in a classic stiff-arm pose. Andrew Luck, a rising star in the NFL, has established himself as one of the leagues best quarterbacks. He was named the NFLs Comeback Player of the Year in 1981. Plunkett, who on November 24 had been named the winner of the Heisman Trophy, directed a fourth-quarter comeback for an electrifying 27-17 upset over the Buckeyes. After returning to the backup role in 1983, Plunkett again assumed starting duties, this time after an injury to Marc Wilson. Jim Plunkett was the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford and led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. My father, and later on my sisters, prepared most of the meals. ''She always wanted to know what the trees and the hills looked like. 3 quarterback, Plunkett didn't play in 1978. Help us celebrate the best of humanity, we need your support! He could have graduated the previous June, skipped his remaining year of 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. The tumor turned out to be benign, but Plunkett has never forgotten the generosity shown by Rust. He was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first deaf player to win the award. He is the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has not been voted in. [12] His performance originally caused head coach John Ralston to switch him to defensive end, but Plunkett was adamant in remaining at quarterback, throwing 500 to 1,000 passes every day to polish his arm. Even Plunkett's buddies underestimated him occasionally. 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. [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. Fortunately, he says, I was able to take advantage.. Playing for the Oakland Raiders, Pastorini broke his shinbone and cartilage in his knee. Rust didn't hesitate: We will honor your scholarship, he said. He grew up in Santa Clara before the family sought less-expensive housing in San Jose. 326 Galvez Street ''Especially in the parks,'' he recalled. In college, however, Jim won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the Rose bowl. Completed artwork should reflect thoughtful ideas to show how the selected hero demonstrates heroic action and creates positive social change. And in three of the four seasons before Plunkett's emergence, Stanford had gone 5-5. Click here to donate. Any time that I didn't do that, I heard about it. And he ended up an emblem of individual and shared achievement on a team that's linked forever by one revered season. SPD 74. Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. Nothing got draped over the Heisman. Whenever we went on a trip, we usually took a bus. With all the obstacles he went through, Jim never quit. In a call with Rod Rust, the assistant coach who had recruited him, Plunkett relayed his fears. "He gutted out that entire run. I took a tough road to get where I finally got.. [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. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. His parents were blind, and he chose nearby Stanford so he could be near them. Visitors, teachers, students, and MY HERO staff publish all kinds of stories, from inspirational essays about a close friend, to important global issues. "The best college football player I've ever seen," said Washington State coach Jim Sweeney. The next year he was, to San Francisco. He spent the first seven seasons of his career with the New England Revolution and San Francisco 49ers before being released by both organizations in 1978. Mike Antonucci is the senior writer at Stanford. Ken Stabler won one Super Bowl championship as Ken Stabler played Sloth in The Goonies. John Matuszak portrayed him in the film. With a career total offense of 7,887 yards, including passing for 7,544, Plunkett set an NCAA record. But he also was gifted with staunch confidence and a ferocious appetite for challenges. He was born into a poor family, and his father was a news vendor who supported his wife and three children by selling news. He got his opportunity when starter Dan Pastorini suffered a broken leg against Kansas City. He was also named the nations top football player in addition to winning the Maxwell Award. Also Read: Mike Golic In his high school years, he worked during the summer.[11]. Jim and his sisters learned to work hard and do things for themselves as they grew up. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. 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. "It was almost a miracle," says White, "that Jim Plunkett showed up at Stanford exactly as we were searching for a new football identity.". 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. "It surprised me that he was able to come back because I thought physically he had been so punished that he couldn't come back - and he certainly did," says Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi about Jim Plunkett on ESPN Classic's SportsCentury series.