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He was a member of the National Football Leagues Atlanta Falcons for 16 seasons. He also shined the light back on everybody else.". ''My father was legally blind from birth, but he could get around.He could see a little bit. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. JIM PLUNKETT is on a roll. He could have graduated the previous June, skipped his remaining year of 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. 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. Plunkett was also selected first overall in the 1971 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. '', When he and his mother, Carmen, took walks, he would describe the scenery to her. Plunkett also carries innumerable physical scars from his playing days. He did not like the area he lived in, often did not have money for dates, and avoided bringing friends to his house. There was a famous juncture at which Stanford head coach John Ralston, an eventual college football Hall of Famer, almost coached Plunkett out of quarterback contention. His father was a police officer and his mother was a homemaker. Stanford went 22-8-2 in his three years, and he said his best . He's a good guy.". Back-to-back winning seasons had been blemished by key losses, and they were down to their last chance to win a championship. 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. The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. I asked to be traded, Plunkett says, and Mr. Davis said no.. 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 was almost a miracle," says White, "that Jim Plunkett showed up at Stanford exactly as we were searching for a new football identity.". You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. "We've all tasted what life has to deliver," says Schultz. Wins over Oregon State and Washington nailed down the Pac-8 title and a January 1 Rose Bowl berth. As White notes, the Stanford coaching staff had learned football as mostly an exercise in running the ball. The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year then Jim Plunkett arrived with other young playersJack Lasater, Bob Moore, Jack Schultzwho, like him, felt the pangs of being an outsider. 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. He is the son of Native American and Hispanic parents. 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. Watch our short introduction video for more information. Plunkett threw for 2,935 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 18 picks in that season. (Photo: Timothy Archibald), BAND OF BROTHERS: With Jack Lasater, Randy Vataha, Bob Murphy and Jack Schultz. [10], When Jim was growing up, the family's financial situation was a big problem for him. The 32-year-old Plunkett came off the bench to relieve Pastorini, throwing five interceptions in a 3117 loss. The players liked him. He played for the New England patriots, San Francisco 49ers, and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders in addition to the 49ers. . 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.''. Armada Halogen is the leading technology powered travel security risk management company with swift response capabilities. He set a new Pacific 8 record with 2,156 yards passing and 14 touchdown passes in his first season as a Stanford quarterback. Jims son jumped from a high-rise apartment building four years ago while suffering from severe manic depression. His dad sold newspapers at a corner stand in San Jose, right outside San Francisco. [9] Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . He would have been so proud to have been around all that. ''If they wanted to go somewhere, they went. They were too busy taking care of my sisters and me. ''She always wanted to know what the trees and the hills looked like. RUN 80. But he also was gifted with staunch confidence and a ferocious appetite for challenges. ''During those two years when I didn't play, it was tough for me,'' he said, ''but I was able to put it in perspective.'' His parents were blind from the start. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. They were from poor or middle-class families, and they wondered how they would ever fit in at a university swarming with well-heeled classmates. 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. 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). His net yards passing and most yards total offense were NCAA records at the time. I never wanted to worry them unnecessarily. It proved to be one of the most astute decisions made by the Raiders oft-criticized owner. Despite some impressive moments in the Silver and Black, he will never make the Hall of Fame. Since 1995, The MY HERO Project has been using media, art and technology to celebrate the best of humanity. And in three of the four seasons before Plunkett's emergence, Stanford had gone 5-5. 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. 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. "Many people felt I was washed up, and I wasn't sure they were wrong. Later in his career, the Raiders moved to Los Angeles. He earned the opportunity to start in 1968, and in his first game, completed ten of thirteen passes for 277 yards and four touchdowns, and never relinquished his hold on the starting spot. In the family's home, one room is dedicated to Plunkett's accomplishments. His father William died of a heart attack in 1969. 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. 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. Davis denied his trade request, Plunkett says, because he wanted the veteran available in case of emergency. He played for the Patriots for four seasons, before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1975. He is a role model for never giving up. Oklahoma's Chuck Fairbanks replaced John Mazur as Patriots coach in 1973 and installed an offense that had Plunkett running some option plays and continuing to take a beating. [20], Interviewed in 2017, Plunkett told of being in "constant pain" and discussed the effects of at least ten career concussions. Click here to donate. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. UCLA coach Tommy Prothro had called Plunkett the "best pro quarterback prospect I've ever seen", echoing Sweeney's words from the year prior. Is it a person who sells newspapers or a company that makes newspapers?, Name 2 other sports that Jim played. Two years after that, Pastorinis injury gave Plunkett the opportunity hed long awaited. ACC 77. . We took a lot of walks because neither of my parents could drive. 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 became the second multiple recipient of the W.J. "They'd never faced a passing team such as ours," he said. 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. Early life []. 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 always knew. 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. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Upon entering Stanford University, Plunkett endured a rough freshman campaign after being weakened by a thyroid operation. William Plunkett first worked in the Richmond shipyards. He led the team to a Pac-8 Conference championship and a berth in the 1971 Rose Bowl. ''I'd go there and help him,'' Jim Plunkett said. Had they insisted on it, the number of Heisman Trophy winners at Stanford would still be zero. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius, and his ethnicity is white, making him an American by nationality. His parents were both blind. She's 67 now and I don't think she went to any of the Raider games last year. The 1971 Rose Bowl is regarded as the period when Stanford football returned to prominence. 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. 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. 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. Plunkett guided Oakland to nine victories in eleven games and a playoff berth as a wild card. '', During his two years in oblivion, his mother was more concerned about him than his career. Plunkett's parents were both born in New Mexico, both Mexican Americans; his mother, whose maiden name was Carmen Blea, was born in Santa . Current head coach Jim Harbaugh describes Plunkett as an "iconic" figure, and as the school's only Heisman Trophy winner, Plunkett resides in a special place in Stanford's athletic pantheon. 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. 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. In college, however, Jim won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the Rose bowl. "We socialize together, we do business together, and we tell lies together about how great we used to be.". "I was extremely quiet when I got to Stanford," acknowledges Plunkett. 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. The rest of the Stanford cast was anything but ordinary. Its still hard for me to talk about it, Plunkett says during a phone interview, his voice catching. It hasn't all been laughs. '', His mother is of Mexican heritage, his father was a mixture of German, Irish and Mexican. Plunkett was the only quarterback who led his team to two Super Bowl victories, and he is the only starter to lead his team to two Super Bowl victories but is not eligible for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 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. The USC game fell halfway into that 1970 season. He wore very thick glasses,'' he said. Then followed three sensational seasons at Stanford, culminating with the 1970 Heisman Trophy. Or if they wanted to clean the house, they cleaned the house. When the dog began to display some nervous aggression, Meghan despaired. 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.. After returning to the backup role in 1983, Plunkett again assumed starting duties, this time after an injury to Marc Wilson. Born to blind parents, he worked several part-time jobs in high school to help support the family. If Plunkett was a leading passer, he was also a sentimental favorite. ". 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. Two weeks before the Patriots defeated the Colts, Plunkett engineered a 3413 victory over the Dolphins. Two forgettable seasons with the San Francisco 49ers were followed by two fruitless years with the Raiders, who plucked him from the NFL scrapheap but buried him on the bench. He was named the Super Bowl MVP, becoming the first deaf player to win the award. Plunkett didn't stop there. LATE RALLY: After struggling early in his NFL career, Plunkett led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. '', Jim Plunkett works for the Peninsula Center for the Blind in the San Jose area. The once-reticent Plunkett does Raiders postgame radio interviews and a weekly TV highlights show and gives corporate speeches. "He gutted out that entire run. As the No. Knee and shoulder surgeries became almost commonplace, and after a season of limited play in 1975, he asked to be traded. "People had read about my parents, about my family life growing up," says Plunkett, his voice catching. Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. In 1971, he was drafted by the New England Patriots, and he went on to have a successful career in the NFL. 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. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. '', That's not always easy when the hucksters move in. Stanford, CA 94305-6105. "Bob [Moore] and Jack Schultz came to our house every day," Gerry Plunkett recalls. "The best college football player I've ever seen," said Washington State coach Jim Sweeney. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. . Though Plunkett threw five interceptions in the 31-17 defeat, he got the start the next week for the 2-3 Raiders, who thought rookie Marc Wilson was too green. Geez, you'd think that we could have seen pretty quickly that he could throw the ball.". He did radio and television interviews after retiring from football, as well as weekly highlights shows on television, following his playing days. He had some natural shyness, plus an unconventionally low-key approach to taking charge. Jim Plunkett played 15 NFL seasons, but his eight years with the Raiders defined his career. Jim attended James Lick High School in East San Jose, California.He won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 as quarterback for Stanford University. ''My father was legally blind from birth, but he could get around.He. But sometimes she would get too nervous to enjoy it. ''She also went to some of the Stanford games in Palo Alto,'' he said. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California on December 5th, 1947. Plunkett spent most of the 19841986 seasons either injured or as a backup, and missed the entire 1987 season following rotator cuff surgery. I took a tough road to get where I finally got.. 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 . Hearing the story again, Jim Plunkett, the One and Only, smiles and rolls his eyes to his wife's amusement. Born to blind Mexican-American parents, Jim Plunkett beat the odds to make a name for himself. 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. His father died of a heart problem in 1969. They are a permanent set: Plunk, Red, B.M., Schultzie and Rabbit. [13] The Patriots finished the season at 68 for fourth place in the AFC East. They rallied around him and he just rose to the occasion, making big plays in big games.. Jim Plunketts parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. Physically and mentally, I was not in the best shape. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. The Raiders have never made the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team, and everything they have done since the inception has been bad. ", Each former teammate, it seems, has a singular piece of lore. He also helped them get their own food and stuff. Three seasons later, he did it again, helping the relocated-to-Los Angeles Raiders defeat the Washington Redskins for the title. It seems to me that Jim has a lot of courage because he played even when he was injured or in pain. Only two teams in NFL history have made two Super Bowl appearances in the same five-year period without a Hall of Fame or future Hall of Fame quarterback at the helm the Redskins (Mark Rypien and Doug Williams) and the Raiders (Jim Plunkett). "The show became kind of a tribute to him.". ", Plunkett's against-the-odds story drew legions of fans, including some who were only casual football rooters. He was able to throw for 2,395 yards and 20 touchdown passes in his best season in 1983, and he threw 18 intercepted passes that year. The biggest obstacle he faced was when he was 30 years old and played for the San Francisco 49ers. Plunkett has many interests and ventures, ranging from speaking engagements and autograph contracts for football cards and jerseys to his longtime involvement on behalf of the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Palo Alto. 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. He passed for 18 touchdowns and 2,299 yards during the season, guiding the Raiders to nine victories in their last 11 games and a wild-card spot in the playoffs. [4] In 1983, Plunkett again ascended from backup to starter to quarterback the relocated Los Angeles Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII. I still feel good when I think about it.". The star running back was the 2012 National Championship winner with Stanford and was the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. From 1984-86, Plunkett made only 17 starts, mostly because of injury. AWR 80. 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. Download our Annual Report for more detailed information about our daily operations. [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. To this day he has a tendency to drop into the background, heightened sometimes by the pervasive sadness of his son's death. However, the tumor turned out to be benign and Plunkett was given a clean bill of health. His parents are blind. He was a hard-knocks kid from San Jose, a Mexican-American with an Irish surname, who gravitated to Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. Once in the press box, he growls "lousy" when asked how he's feeling. ''One parent always was taking care of the other. He was a good student and an excellent athlete. Jim Plunkett - Biography Biography Plunkett was born to Mexican American parents with an Irish-German great-grandfather on his paternal side. The year of practice and no play helped Plunkett. 1 pick in the 1971 draft. His parents were blind, and he chose nearby Stanford so he could be near them. His father was born legally blind but, with thick enough glasses, could get around, even serving as the cook of the family. Plunkett's parents were both born in New Mexico, both Mexican Americans; his mother, whose maiden name was Carmen Blea, was born in Santa Fe and his father, William Gutierrez Plunkett, was born in Albuquerque. But Plunkett had a huge senior year, passing for 2,715 yards and 19 touchdowns as upstart Stanford won the Pac-8 title. Plunketts Stanford career nearly ended before it began. Jim was out of football for two years, before being signed by the Oakland Raiders in 1979. His father, who was of Irish descent, passed away when Plunkett was just nine years old. And our father would tell us to take care of our mother. What John Sande, '71, the team's center, remembers is a sound. That goes to show that Jim Plunkett never ever gave up, even after everybody else did. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the Raiders franchise, whom he led to two Super Bowl titles.[1]. Plunkett, by then a star with growing national acclaim, threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Moore to key a 24-14 victory, Stanford's first over the Trojans in 13 years. Its a stark contrast to 1980, when Plunkett longed to leave Oakland in hopes of reinvigorating a fading career. The day Plunkett threw a football 80. The answer is no. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. As a result, he was raised by his mother who worked as a secretary to support the family. Nearly a decade into his professional career, the No. "But there was no hint whatsoever of jealousy for all of the accolades and attention being heaped on Jim. Jim was a hard worker because, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he spent his time trying to improve. As a result, he is revered not only for his achievements at Stanford, but also for his humility and loyalty from the start. Nancy founded the Kelp Fest in 2009 in order to help local communities better understand and appreciate the kelp forest.