TUP 83. When my room was a mess, my mother always knew. He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. Jims son jumped from a high-rise apartment building four years ago while suffering from severe manic depression. 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 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. Plunkett was also selected first overall in the 1971 NFL draft by the New England Patriots. 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. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. Jack and Aletha were determined to give Jim a normal life, and he attended public schools and played sports. LATE RALLY: After struggling early in his NFL career, Plunkett led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. My father wouldn't let my mother cook. 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. To this day he has a tendency to drop into the background, heightened sometimes by the pervasive sadness of his son's death. He sat out all of 1987 with a shoulder injury and his NFL career ended in the 1988 preseason when, at 40, the Raiders released him. He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. Stanford, CA 94305-6105. By their senior season in 1970, the insecurities that had pulled them all together had matured into a deep bond, stoked by stubborn dreams and maddening frustration. Since Jim Plunkett's parents were blind, he worked a lot of his early years cleaning up gas stations. Still, he remains active at Stanford, regularly attending events on campus and raising money for athletic scholarships through his annual charity golf tournament. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. ''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. Today, he carries the various hurts he has sufferedphysical and emotionalgamely. He set a new Pacific 8 record with 2,156 yards passing and 14 touchdown passes in his first season as a Stanford quarterback. I know life goes on but its been devastating. [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. In college, however, Jim won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the Rose bowl. They were too busy taking care of my sisters and me. His mother, Carmen, had not seen the outside world since she was 19 years old due to typhoid. His father was born legally blind but, with thick enough glasses, could get around, even serving as the cook of the family. ''My parents were very stubborn,'' he said. The year before, he was selected first overall in the draft, becoming the first Hispanic player to do so. 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. Wins over Oregon State and Washington nailed down the Pac-8 title and a January 1 Rose Bowl berth. 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. Plunkett delivered newspapers and took odd jobs to earn pocket money but still found time for football. Browse and share audio in our library. As he grew up, Jim learned how to be his parent's "eyes" by helping them cross the street. 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. It seems to me that Jim has a lot of courage because he played even when he was injured or in pain. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. "People had read about my parents, about my family life growing up," says Plunkett, his voice catching. 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. He was regarded as a bust after being released by the 49ers in 2010. Jim Plunkett set records all three years he quarterbacked Stanford. . "We had experienced an awful lot of disappointment," including two straight defeats to USC on late field goals. Visitors, teachers, students, and MY HERO staff publish all kinds of stories, from inspirational essays about a close friend, to important global issues. Two weeks before the Patriots defeated the Colts, Plunkett engineered a 3413 victory over the Dolphins. He grew up in Santa Clara before the family sought less-expensive housing in San Jose. He wasnt selected to the Pro Bowl, never made the All-Pro team, and completed less than half of his passes. 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. 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. [9] A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. 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. He wore very thick glasses,'' he said. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. "I'd never known anybody could throw a football so hard it whistled until Jim did it. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Plunkett's first game was a 206 victory over the Oakland Raiders, the Patriots' first regular-season contest at Schaefer Stadium. Last Update: May 30, 2022. He was a good student and an excellent athlete. 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. Plunkett didn't stop there. 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. 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 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. Was he a child, a teen, or an adult?Bonus 100 pts: How old was he exactly? 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. [5][6], Plunkett was born to Mexican-American parents with an Irish-German grandfather on his paternal side. Five mostly difficult seasons in New England followed, preceding a trade to the 49ers and, in 1978, Plunketts outright release. To preserve these articles as they originally appeared, The Times does not alter, edit or update them. The next year he was, to San Francisco. In the NFL, prospects who were expected to make big waves are frequently busts. Plunkett showed his talent for tossing the football by winning a throwing contest at the age of 14 with a heave of over 60 yards. 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. His father, who was of Irish descent, passed away when Plunkett was just nine years old. Resisting the temptation to turn pro in 1970, Plunkett stayed for his senior season. Fortunately, he says, I was able to take advantage.. Ken Stabler won one Super Bowl championship as Ken Stabler played Sloth in The Goonies. John Matuszak portrayed him in the film. He is estimated to be worth $10 million, with the majority of his money coming from his NFL career. His 15 surgeries have included six on his left shoulder, one on his right shoulder, two on his neck and six on his knees. "We've all tasted what life has to deliver," says Schultz. My mother would tell us kids to take care of our father. 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. For his career, Plunkett completed 1,943-of-3,701 passes for 25,882 yards with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. "I don't know where I would have gone," Plunkett says, "but I would have transferred. 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. Before family and friends in Northern California, Plunkett had two inconsistent years with the 49ers and then was released before the 1978 season. 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. 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. Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . I was supposed to make my bed, but if I didn't, she'd walk in and feel the bed to see if I had. 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. The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. 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. 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After two seasons as a backup to Ken Stabler, Plunkett opened the 1980 season backing up newcomer Dan Pastorini, whod been acquired in a trade for Stabler. Learn more about select judges in the MY HERO International Film Festival. As a result, he was raised by his mother who worked as a secretary to support the family. Plunkett, 63, is still involved with the Raiders, co-hosting a team-produced weekly television program, The Silver and Black Show, and sitting in Davis box during games. I like that. Occasionally the digitization process introduces transcription errors or other problems; we are continuing to work to improve these archived versions. The USC game fell halfway into that 1970 season. But sometimes I'd forget. "The best college football player I've ever seen," said Washington State coach Jim Sweeney. Also Read: Mike Golic You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Although Plunkett passed for 19 touchdowns and led the Pats to a 7-7 record in 1974, injuries mounted. Plunkett, 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, rejected the idea, and Ralston redshirted him in 1967. And he ended up an emblem of individual and shared achievement on a team that's linked forever by one revered season. He was elected to the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990. The Raiders ignored his request and five weeks into the season, Plunkett's resurrection began. 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.. "Many people felt I was washed up, and I wasn't sure they were wrong. 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 tell people that one of the things that always annoyed my parents was having others thinking they were handicapped. It took a lot of courage to get there. Passing. Once in the press box, he growls "lousy" when asked how he's feeling. He also helped them get their own food and stuff. Plunkett, Lasater and Schultz were there with friends and other former teammates before the Wake Forest game in September, reveling in the juiciest memories. ", I got so many great letters. Prior to retiring, he earned between $400,000 and $600,000 per year. 326 Galvez Street Stanford went 22-8-2 in his three years, and he said his best game was a 27-17 victory over Ohio . He played for the Patriots for four seasons, before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1975. Surgery for a benign tumor in his neck in August 1966 slowed him physically and academically during his first year at Stanford. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. 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. Playing for the Oakland Raiders, Pastorini broke his shinbone and cartilage in his knee. 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 . "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. Jim Plunkett arrived with other young playersJack Lasater, Bob Moore, Jack Schultzwho, like him, felt the pangs of being an outsider. . [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. 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. PAC 81. Plunkett then joined the Oakland Raiders in 1978, serving in a reserve capacity over the next two years, throwing no passes in 1978 and just fifteen in 1979.

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