Jim Plunketts parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. "We're as close as any group of guys can be," says Plunkett. September 1st is the final deadline to submit work for the 2022 International Film Festival! ''My father was legally blind from birth, but he could get around.He could see a little bit. Plunkett's pro career started promisingly after the New England Patriots made him the No. Plunkett's Stanford career nearly ended before it began. Browse and share audio in our library. That's where he was a leader. ''She had a bad experience on a plane a few years ago coming back from visiting her family in New Mexico. But Plunkett had a huge senior year, passing for 2,715 yards and 19 touchdowns as upstart Stanford won the Pac-8 title. "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. Jim was born in San Jose, California, in 1948. Jim Plunkett (http://www.stanfordalumni.org/. Plunkett's Stanford career nearly ended before it began. Carmen was also of Native American ancestry. His mother, Carmen, was sightless since . Rust didn't hesitate: We will honor your scholarship, he said. He played for the last time in 1986, his injuries and pain settling the issue. Jim Plunkett (Stanford University, 1970) was the runaway winner of the 1970 Heisman trophy as the nation's top college football player. The second title came after more struggles, after losing his starting job to Wilson and then regaining it after Wilson was injured. The world's most inspirational film competeition because of YOU. His parents were both blind. In addition, the American College Football Coaches Association designated him as their Offensive Player of the Year. Friends helped talk him out of retiring and, two weeks later, he signed with the Raiders. As a boy, Jim always dreamed of being in the NFL. From the Americans WhoTell the Truth portrait series. The star running back was the 2012 National Championship winner with Stanford and was the first overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft. 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. Rallying the Raiders from a 2-3 start, he capped his comeback season by passing for three touchdowns in a most-valuable-player performance in the Super Bowl. 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. William Plunkett ran a newsstand in San Jose, but struggled to care for his wife . He wore very thick glasses,'' he said. Once he arrived at the school, he played quarterback and defensive end for the football team. 1 Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl. 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. Completing 13-of-21 passes and three scoring strikes, two to Cliff Branch and an 80-yarder to Kenny King, he accounted for all of Oakland's touchdowns in the 27-10 victory. 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. 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 chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. Nothing got draped over the Heisman. But he taught us a new meaning to the word temperament as we rode his success. Even Plunkett's buddies underestimated him occasionally. 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. 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. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. Some of them said my story gave them a new sense of purpose in life. Released from the 49ers after suffering further injuries, Plunkett signed with the Oakland Raiders for 1978. His father died of a heart problem in 1969. Was he a child, a teen, or an adult?Bonus 100 pts: How old was he exactly? Voit Memorial Trophy, awarded each year to the outstanding football player on the Pacific Coast. He was born to the parents of William Plunkett and Carmella Plunkett. General. His father was a police officer and his mother was a homemaker. 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. [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. 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. It proved to be one of the most astute decisions made by the Raiders oft-criticized owner. She's 67 now and I don't think she went to any of the Raider games last year. In college, however, Jim won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to the Rose bowl. 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. 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. Her dad was afraid she'd stay in New York. He was a good student and an excellent athlete. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Any time that I didn't do that, I heard about it. [10], When Jim was growing up, the family's financial situation was a big problem for him. "I'm proud of that game," Plunkett said of Oakland's 27-10 victory over Philadelphia. ''I know my mother didn't make the trip to New Orleans for the Super Bowl because she doesn't fly anymore,'' he said. Plunkett led the 49ers to a 61 start before faltering to an 86 record. 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.''. Although Plunkett passed for 19 touchdowns and led the Pats to a 7-7 record in 1974, injuries mounted. 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. Harbaugh, who has a reverence for football tradition, is emphatic about Plunkett's identity now. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. Jim Plunkett was born in San Jose, California, to parents of Native American and Hispanic descent. But Plunkett suffered a left shoulder separation early in the 1975 season, giving rookie Steve Grogan, who would become a fixture with the club for 16 seasons, extensive experience, and under the leadership of coach Chuck Fairbanks, New England's offense became more run-oriented, led by Sam Cunningham. . 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. Check out the Jim Plunkett Hispanic Heritage 83 item on Madden NFL 23 - Ratings, Prices and more! When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett won by a wide margin. [4] In 1983, Plunkett again ascended from backup to starter to quarterback the relocated Los Angeles Raiders to victory in Super Bowl XVIII. He is estimated to be worth $10 million, with the majority of his money coming from his NFL career. He is an inspiration to all who know him. He got his opportunity when starter Dan Pastorini suffered a broken leg against Kansas City. They later moved to San Jose where William ran a newsstand, and where they were able to find low-cost housing. "I worried more about Stanford being good enough for Jim Plunkett," he says. "I really thought I was going to be the savior," Plunkett said, "but all I did was put more pressure on myself.". "I got so many great letters. ", Plunkett's against-the-odds story drew legions of fans, including some who were only casual football rooters. His father William died of a heart attack in 1969. In 1971, he was drafted with the first overall pick in the NFL draft by the New England Patriots (the team was still known as the Boston Patriots at the time of the draft; the name change to New England did not become official until March 21 of that year). 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. "We didn't want to live through that again.". In the family's home, one room is dedicated to Plunkett's accomplishments. Then followed three sensational seasons at Stanford, culminating with the 1970 Heisman Trophy. When the San Francisco 49ers released Jim Plunkett in 1978, he was stubborn enough to believe that he could still be a useful quarterback somewhere. Stanford, CA 94305-6105. He holds the Raider record, and is tied for the league record, for the longest career pass, which occurred during a 99-yard pass play against the Washington Redskins on October 2, 1983. Jim Plunkett arrived with other young playersJack Lasater, Bob Moore, Jack Schultzwho, like him, felt the pangs of being an outsider. Jim Plunkett set records all three years he quarterbacked Stanford. "He has to be one of the great comeback stories of our time," said Raiders owner Al Davis. STR 59. 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. BSK 80. Knee and shoulder surgeries became almost commonplace, and after a season of limited play in 1975, he asked to be traded. It had been anything but a happy Bay Area homecoming for the rifle-armed quarterback who first gained widespread notice at San Jose James Lick High. DAC 79. He is a role model for never giving up. '', Jim Plunkett works for the Peninsula Center for the Blind in the San Jose area. As the No. He played for the 49ers for two seasons, before being released in 1977. "I don't know where I would have gone," Plunkett says, "but I would have transferred. 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. '', William Plunkett had a news stand in San Jose, Calif., at first in the Post Office building, later in the Unemployment Office. We took a lot of walks because neither of my parents could drive. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. 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. 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 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. The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year then 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. He became the starting quarterback for the Raiders midway through the 1980 season. The Raiders have never made the Pro Bowl or the All-Pro team, and everything they have done since the inception has been bad. UCLA coach Tommy Prothro had called Plunkett the "best pro quarterback prospect I've ever seen", echoing Sweeney's words from the year prior. Two weeks later, Stanford beat UCLA for the first time in eight years. 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 sometimes she would get too nervous to enjoy it. 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. Still, he remains active at Stanford, regularly attending events on campus and raising money for athletic scholarships through his annual charity golf tournament. Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. 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. the combining form for plasma minus the clotting proteins is jim plunkett parents blind He would have been so proud to have been around all that. When the dog began to display some nervous aggression, Meghan despaired. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. What made it hard for Jim to grow up? This is a digitized version of an article from The Timess print archive, before the start of online publication in 1996. Two years after that, Pastorinis injury gave Plunkett the opportunity hed long awaited. After a 59 season in 1977, the 49ers released him during the 1978 preseason. The surgery required to remove a malignant tumor would end his football playing days. His parents were blind from the start. 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. Were jim plunkett's parents blind? [9], The Plunketts moved to California during World War II. 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. 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. Before family and friends in Northern California, Plunkett had two inconsistent years with the 49ers and then was released before the 1978 season. New York, NY, 10006. Despite some impressive moments in the Silver and Black, he will never make the Hall of Fame. Wins over Oregon State and Washington nailed down the Pac-8 title and a January 1 Rose Bowl berth. His successful junior campaign saw him set league records for touchdown passes (20), passing yards (2,673) and total offense (2,786). 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. ''Even at my age,'' he said with a laugh, ''when I walk in and hug her, she reaches for the top of my head and feels the hair in the back to see if I need a haircut. ''One parent always was taking care of the other. He was also named the nations top football player in addition to winning the Maxwell Award. He also helped them get their own food and stuff. "I'd never known anybody could throw a football so hard it whistled until Jim did it. But it's not so much a walk as a trudge. "The show became kind of a tribute to him.". An outstanding rookie year in the NFL with the New England Patriots preceded numerous injuries and a drift to the ranks of the ordinary. 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. Stanford went 22-8-2 in his three years, and he said his best game was a 27-17 victory over Ohio . A doctor discovered a thyroid tumor, which nearly ended his college career. My father, and later on my sisters, prepared most of the meals. "Our daughter was very upset; she didn't want to feel she was letting Jimmy down," says Plunkett. Learn more about select judges in the MY HERO International Film Festival. . Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. As a sophomore, 1968, he passed for 2,156 yards, a record in what was then the Pac-8 Conference. Jim Plunkett was the 1970 Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford and led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. 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 remember my father always told me to come straight home after school. Carmen was born blind as a result of typhoid fever, which occurred when she was 19 years old. He could have graduated the previous June, skipped his remaining year of Yasmine Sherif, who leads Education Cannot Wait, a UN-hosted, global fund for education in emergencies. Submit your film TODAY!! His reputation was severely hampered by his shadow, and he was ignored andunderappreciated. ''But growing up, I didn't feel like I had to take care of either my father or my mother. "People had read about my parents, about my family life growing up," says Plunkett, his voice catching. 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. Jim Plunkett learned about perspective growing up as the only son, along with two older sisters, of blind parents. My mother would tell us kids to take care of our father. The massive arms of Plunkett transformed college football, changing the perception of the game from being a ground game to one that was exciting and fast. The Raiders became the first team from the Wild Card era to win a Super Bowl. He is the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has not been voted in. Plunkett was selected by the New England Patriots as the number one overall draft choice in 1971. Browse our About Page to get quick overviews of the different areas of MY HERO. His mind only replays moments; his body replays every minute of damage. ", Plunkett, shy and modest, took a different view: "I wanted the Heisman, but my whole life wasn't centered on it.". '', His mother is of Mexican heritage, his father was a mixture of German, Irish and Mexican. (Photo: Timothy Archibald), BAND OF BROTHERS: With Jack Lasater, Randy Vataha, Bob Murphy and Jack Schultz. The next year he was, to San Francisco. 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. He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett had won by a wide margin. Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. This display of offensive firepower led Washington State coach Jim Sweeney to call Plunkett "The best college football player I've ever seen." 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 graduation, Jim attended Stanford University on a football scholarship. But none of it came easily. [9] After Jimmy's death, Meghan chose to keep the dog with her in part to honor what she believed would have been her brother's wish. . He did radio and television interviews after retiring from football, as well as weekly highlights shows on television, following his playing days. Despite this, Hart has largely been overlooked, despite his role in the Raiders organization. Plunkett is on the Hall of Fame wall at James Lick. "It was almost a miracle," says White, "that Jim Plunkett showed up at Stanford exactly as we were searching for a new football identity.". ''I tell people that one of the things that always annoyed my parents was having others thinking they were handicapped. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California, on December 5, 1947. JIM PLUNKETT is on a roll. For any number of questions about what sustains Plunkett, what fulfills him, there is just one answer: "I love my wife. 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. Since Jim Plunkett's parents were blind, he worked a lot of his early years cleaning up gas stations. Plunkett declined, threatened to transfer and, given a second chance, led Stanford to a Rose Bowl upset of Ohio State to cap his Heisman Trophy-winning senior season. Jim made great contributions to professional football because he helped the Raiders beat the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. It was probably very hard to live with blind parents, but Jim figured out a way to do it. Plunkett excelled in athletics from a young age and went on to attend Stanford University on a football scholarship. And he ended up an emblem of individual and shared achievement on a team that's linked forever by one revered season. The first time he demonstrated athletic promise was at the age of 14, when he won a throwing contest with a toss of over 60 yards. [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. I didn't do things to put them out, though. He never let go of his dream. As a result, he is revered not only for his achievements at Stanford, but also for his humility and loyalty from the start. SAC 81. He was the youngest of three children and his parents divorced when he was just a toddler. . 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. Passing. Five mostly difficult seasons in New England followed, preceding a trade to the 49ers and, in 1978, Plunketts outright release. Its a stark contrast to 1980, when Plunkett longed to leave Oakland in hopes of reinvigorating a fading career. He spent 12 years in the NFL, beginning with the Philadelphia 76ers and continuing with the Washington Redskins, Oakland As, and Philadelphia 76ers. In 1971, he was drafted by the New England Patriots, and he went on to have a successful career in the NFL. Or if they wanted to clean the house, they cleaned the house. ''So if I had quit, she probably would have liked that. A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. [16] Arguments for induction focus on his two Super Bowl victories and Super Bowl MVP award, along with the personal challenges he overcame in the NFL. In exchange for Ken Stabler, Jim Pastorini was traded by the Oakland Raiders to the Houston Astros. 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 retired during the 1988 pre-season as the fourth-leading passer in Raiders history.
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