Poor Jim Plunkett. For any number of questions about what sustains Plunkett, what fulfills him, there is just one answer: "I love my wife. 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. [9] Help us celebrate the best of humanity, we need your support! Only his family means more, and even in that context, there is a special rapport. 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. "I don't know where I would have gone," Plunkett says, "but I would have transferred. 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. . "We've all tasted what life has to deliver," says Schultz. 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. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Number of electors: 1264 - Announced: November 24, 1970. ", Plunkett's against-the-odds story drew legions of fans, including some who were only casual football rooters. LATE RALLY: After struggling early in his NFL career, Plunkett led the Raiders to two Super Bowl victories in the 1980s. He is also the only player to pass for 25, 882 yards, 164 touchdown passes, and 198 picks. The First Deaf Player In The NHL: Jim Kyte. ''I don't think she would have cared if I had quit, she always was worried about me getting hurt,'' he said. '', See the article in its original context from. To this day he has a tendency to drop into the background, heightened sometimes by the pervasive sadness of his son's death. . Bill Parcells was the first Hispanic-American head coach of the NFL, and Tom Flores won two Super Bowl rings. Jim was a hard worker because, instead of feeling sorry for himself, he spent his time trying to improve. Forty years later, his impact on college football hasn't lost any luster, even though the sport has become far more freewheeling and ratcheted up the stats of quarterbacks everywhere. In junior high school, he became a passing quarterback. Plunkett's Stanford career nearly ended before it began. He was also named the nations top football player in addition to winning the Maxwell Award. Plunkett delivered newspapers and took odd jobs to earn pocket money but still found time for football. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett had won by a wide margin. SAC 81. Its a stark contrast to 1980, when Plunkett longed to leave Oakland in hopes of reinvigorating a fading career. His parents were blind, and he chose nearby Stanford so he could be near them. He also shined the light back on everybody else.". 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The Raiders advanced to Super Bowl XVIII, where they defeated the Washington Redskins, 389. 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. "I really thought I was going to be the savior," Plunkett said, "but all I did was put more pressure on myself.". "The team was full of an awful lot of talented guys as well as egos," says Schultz, who was a strong safety. [7] Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. ''Especially in the parks,'' he recalled. Or if they wanted to clean the house, they cleaned the house. Her dad was afraid she'd stay in New York. ", 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. Carmen was also of Native American ancestry. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities! General. Were jim plunkett's parents blind? He is the son of Native American and Hispanic parents. He was born to the parents of William Plunkett and Carmella Plunkett. What was Jim Plunkett childhood like? [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. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. William Plunkett ran a newsstand in San Jose, but struggled to care for his wife . He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. Jim made great contributions to professional football because he helped the Raiders beat the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. I do feel somewhat slighted, Plunkett says. THP 86. '', His father died at age 56 after Jim Plunkett's sophomore year at Stanford. His reputation was severely hampered by his shadow, and he was ignored andunderappreciated. 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. . For his career, Plunkett completed 1,943-of-3,701 passes for 25,882 yards with 164 touchdowns and 198 interceptions. ''I tell people that one of the things that always annoyed my parents was having others thinking they were handicapped. ''She had a bad experience on a plane a few years ago coming back from visiting her family in New Mexico. 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. His father, who was of Irish descent, passed away when Plunkett was just nine years old. Plunkett led the Raiders to four playoff victories, including the first-ever victory by a wild card team in the Super Bowl, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 2710 in Super Bowl XV. The second title came after more struggles, after losing his starting job to Wilson and then regaining it after Wilson was injured. Accepting Ongoing Submissions! 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. With all the obstacles he went through, Jim never quit. Plunkett's Stanford career nearly ended before it began. His 15 surgeries have included six on his left shoulder, one on his right shoulder, two on his neck and six on his knees. Surgery was required to remove a malignant tumor that would end his football playing days. He is valued at Stanford not only for his academic achievements, but also for his humility and commitment as a student from the very beginning. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. And our father would tell us to take care of our mother. 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. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett won by a wide margin. They are a permanent set: Plunk, Red, B.M., Schultzie and Rabbit. Geez, you'd think that we could have seen pretty quickly that he could throw the ball.". 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. View winning films from the MY HERO International Film Festival! 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. He grew up in Santa Clara before the family sought less-expensive housing in San Jose. 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. No rushing or total offense stats currently available for Plunkett. Our gallery features art in the theme of heroism. She always knew. What John Sande, '71, the team's center, remembers is a sound. In an effort to aid the family's financial situation, Plunkett worked a series of odd jobs while growing up, including serving as a gas . Plunkett led the 49ers to a 61 start before faltering to an 86 record. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. 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. Our type of system was almost perfect for Jim, Flores says. "Our daughter was very upset; she didn't want to feel she was letting Jimmy down," says Plunkett. They were too busy taking care of my sisters and me. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. He played in two Super Bowls and was named Most Valuable Player in Super Bowl XV. 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. "Bob [Moore] and Jack Schultz came to our house every day," Gerry Plunkett recalls. Jim went to William C. Overfelt High School in the 9th and 10th grades and then transferred to and graduated from James Lick High School, both located in east San Jose, California. Jim was born in 1946, and was their only child. But he's quick to turn conversations into the kind of comedic sparring he perfected in locker rooms. He was the starting quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal from 1968 to 1970. (Photo: Courtesy Jim Plunkett), HISTORY LESSON: The memorabilia room in Plunketts home is a reminder of his playing days, as are his knees, replaced a few years ago with titanium and Teflon. "After 10 years and struggling with New England and San Francisco," he said, "that first one meant a lot to me.". 3 quarterback, Plunkett didn't play in 1978. Ever since then, her doctor hasn't wanted her to fly. '', His mother is of Mexican heritage, his father was a mixture of German, Irish and Mexican. Plunkett was the first player of Hispanic heritage to be drafted with the first overall pick in the NFL draft. Jim had many obstacles he had to overcome. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California on December 5th, 1947. Plunkett grew up in San Jose, California, the son of parents who were Native American and Hispanic. "But there was no hint whatsoever of jealousy for all of the accolades and attention being heaped on Jim. Physically and mentally, I was not in the best shape. Plunkett threw for 2,935 yards, 20 touchdown passes, and 18 picks in that season. 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. In his first game as a starter, he completed eleven of fourteen passes with a touchdown and no interceptions. For years he has opened the guesthouse at his Atherton home to Stanford athletes ex-quarterback Tavita Pritchard, '10, is the current resident. "I worried more about Stanford being good enough for Jim Plunkett," he says. A former rhythmic gymnastics powerhouseand current Stanford sophomoreexplains why shes OK with how things turned out. Was it that his parents were blind or they were deaf?, Jim threw a football 60 yards in his first ever competition. Knee and shoulder surgeries became almost commonplace, and after a season of limited play in 1975, he asked to be traded. America loved the kid. 1 pick in the 1971 draft. Yasmine Sherif, who leads Education Cannot Wait, a UN-hosted, global fund for education in emergencies. A month before his enrollment, Plunkett was told by doctors that the lump he had felt at the base of his neck was cancerous. The coaches realized everything had to be different, and they happened to discover the difference maker. With a career total offense of 7,887 yards, including passing for 7,544, Plunkett set an NCAA record.

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