''She also went to some of the Stanford games in Palo Alto,'' he said. An outstanding rookie year in the NFL with the New England Patriots preceded numerous injuries and a drift to the ranks of the ordinary. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. The Northern California native, who was born to blind parents, chose Stanford University to remain close to them. Plunkett didn't stop there. 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. Ever since then, her doctor hasn't wanted her to fly. He played for the 49ers for two seasons, before being released in 1977. And we've known that we're there for each other.". His 15 surgeries have included six on his left shoulder, one on his right shoulder, two on his neck and six on his knees. 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. While at Stanford he joined Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. He was the starting quarterback for the Stanford Cardinal from 1968 to 1970. 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. Today, he carries the various hurts he has sufferedphysical and emotionalgamely. He is the only eligible two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback who has not been voted in. This display of offensive firepower led Washington State coach Jim Sweeney to call Plunkett "The best college football player I've ever seen." He gives of his time, his energy, his money, and he's got a genuine humility. He was a member of the National Football Leagues Atlanta Falcons for 16 seasons. Jim Plunkett's parents, Jack and Aletha, were both blind. During training camp in 1980, Plunkett asked to be traded because he expected to have virtually no playing time again. Unfortunately, Jims father died in 1969 when Jim was 21. 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. I asked to be traded, Plunkett says, and Mr. Davis said no.. His parents are blind. Early Years. William was legally blind and worked as a news vendor, in addition to working as a news vendor. Jim Plunkett was born in San Jose, California, to parents of Native American and Hispanic descent. His father, who was of Irish descent, passed away when Plunkett was just nine years old. He could have graduated the previous June, skipped his remaining year of He was tall in the pocket, very powerful, a strong leader. Since Jim Plunkett's parents were blind, he worked a lot of his early years cleaning up gas stations. . "They'd never faced a passing team such as ours," he said. "We've all tasted what life has to deliver," says Schultz. Plunkett was born to William and Carmella Plunkett (his mother was Mexican, his father was also of Mexican descent) in San Jose Calif. His mother lost her sight when she was 20. Two weeks before the Patriots defeated the Colts, Plunkett engineered a 3413 victory over the Dolphins. During his five seasons with the Pats, he was 23-38, completed 48.5% of his passes, threw 62 touchdown passes, and had 87 interception returns. While working as a news vendor, his father, William, was legally blind. Moore, a tight end who went on to an eight-year NFL career, talked himself into a one-on-one foot race with Plunkett the summer before their senior season, when players gave up trips home and time off to continue training together. Former Raider and Stanford star quarterback Jim Plunkett of Atherton wasn't too pleased with that last one. We took a lot of walks because neither of my parents could drive. Aside from the Heisman, he captured the Maxwell Award for the nation's best player and was named player of the year by United Press International, The Sporting News, and SPORT magazine. 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. 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. Was he a child, a teen, or an adult?Bonus 100 pts: How old was he exactly? Jim made great contributions to professional football because he helped the Raiders beat the Washington Redskins in the Super Bowl. But when I wanted to keep playing, she understood that, too. Its still hard for me to talk about it, Plunkett says during a phone interview, his voice catching. An outstanding high school wrestler, Plunkett struck Ralston and his staff as someone they might convert to a defensive end. When the Heisman vote was announced, Plunkett won by a wide margin. However, the tumor turned out to be benign and Plunkett was given a clean bill of health. 1 Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl. ''She had a bad experience on a plane a few years ago coming back from visiting her family in New Mexico. Health Scare Nearly Ends Plunkett's College Career Jim Plunkett is a remarkable man who has overcome many obstacles in his life. From 1984-86, Plunkett made only 17 starts, mostly because of injury. Plunkett's father was a news vendor afflicted with progressive blindness, who had to support his blind wife along with their three children. 1 pick in the 1971 draft. Jim had many obstacles he had to overcome. And then there's family. A few examples include players who were considered busts but rebounded to make their mark on the game. [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. Leading James Lick High School in San Jose to an unbeaten season as a senior, he was chosen for a state all-star game and was heavily recruited by colleges. Plunkett's performance startled almost everyone as he completed 11-of-14 passes with one touchdown and no interceptions as Oakland defeated San Diego 38-24. As a sophomore, 1968, he passed for 2,156 yards, a record in what was then the Pac-8 Conference. After all, the quarterback Jim Plunkett replaced early last season, Dan Pastorini, made nearly $360,000. He was inducted into the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Jim Plunketts story is told in a film, and its a fascinating look at American football history. Nancy founded the Kelp Fest in 2009 in order to help local communities better understand and appreciate the kelp forest. They met while attending the California School for the Blind in Berkeley, and were married in 1934. Plunkett's first game was a 206 victory over the Oakland Raiders, the Patriots' first regular-season contest at Schaefer Stadium. ''But growing up, I didn't feel like I had to take care of either my father or my mother. "The show became kind of a tribute to him.". It's another thread of allegiance in a life emblazoned by attachments formed under exceptional circumstances. This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Plunkett reflected that his life "sucks" as a result of his physical injuries. 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. Jim Plunkett wanted out, but Al Davis balked. I still feel good when I think about it.". ''My parents were very stubborn,'' he said. ''She always wanted to know what the trees and the hills looked like. Or if they wanted to clean the house, they cleaned the house. STR 59. "After 10 years and struggling with New England and San Francisco," he said, "that first one meant a lot to me.". James William "Jim" Plunkett (born December 5, 1947) is a former American football quarterback who played college football . He was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. As White notes, the Stanford coaching staff had learned football as mostly an exercise in running the ball. Wanting to stay closer to home to help look after his parents, Plunkett decided to attend Stanford University. All artworks in our commercial free, age-appropriate Gallery are contributed by professional and student artists as well as curated from art institutions around the world. And in three of the four seasons before Plunkett's emergence, Stanford had gone 5-5. (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. DAC 79. He chose to play for Stanford in part because he wanted to stay close to his parents, both of whom were blind. He's still connected to the Raiders. ''My sisters would bring a radio so she could listen to what was happening. Together they won Super Bowl XV, when Flores became the first minority . Andrew Luck, a rising star in the NFL, has established himself as one of the leagues best quarterbacks. Jim was born in San Jose, California, in 1948. I remember my father always told me to come straight home after school. He retired after undergoing 18 surgical procedures during his playing days. ", 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. They also helped Carmen with cooking and other household chores. Passing. [5][6], Plunkett was born to Mexican-American parents with an Irish-German grandfather on his paternal side. If Plunkett was a leading passer, he was also a sentimental favorite. The biggest obstacle he faced was when he was 30 years old and played for the San Francisco 49ers. His parents were blind, and he chose nearby Stanford so he could be near them. Teammates never doubted who was in command if they didn't do their jobs. Jim Plunkett was born in San Francisco, California on December 5th, 1947. Jim was out of football for two years, before being signed by the Oakland Raiders in 1979. Slow to recover from the surgery on his neck, Plunkett didn't impress anybody during spring practice at the end of his freshman year. [9] And our father would tell us to take care of our mother. Playing for the Oakland Raiders, Pastorini broke his shinbone and cartilage in his knee. The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year then It was never "just football" to them, Schultz remembers. 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.