Jim Plunkett: Where is the two-time Super Bowl champion now?
SAN JOSE (BVM) – Despite being a two-time Super Bowl champion and a Heisman Trophy winner, Jim Plunkett tends to go under the radar in terms of his legacy.
His playing career spanned coast to coast, but it seems like he is long forgotten as a great QB.
Time at Stanford
Plunkett grew up in the San Jose area being a star at just about any sport at James Lick High School, but football was his bread and butter. He decided to stay local, playing collegiately at Stanford.
He became the starting quarterback as a sophomore and broke out his junior year. He set Pac-8 records for passing yards with 2,673 and 20 touchdowns. The next year is when Plunkett became a Stanford legend.
He had 2,715 passing yards with 21 total touchdowns. He led the Cardinal to a Rose Bowl upset victory over Ohio State and would take home the Heisman Trophy in 1970 over Joe Theismann and Archie Manning.
Entrance into the NFL
It was no surprise when Plunkett was selected No. 1 overall by the Patriots. After a so-so first couple of seasons in Boston, he finished second in the NFL in passing yards in year three to Roman Gabriel. In his fourth year in 1974, he led the Patriots to a 7-7 record, the most wins by the franchise since the 1966 season.
Things were trending up for Plunkett until he suffered an injury in 1975. This would become a common occurrence in his career.
When Plunkett went down, Steve Grogan took his place and played well. Well enough for the Patriots to give him the keys and to send Plunkett to San Francisco the following offseason. In return, they received Tim Owen, three first-round picks and a second-round pick.
Falling out of favor
Coming in with high expectations, Plunkett unfortunately did not live up to them. He threw 30 interceptions compared to 22 touchdowns in two seasons with the 49ers before being cut prior to the 1978 season.
He signed with the Raiders and was their backup quarterback for the next two years. At the time, it looked like the best of Plunkett was behind him. But he proved doubters wrong when he got an opportunity.
Career resurgence
When Dan Pastorini was injured in Week 5 of the 1980 season, Plunkett came in to save the day. He did not really follow that script, as he finished the day with five interceptions. Despite that, the Raiders stuck with him. And for the Oakland Raiders, that vote of confidence paid off in a big way.
Plunkett led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles that season, taking home Super Bowl XV MVP.
Following the 1980 season, Plunkett would continue to serve as the Raiders‘ backup. But when starter Marc Wilson got hurt, Plunkett’s name was called again and he answered the bell just like he did in 1980. Once again, he led the Raiders to another Super Bowl victory. The only difference this time around was that the Raiders called Los Angeles home instead of Oakland.
1983 Week 5 (10/02/83):
Jim Plunkett and Cliff Branch connect for a 99 yard TD reception. The longest passing TD in Raiders history.#RaiderNation #WASvsLV pic.twitter.com/j0brjw81YQ
— Raiders Reels (@RaidersReels) December 1, 2021
After a couple of more seasons of battling injuries, Plunkett called it quits right before the start of the 1988 season.
Hall of Fame controversy
Looking at Plunkett’s career stats, you would think that he should not even be in consideration for a Hall of Fame discussion. But what he was able to do in his role with the Raiders was tremendous. Not once, but twice, they called on him in desperation and he led them to two Super Bowl victories as a result.
He is the only eligible QB to win two Super Bowls that is not in the Hall of Fame.
The opinion of if he should get in or not all comes down to the value of a Super Bowl. But with it being 34 years since his retirement, the likelihood of him ever getting in is low.
However, he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame and the California Sports Hall of Fame.
Where is he now?
It has been a while since the world heard from the now 74-year-old. But in 2017, he spoke with Elliott Almond of The Mercury News and discussed his day-to-day life.
In a piece titled, “Jim Plunkett’s painful journey: ‘My life sucks’”, he talks about the constant pain he endures from his 15-year NFL career.
“My life sucks,” Plunkett told Almond. “It’s no fun being in this body right now. Everything hurts.”
Plunkett also suffers from Bell’s palsy. This causes a lack of feeling on one side of your face, which creates a droop-like appearance.
Despite the aftermath of his NFL career, Plunkett would still love to see his grandson get into football.
“I would love to see it,” he told Almond. “But that would be selfish on my part.”
