Raiders: Plunkett's Hall of Fame story
Team produced fancy, 9-page brochure for selection committee
(The following downloadable pdf and story were produced by the Raiders and distributed to the Hall of Fame senior selection committee. It incorrectly labels Plunkett as a Hall of Fame finalist, but you get the point. )
Written by Raiders Staff
JIM PLUNKETT, one of pro football’s great field generals and the personification of resilience, deserves to have his ultimate comeback story told in Canton.
In pro football’s modern era, few individuals can approach Plunkett’s track record as a trailblazer and groundbreaker, and one simply cannot tell the story of the NFL without including him and his achievements. Plunkett’s name is etched into football history at every turn, from winning the Heisman Trophy to a late-career resurgence at the professional level in which he guided the Raiders to two Super Bowl Championships. Plunkett was at his best when the games mattered the most, from a stunning Rose Bowl victory as a collegian to an NFL playoff resume that puts him in rarified air among quarterbacks in football history.
No stranger to adversity, Plunkett’s career and his success on the gridiron is due to an incredible competitive desire and the ultimate power of perseverance. He demonstrated a level of courage and a unique ability to raise the level of play of those around him that engendered tremendous respect from his teammates and coaches.
An industry pioneer on numerous fronts, Plunkett’s pro career was preceded by a decorated collegiate tenure that began unceremoniously. As a newcomer at Stanford, it was suggested that he switch positions from quarterback to defensive end. By the end of his senior season on The Farm, Plunkett had become the first Latino to win the Heisman Trophy as college football’s top player and he had led Stanford to a convincing upset over Ohio State in the 1971 Rose Bowl, garnering game MVP honors. Beyond awards and results, Plunkett was the purest of passers, with his natural throwing motion and accuracy putting him in the vanguard of wide-open passing schemes and pro-style offenses in the Pac-8 and eventually throughout college football.
Plunkett became the 11th Heisman Trophy winner to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft, joining the newly branded New England Patriots in 1971 after the team had managed just two wins the previous season. As a rookie, Plunkett started all 14 games and led the team to six wins, garnering AFC Rookie of the Year honors. Plunkett did not miss a start in his first four seasons as a pro and finished second in the NFL in passing in 1973 despite playing in Chuck Fairbanks’ run-oriented offense. After a severe shoulder separation limited him to just five games in 1975, Plunkett was traded to San Francisco with the hopes that a return to the Bay Area would revive his career as well as the fortunes of a moribund franchise. Despite leading the team in passing in both 1976 and 1977, injuries contributed to a lack of on-field success for Plunkett and the 49ers, but set the stage for pro football’s greatest comeback story.
The Raiders signed Plunkett in 1978, providing him with a chance to heal and recover from seven seasons of physical punishment and obstacles. The toughest of competitors and a model teammate and leader, he would not get a chance to play regularly until 1980 when an injury to starting quarterback Dan Pastorini in Week 5 gave Plunkett a window to show the world what he was capable of.
The magical 1980 season saw Plunkett guide the Raiders to a 9-2 record as a starter, securing a Wild Card spot in the playoffs with an 11-5 overall mark. The Silver and Black would then reel off an unprecedented four postseason victories en route to becoming the first Wild Card team to win the Super Bowl and securing their place in NFL history. The dominating 27-10 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was Plunkett’s crowning redemption moment, as he was presented with the Super Bowl MVP award after throwing for 261 yards and three touchdowns. The first Latino quarterback to guide his team to a Super Bowl title, he also remains the only player in history to win the MVP of both the Rose Bowl and the Super Bowl. He was fittingly tabbed for NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors following his remarkable 1980 season.
Plunkett’s success with the Silver and Black continued in the subsequent years. In 1982, the Raiders’ first season in Los Angeles, he started all nine games of the strike-shortened campaign, leading the Raiders to NFL-best 8-1 record and the top seed in the AFC playoffs. He finished that campaign ranked No. 6 in the NFL in touchdowns (14) and No. 8 in the league in passing yards (2,035).
The 1983 season saw Plunkett in a similar situation to 1980, and he responded in kind. After taking over the starting job, he guided the Raiders to a 10-3 record in the last 13 games of the regular season to finish atop the AFC West at 12-4. As had become his habit, Plunkett excelled in the postseason, leading a dynamic offense in two playoff wins before dominating a favored Washington team in Super Bowl XVIII, 38-9. Plunkett was good for 172 passing yards and touchdown in a convincing performance that marked the largest margin of victory in Super Bowl history. He also became the only quarterback in NFL history to win two Super Bowls for a franchise in two different cities.
Plunkett finished his pro career with over 25,000 passing yards, 164 touchdowns and he tied an NFL record with a 99-yard touchdown pass to Cliff Branch against Washington in Week 5 of the 1983 season. He also posted a 38-19 record as a starter with the Raiders.
But Plunkett’s top performances typically came in the playoffs when the whole season was on the line. He compiled an 8-2 career record as a starter in the postseason, a remarkable ledger that gave him the second-highest playoff winning percentage in NFL history at the time of his retirement and still ranks third all-time among quarterbacks with 10 playoff starts. Plunkett and Eli Manning are the only eligible quarterbacks with two Super Bowl victories not currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Plunkett’s success wasn’t limited to performance or statistics. He garnered respect from his peers and coaches wherever he played, and he lifted the fortunes of those around him at every stop. On the 1983 Raiders team alone, Plunkett played alongside six Pro Football Hall of Famers (Ted Hendricks, Mike Haynes, Howie Long, Marcus Allen, Ray Guy, and Cliff Branch), while working with two more (Owner Al Davis and Head Coach Tom Flores).
Bookended by being the No. 1 overall pick in 1971 and leading the Raiders to gridiron glory in the early 1980s, Plunkett’s career is a testament to overcoming the odds and demonstrating a true commitment to excellence no matter the circumstances. His is a Hall of Fame story that lives to be told alongside those of the game’s all-time greats.
Definitely overdue. He should have been there decades ago