Sonny Jurgensen
Encyclopedia
Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III (born August 23, 1934) is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
for the Philadelphia Eagles
and Washington Redskins
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1983.
, North Carolina
. He became active in sports as early as elementary school, when he led his school to the city grammar school titles in baseball and basketball. He later captured the boys tennis
championship of Wilmington and pitched for his local Civitan club, who won the city baseball title.
at New Hanover High School
. He played a number of positions for the team and as a junior was a backup quarterback
on the state championship team. After a senior year where he scored three touchdowns and kicked nine extra points, he was chosen to start at quarterback for the North Carolina
team in the annual North Carolina vs. South Carolina
shrine game in Charlotte, North Carolina
.
Jurgensen also played basketball
and baseball
during high school. As a senior on the basketball team, he averaged twelve points per game as a guard and the team was the state title runner-up. That same year in baseball, he batted .339 and played as a pitcher, infielder, and catcher. He also became a switch-hitter.
at Duke University
. He joined the varsity team in 1954 as a backup quarterback
behind Jerry Barger and he completed 12 of 28 passes for 212 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. But Jurgensen made the biggest impact that season as a defensive back
, when he tied a team record with interceptions in four consecutive games. and ended the season with five interceptions. Duke finished the campaign with a 7-2-1 regular season record and an Atlantic Coast Conference
title. Then on New Year's Day
, Duke beat the Nebraska 34–7 in the 1955 Orange Bowl.
Jurgensen took over as starting quarterback in 1955. He also retained a starting position in the defensive secondary. Duke ended the season with a 7–2–1 record along with an ACC co-championship, but did not go to a bowl because Maryland
received the league's automatic bid to the Orange Bowl. That season Jurgensen completed 37 of 69 passes for 536 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed 54 times for 48 yards, and scored two touchdowns. He also punted four times for a 33.7 average and intercepted four passes for 17 yards.
Jurgensen's senior season in 1956 did not start well, when Duke lost to South Carolina
, 7-0, in the season opener. This game marked Duke's first ACC loss, coming in the fourth year of the conference's existence. Duke finished the season with a 5-4-1 mark and Jurgensen ended up 28-59 for 371 yards. He threw six interceptions and two touchdown passes and rushed 25 times for 51 yards with three touchdowns. Jurgensen's final career stats included 77-156 passes for 1,119 yards, 16 career interceptions and six touchdowns. He also rushed for 109 yards and intercepted ten passes.
Jurgensen also played baseball briefly at Duke, but turned down an invitation to try out for the basketball team.
Jurgensen was drafted
in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL Draft
by the Philadelphia Eagles
. He was Philadelphia's backup quarterback
, behind Bobby Thomason
in 1957 and Norm Van Brocklin
, from 1958 through 1960. It was during this time as a backup that Jurgensen won his only championship, when the Eagles won the 1960 NFL Championship
.
After Van Brocklin retired in 1961
, Jurgensen took over as Philadelphia's starter and had a successful year, passing for an NFL record 3,723 yards, tying the NFL record with 32 touchdown passes, and was named All-Pro
. Following an injury-plagued 1963 season
, Jurgensen was traded to the Washington Redskins
on April 1, 1964 in exchange for quarterback Norm Snead
and cornerback
Claude Crabb
.
Jurgensen took over play-calling for the Redskins during the 1964 season
. He was then selected to play in the Pro Bowl
following the season and was also named second Team All-Pro.
One of Jurgensen's most memorable games was during the 1965 season
, when the Cowboys
took a 21–0 lead at RFK Stadium. Jurgensen then threw for 411 yards, leading the team back to win 34–31. He rushed for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak
and threw a game-winning 35-yard pass to Bobby Mitchell
.
In 1967
, Jurgensen broke his own record by passing for 3,747 yards and also set NFL single-season records for attempts (508) and completions (288). He missed much of the 1968 season
because of broken ribs and elbow surgery. He did, however, tie an NFL record early in the 1968 season for the longest pass play in NFL history. The 99-yard pass play to Jerry Allen
occurred September 15th, 1968 during the Redskins' game against the Chicago Bears
. Coincidentally, Redskins' quarterbacks
had three of the first four occurrences of a 99 yard pass play (Frank Filchock
to Andy Farkas
in 1939 and George Izo
to Bobby Mitchell
in 1963 were the other two occurrences of the play). Since Jurgensen's feat, no other Redskins' quarterback has completed a 99 yard pass.
In 1969
, Vince Lombardi
took over as the Redskins' head coach. That season, Jurgensen led the NFL in attempts (442), completions (274), completion percentage (62%) and passing yards (3,102). The Redskins went 7-5-2 and had their best season since 1955
(which kept Lombardi's record of never having coached a losing NFL team intact). Sadly, Lombardi died of cancer
shortly before the start of the 1970 season
. Jurgensen would later say that, of the nine head coaches he played for during his NFL career, Lombardi was his favorite.
The Redskins enjoyed a resurgence in the early 1970s under coach George Allen and made it as far as Super Bowl VII
, losing to the Miami Dolphins
. However, Billy Kilmer
started in place of Jurgensen, who was again bothered by injuries in 1971
and 1972
. During this time period, a quarterback controversy developed between the two, complete with fans sporting "I Love Billy" or "I Love Sonny" bumper stickers on their vehicles. The defensive-minded Allen preferred Kilmer's conservative, ball-control style of play to Jurgensen's more high-risk approach. Despite the controversy, Jurgensen was helpful to his rival. Even to this day, Kilmer still stays at Jurgensen's house when he is in town.
In 1974
, at the age of 40 and in his final season, Jurgensen won his third NFL passing crown even though he was still splitting time with Kilmer. In what would be the final game of his NFL career, Jurgensen made his first and only appearance in an NFL postseason game in the Redskins' 19-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams
in the first round of the 1974 NFC playoffs
. He came off the bench in relief of Kilmer and completed 6 of 12 passes but also threw three interceptions.
In many circles, Jurgensen is recognized as the finest pure passer of his time. A five-time Pro Bowl
selection, he earned three NFL individual passing titles. He exceeded 400 yards passing in a single game five times, and threw five touchdown passes in a game twice. With a career rating of 82.6, his stats include 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and 255 touchdowns. He also rushed for 493 yards and 15 touchdowns.
, initially with CBS
television. Later teaming with Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff
, Jurgensen continues to cover the Washington Redskins on radio. On a 2006 NBC 4
broadcast with George Michael
, Jurgensen said in his prime he was able to throw the ball 80 yards. He covered the team for NBC 4 from 1994 until December 2008, when Redskins Report was canceled due to budget cuts. He was the main analyst with George Michael's serving as a game analyst at preseason games, studio analyst at training camp, weekly picks, among other assignments.
in 1983. In 1999, Jurgensen was ranked the ninth best sports figure from North Carolina by Sports Illustrated
and became a member of Wilmington's Walk of Fame in 2004.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1983.
Early life
Jurgensen was born in WilmingtonWilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. He became active in sports as early as elementary school, when he led his school to the city grammar school titles in baseball and basketball. He later captured the boys tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
championship of Wilmington and pitched for his local Civitan club, who won the city baseball title.
High school
Jurgensen attended and played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at New Hanover High School
New Hanover High School
New Hanover High School is a high school located in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. New Hanover High is now the oldest present high school built in Wilmington. Recently the original building underwent a complete renovation to update the 1919 school to the 21st century. New Hanover is also the...
. He played a number of positions for the team and as a junior was a backup quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
on the state championship team. After a senior year where he scored three touchdowns and kicked nine extra points, he was chosen to start at quarterback for the North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
team in the annual North Carolina vs. South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
shrine game in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Jurgensen also played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
during high school. As a senior on the basketball team, he averaged twelve points per game as a guard and the team was the state title runner-up. That same year in baseball, he batted .339 and played as a pitcher, infielder, and catcher. He also became a switch-hitter.
College
Jurgensen attended and played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
. He joined the varsity team in 1954 as a backup quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
behind Jerry Barger and he completed 12 of 28 passes for 212 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions. But Jurgensen made the biggest impact that season as a defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
, when he tied a team record with interceptions in four consecutive games. and ended the season with five interceptions. Duke finished the campaign with a 7-2-1 regular season record and an Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
title. Then on New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
, Duke beat the Nebraska 34–7 in the 1955 Orange Bowl.
Jurgensen took over as starting quarterback in 1955. He also retained a starting position in the defensive secondary. Duke ended the season with a 7–2–1 record along with an ACC co-championship, but did not go to a bowl because Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
received the league's automatic bid to the Orange Bowl. That season Jurgensen completed 37 of 69 passes for 536 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also rushed 54 times for 48 yards, and scored two touchdowns. He also punted four times for a 33.7 average and intercepted four passes for 17 yards.
Jurgensen's senior season in 1956 did not start well, when Duke lost to South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
, 7-0, in the season opener. This game marked Duke's first ACC loss, coming in the fourth year of the conference's existence. Duke finished the season with a 5-4-1 mark and Jurgensen ended up 28-59 for 371 yards. He threw six interceptions and two touchdown passes and rushed 25 times for 51 yards with three touchdowns. Jurgensen's final career stats included 77-156 passes for 1,119 yards, 16 career interceptions and six touchdowns. He also rushed for 109 yards and intercepted ten passes.
Jurgensen also played baseball briefly at Duke, but turned down an invitation to try out for the basketball team.
Philadelphia Eagles (1957–1963)
Jurgensen was drafted
NFL Draft
The National Football League Draft is an annual event in which the National Football League teams select eligible college football players and it is their most common source of player recruitment. The basic design of the draft is each team is given a position in the drafting order in reverse order...
in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL Draft
1957 NFL Draft
The 1957 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1956.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was Philadelphia's backup quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
, behind Bobby Thomason
Bobby Thomason
Robert Lee "Bobby" Thomason is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles. He was selected to three Pro Bowls. Thomason played college football at Virginia Military Institute and was drafted in...
in 1957 and Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
, from 1958 through 1960. It was during this time as a backup that Jurgensen won his only championship, when the Eagles won the 1960 NFL Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1960
The 1960 National Football League championship game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on Monday, December 26, 1960 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
.
After Van Brocklin retired in 1961
1961 NFL season
The 1961 NFL season was the 42nd regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 14 teams with the addition of the Minnesota Vikings, after the team's owners declined to be charter members of the new American Football League. The schedule was also expanded from 12 games per...
, Jurgensen took over as Philadelphia's starter and had a successful year, passing for an NFL record 3,723 yards, tying the NFL record with 32 touchdown passes, and was named All-Pro
All-Pro
All-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
. Following an injury-plagued 1963 season
1963 NFL season
The 1963 NFL season was the 44th regular season of the National Football League. On April 17, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle indefinitely suspended Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras for gambling on their own teams, as well as other NFL games;...
, Jurgensen was traded to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
on April 1, 1964 in exchange for quarterback Norm Snead
Norm Snead
Norman Bailey Snead is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football for Wake Forest University and was drafted in the first round of...
and cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Claude Crabb
Claude Crabb
Claude Clarence Crabb is a former American football defensive back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Los Angeles Rams.-College career:...
.
Washington Redskins (1964–1974)
Jurgensen took over play-calling for the Redskins during the 1964 season
1964 NFL season
The 1964 NFL season was the 45th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season started, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle reinstated Green Bay Packers running back Paul Hornung and Detroit Lions defensive tackle Alex Karras, who had been suspended for the 1963 season due to...
. He was then selected to play in the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
following the season and was also named second Team All-Pro.
One of Jurgensen's most memorable games was during the 1965 season
1965 NFL season
The 1965 NFL season was the 46th regular season of the National Football League.Because the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts ended up tied in the Western Conference standings after the regular season ended, a conference playoff game was held in Green Bay. Although the Packers had defeated the...
, when the Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
took a 21–0 lead at RFK Stadium. Jurgensen then threw for 411 yards, leading the team back to win 34–31. He rushed for a touchdown on a quarterback sneak
Quarterback sneak
A quarterback sneak is a play in Canadian and American football in which the quarterback, upon taking the center snap, dives ahead while the offensive line surges forward...
and threw a game-winning 35-yard pass to Bobby Mitchell
Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell is a former American football halfback and flanker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Early life:Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attended...
.
In 1967
1967 NFL season
The 1967 NFL season was the 48th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 16 teams with the addition of the New Orleans Saints. The league's teams were realigned into four divisions: the Capitol and Century Divisions in the Eastern Conference, and the Central and...
, Jurgensen broke his own record by passing for 3,747 yards and also set NFL single-season records for attempts (508) and completions (288). He missed much of the 1968 season
1968 NFL season
The 1968 NFL season was the 49th regular season of the National Football League. As per the agreement made during the 1967 realignment, the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants switched divisions; the Saints joined the Century Division while the Giants became part of the Capitol Division.The...
because of broken ribs and elbow surgery. He did, however, tie an NFL record early in the 1968 season for the longest pass play in NFL history. The 99-yard pass play to Jerry Allen
Jerry Allen
Gerald Allen is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts. He played college football at the [Omaha University, now University of Nebraska-Omaha] and was drafted in the eighth round of the 1966 NFL Draft...
occurred September 15th, 1968 during the Redskins' game against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Coincidentally, Redskins' quarterbacks
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
had three of the first four occurrences of a 99 yard pass play (Frank Filchock
Frank Filchock
Frank Joseph Filchock was an American and Canadian football tailback/quarterback and coach. As a consequence of a famous scandal regarding the 1946 NFL Championship game, he was suspended by the National Football League from 1947 to 1950 for associating with gamblers.-Early career:Born in 1916 in...
to Andy Farkas
Andy Farkas
Andrew Geza Farkas was an American football fullback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins and the Detroit Lions.-Early life:Farkas was born in Clay Center, Ohio of Hungarian origins, and attended St...
in 1939 and George Izo
George Izo
George William Izo is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, as well as the St. Louis Cardinals, Detroit Lions, and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
to Bobby Mitchell
Bobby Mitchell
Robert Cornelius Mitchell is a former American football halfback and flanker in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and the Washington Redskins. Mitchell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.-Early life:Mitchell was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas and attended...
in 1963 were the other two occurrences of the play). Since Jurgensen's feat, no other Redskins' quarterback has completed a 99 yard pass.
In 1969
1969 NFL season
The 1969 NFL season was the 50th regular season of the National Football League, and the last one before the AFL-NFL Merger. To honor the NFL's 50th season, a special anniversary logo was designed and each player wore a patch on their jerseys with this logo throughout the season.As per the...
, Vince Lombardi
Vince Lombardi
Vincent Thomas "Vince" Lombardi was an American football coach. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s, where he led the team to three straight league championships and five in seven years, including winning the first two Super Bowls following the 1966 and...
took over as the Redskins' head coach. That season, Jurgensen led the NFL in attempts (442), completions (274), completion percentage (62%) and passing yards (3,102). The Redskins went 7-5-2 and had their best season since 1955
1955 Washington Redskins season
The 1955 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 3-9 record from 1954.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
(which kept Lombardi's record of never having coached a losing NFL team intact). Sadly, Lombardi died of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
shortly before the start of the 1970 season
1970 NFL season
The 1970 NFL season was the 51st regular season of the National Football League, and the first one after the AFL-NFL Merger.The merger forced a realignment between the combined league's clubs. Because there were 16 NFL teams and 10 AFL teams, three teams needed to transfer to balance the two new...
. Jurgensen would later say that, of the nine head coaches he played for during his NFL career, Lombardi was his favorite.
The Redskins enjoyed a resurgence in the early 1970s under coach George Allen and made it as far as Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
, losing to the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. However, Billy Kilmer
Billy Kilmer
William Orland Kilmer, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins...
started in place of Jurgensen, who was again bothered by injuries in 1971
1971 NFL season
The 1971 NFL season was the 52nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl VI when the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Miami Dolphins...
and 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
. During this time period, a quarterback controversy developed between the two, complete with fans sporting "I Love Billy" or "I Love Sonny" bumper stickers on their vehicles. The defensive-minded Allen preferred Kilmer's conservative, ball-control style of play to Jurgensen's more high-risk approach. Despite the controversy, Jurgensen was helpful to his rival. Even to this day, Kilmer still stays at Jurgensen's house when he is in town.
In 1974
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
, at the age of 40 and in his final season, Jurgensen won his third NFL passing crown even though he was still splitting time with Kilmer. In what would be the final game of his NFL career, Jurgensen made his first and only appearance in an NFL postseason game in the Redskins' 19-10 loss to the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
in the first round of the 1974 NFC playoffs
NFL playoffs, 1974-75
The NFL playoffs following the 1974 NFL season led up to Super Bowl IX. This was the last season in which the sites for the playoff games annually alternated by division.-Bracket:-AFC: Oakland Raiders 28, Miami Dolphins 26:...
. He came off the bench in relief of Kilmer and completed 6 of 12 passes but also threw three interceptions.
In many circles, Jurgensen is recognized as the finest pure passer of his time. A five-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection, he earned three NFL individual passing titles. He exceeded 400 yards passing in a single game five times, and threw five touchdown passes in a game twice. With a career rating of 82.6, his stats include 2,433 completions for 32,224 yards and 255 touchdowns. He also rushed for 493 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Broadcasting career
After retiring from the Redskins' following the 1974 season, Jurgensen began another career as a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
, initially with CBS
NFL on CBS
The NFL on CBS is the brand name of the CBS television network's coverage of the National Football League's American Football Conference games, produced by CBS Sports.-Market coverage and television policies:...
television. Later teaming with Hall of Fame linebacker Sam Huff
Sam Huff
Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....
, Jurgensen continues to cover the Washington Redskins on radio. On a 2006 NBC 4
WRC-TV
WRC-TV, channel 4, is an owned and operated television station of the NBC television network, located in the American capital city of Washington, D.C...
broadcast with George Michael
George Michael (sportscaster)
George Michael was an American sportscaster best known nationally for The George Michael Sports Machine, his long-running sports highlights television program. Originally named George Michael's Sports Final when it began as a local show in Washington, D.C...
, Jurgensen said in his prime he was able to throw the ball 80 yards. He covered the team for NBC 4 from 1994 until December 2008, when Redskins Report was canceled due to budget cuts. He was the main analyst with George Michael's serving as a game analyst at preseason games, studio analyst at training camp, weekly picks, among other assignments.
Honors
Jurgensen was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Duke Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. He was then inducted into the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in 1983. In 1999, Jurgensen was ranked the ninth best sports figure from North Carolina by Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
and became a member of Wilmington's Walk of Fame in 2004.
See also
- Gunslinger
- List of NFL on CBS commentator pairings