Interview with Jim Plunkett: The Raiders legend talks about his football career
He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, the MVP of Super Bowl XV, the 1980 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and the only player to come out of Stanford to win the Heisman Trophy. The only thing missing is a Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.
Atherton, California – Legendary Raiders quarterback Jim Plunkett has had success at every level of his football career.
He’s a two-time Super Bowl champion, Super Bowl XV MVP, NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1980 and the only player to come out of Stanford to win the Heisman Trophy. The only thing he’s missing is a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Hopefully, but I’m not going to worry about it. I did what I had to do. I’d like to be in the Hall of Fame, but whether I get in is out of my control,” Plunkett said.
Plunkett isn’t sure what the admissions requirements are.
“The first 10 years may have been tough but it turned out very well for me with the Raiders. I have no regrets. My whole career could have gone in a good direction but sometimes it doesn’t. But the end was very good,” he said.
Plunkett was referring to his time with the New England Patriots, where he spent five years of his career.
He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1976, but was released during the 1978 NFL preseason, after which he joined the Oakland Raiders, where he played as a backup for the first time in his football career.
He got his chance in 1980 and led the Raiders to Super Bowl victories over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV and Super Bowl XVIII in 1983. He credits the late Al Davis for spotting his talent.
“He watched me play against (the Raiders) and I surprised them by beating them as a rookie. We only won one of six games that year, but he says he’s been watching me ever since and watching me grow,” Plunkett said. “He told me in his heart, ‘One day I’m going to be a Raider,’ and I finally did. Al was a great mind and former coach. He was a great owner and treated his players well.”
Plunkett spoke about what makes Raider Nation different from other fan bases in the NFL.
“They always feel like they’re the underdogs. We didn’t have our own stadium in Oakland, in that old ballpark where the Athletics played. The Raiders have great fans, they never run out. Win or lose, they’re cheering for you, and if we lose a game, they’re back the next week,” he said.
While Plunkett never got a phone call or a knock on the door telling him he was in the Hall of Fame, he has had the opportunity to play with some of the best players to ever touch a baseball uniform.
“I loved Dave Dalby. He was our center and he was great. Cliff Branch was a great player for me. Todd Christensen was a tight end and could catch anything. Marcus was a great player. Really a great player,” Plunkett said.
Football games are much safer now than they were when Plunkett was involved.
“I’ve heard that teams used to pay defensive players a bounty if they took the quarterback out of the game. That’s not the case anymore. But quarterbacks get screwed,” Plunkett said.
Plunkett still supports the Las Vegas Raiders and believes Antonio Pierce is leading the team in the right direction, and plans to continue spending time with his wife, Jerry Plunkett, daughter Megan and grandchildren while he awaits his chance to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.