Christian Adolph"Sonny"Jurgensen III(born August 23, 1934) is an American former professionalfootballquarterbackin theNational Football League(NFL) for 18 seasons, playing for thePhiladelphia EaglesandWashington Redskins.He was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Famein 1983. Jurgensen was also a longtimecolor commentatorfor Washington's radio broadcast crew.
 Jurgensen in 2017 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 9 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born: | August 23, 1934 Wilmington, North Carolina,U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school: | New Hanover(Wilmington) | ||||||||||||||
| College: | Duke(1953–1956) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1957/ round: 4 / pick: 43 | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Early life
editJurgensen was born on August 23, 1934, inWilmington, North Carolina.He started playing sports in elementary school, when he led his school to the city grammar school titles in baseball and basketball.[1]He later won Wilmington's youthtennischampionship and pitched for his localCivitan club,which won the city baseball title.[1]
Jurgensen attended and playedhigh school footballatNew Hanover High School.[1]He played a number of positions for the team and as a junior was a backupquarterbackon the state championship team.[1]After a senior year where he scored three touchdowns and kicked nine extra points, he was chosen to start at quarterback for theNorth Carolinateam in the annual North Carolina vs.South CarolinaShrine Bowl inCharlotte, North Carolina.[1]
Jurgensen also playedbasketballandbaseballduring high school. As a senior on the basketball team, he averaged 12 points per game as a guard and the team was the state title runner-up.[1]That same year in baseball, he batted.339 and played as a pitcher, infielder, and catcher. He also became a switch-hitter.[1]
College career
editJurgensen attended and playedcollege footballatDuke University.He joined the varsity team in 1954 as a backupquarterbackbehind Jerry Barger and he completed 12 of 28 passes for 212 yards, with one touchdown and three interceptions.[1]
But Jurgensen made the biggest impact that season as adefensive 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 anAtlantic Coast Conference(ACC) title.[1]Then onNew Year's Day,Duke beat theNebraska Cornhuskers34–7 in the1955 Orange Bowl.[1]
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 becauseMarylandreceived the league's automatic bid to the Orange Bowl.[1]That season Jurgensen completed 37 of 69 passes for 536 yards, three touchdowns and seven interceptions. He 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.[1]
Jurgensen's senior season in 1956 did not start well, when Duke lost toSouth 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.[1]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.[1]Jurgensen's final career stats included 77–156 passes for 1,119 yards, 16 interceptions and six touchdowns. He also rushed for 109 yards and intercepted 10 passes.[1]
Jurgensen also played baseball briefly at Duke and turned down an invitation to try out for the basketball team.[1]
Before being drafted by the NFL, Jurgensen worked as a Sunday school bus driver inHerndon, Virginia.
Professional career
editPhiladelphia Eagles (1957–1963)
edit
"All I ask of my blockers is four seconds. I try to
stay on my feet and not be forced out of the
pocket. I beat people by throwing, not running.
I won't let them intimidate me into doing
something which is not the best thing I can do. "
Sonny Jurgensen, on his playing style.[2]
Jurgensen was drafted in the fourth round (43rd overall) of the1957 NFL draftby thePhiladelphia Eagles.He was Philadelphia's backupquarterbackbehindBobby Thomasonin 1957 andNorm Van Brocklinfrom 1958 through 1960.[3]It was during this time as a backup that Jurgensen was a part of a championship team for the only time in his professional career, when the Eagles won the1960 NFL Championship,.[3]Although he did not play quarterback in any playoff games, Jurgensen was the holder for field goals and extra points.
After Van Brocklin retired in1961,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 namedAll-Pro.[3]
Washington Redskins (1964–1974)
edit
Jurgensen was traded to theWashington Redskinson April 1, 1964, in exchange forNorm SneadandClaude Crabb.[4][5]He was then selected to play in thePro Bowlfollowing the season and was also named second Team All-Pro.
One of Jurgensen's most memorable games was during the1965 season,when theDallas Cowboystook a 21–0 lead atDC Stadium.[5]Jurgensen then threw for 411 yards, leading the team back to win 34–31. He rushed for a touchdown on aquarterback sneakand threw a game-winning 35-yard pass toBobby Mitchell.[5]In1967,Jurgensen broke his own record by passing for 3,747 yards and also set NFL single-season records for attempts (508) and completions (288).[3]Injuries hampered his performance during the1968 season,however, with Jurgensen missing two games with broken ribs and suffering chronic pain in the elbow of his throwing arm due to calcium deposits.[6]Jurgensen threw the ball just 292 times during the year, completing 167 for 1,980 yards and 17 touchdowns.[6]
However, he tied an NFL record early in the 1968 season for the longest pass play in league history. The99-yard pass playtoJerry Allenoccurred September 15, 1968, during the Redskins' game against theChicago Bears.Coincidentally, Redskins'quarterbackshad three of the first four occurrences of a 99-yard pass play (Frank FilchocktoAndy Farkasin 1939 andGeorge IzotoBobby Mitchellin 1963 were the other two occurrences of the play). Since Jurgensen's feat, no other Redskins' quarterback has completed a 99-yard pass.[3]
In1969,Vince Lombarditook over as the Redskins' head coach.[2]That season, Jurgensen led the NFL in attempts (442), completions (274), completion percentage (62%), and passing yards (3,102).[3]The Redskins went 7–5–2 and had their best season since1955(which kept Lombardi's record of never having coached a losing NFL team intact).[7]Lombardi died ofcancershortly before the start of the1970 season.[5]Jurgensen would later say that, of the nine head coaches he played for during his NFL career, Lombardi was his favorite.[4]
The Redskins enjoyed a resurgence in the early 1970s under coachGeorge Allenand made it as far asSuper Bowl VII,losing to theMiami Dolphins.However,Billy Kilmerstarted in place of Jurgensen, who was again bothered by injuries in1971and1972.[3]
During this period, a quarterback controversy developed between the two, complete with fans sporting "I Love Billy" or "I Love Sonny" bumper stickers on their vehicles.[5]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.[5]
In1974,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.[2]In the final game of his NFL career, Jurgensen made his first and only appearance as a quarterback in an NFL postseason game[8]in the Redskins' 19–10 loss to theLos Angeles Ramsin the first round of the1974 NFC playoffs.[3]He came off the bench in relief of Kilmer and completed six of 12 passes but also threw three interceptions.[3]
Jurgensen is recognized as the finest pure passer of his time.[9]A five-timePro Bowlselection, he earned three NFL individual passing titles.[2]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.[2]He also rushed for 493 yards and 15 touchdowns.[3]
Jurgensen's 82.62 career passer rating is the highest for any player in the "Dead Ball Era" (pre-1978).[10]
Lombardi once told Pat Peppler of the Green Bay Packers head office that, "If we would have had Sonny Jurgensen in Green Bay, we’d never have lost a game.”[11]
NFL career statistics
edit| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won theNFL Championship | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | ||
| 1957 | PHI | 10 | 4 | 33 | 70 | 47.1 | 470 | 6.7 | 5 | 8 | 61 | 53.6 |
| 1958 | PHI | 12 | 0 | 12 | 22 | 54.5 | 259 | 11.8 | 0 | 1 | 61 | 77.7 |
| 1959 | PHI | 12 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 60.0 | 27 | 5.4 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 114.2 |
| 1960 | PHI | 12 | 0 | 24 | 44 | 54.5 | 486 | 11.0 | 5 | 1 | 71 | 122.0 |
| 1961 | PHI | 14 | 14 | 235 | 416 | 56.5 | 3,723 | 8.9 | 32 | 24 | 69 | 88.1 |
| 1962 | PHI | 14 | 13 | 196 | 366 | 53.6 | 3,261 | 8.9 | 22 | 26 | 84 | 74.3 |
| 1963 | PHI | 9 | 8 | 99 | 184 | 53.8 | 1,413 | 7.7 | 11 | 13 | 75 | 69.4 |
| 1964 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 207 | 385 | 53.8 | 2,934 | 7.6 | 24 | 13 | 80 | 85.4 |
| 1965 | WAS | 13 | 13 | 190 | 356 | 53.4 | 2,367 | 6.6 | 15 | 16 | 55 | 69.6 |
| 1966 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 254 | 436 | 58.3 | 3,209 | 7.4 | 28 | 19 | 86 | 84.5 |
| 1967 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 288 | 508 | 56.7 | 3,747 | 7.4 | 31 | 16 | 86 | 87.3 |
| 1968 | WAS | 12 | 12 | 167 | 292 | 57.2 | 1,980 | 6.8 | 17 | 11 | 99 | 81.7 |
| 1969 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 274 | 442 | 62.0 | 3,102 | 7.0 | 22 | 15 | 88 | 85.4 |
| 1970 | WAS | 14 | 14 | 202 | 337 | 59.9 | 2,354 | 7.0 | 23 | 10 | 66 | 91.5 |
| 1971 | WAS | 5 | 1 | 16 | 28 | 57.1 | 170 | 6.1 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 45.2 |
| 1972 | WAS | 7 | 4 | 39 | 59 | 66.1 | 633 | 10.7 | 2 | 4 | 36 | 84.9 |
| 1973 | WAS | 14 | 4 | 87 | 145 | 60.0 | 904 | 6.2 | 6 | 5 | 36 | 77.5 |
| 1974 | WAS | 14 | 4 | 107 | 167 | 64.1 | 1,185 | 7.1 | 11 | 5 | 44 | 94.5 |
| Career | 218 | 147 | 2,433 | 4,262 | 57.1 | 32,224 | 7.6 | 255 | 189 | 99 | 82.6 | |
After football
editBroadcasting career
editAfter retiring from the Redskins following the 1974 season, Jurgensen began another career as acolor commentator,initially withCBStelevision. Later teaming with Hall of Fame linebackerSam Huff,Jurgensen continued to cover the Washington Redskins on radio.
He covered the team for WRC-TV from 1994 until December 2008, whenRedskins Reportwas canceled due to budget cuts.[12][13]He served as a game analyst at preseason games and as studio analyst at training camp, making weekly picks, and other assignments. He retired from broadcasting prior to the 2019 season.[14]
Honors
edit
Jurgensen was inducted into theNorth Carolina Sports Hall of Famein 1971[15]and the Duke Sports Hall of Fame in 1979.[16]He was then inducted into thePro Football Hall of Famein 1983. In 1999, Jurgensen was ranked the ninth best sports figure from North Carolina bySports Illustrated[17]and became a member of Wilmington's Walk of Fame in 2004.[18]
Washingtonretired Jurgensen's #9 jersey in 2022, during their Week 18 game against theDallas Cowboys.[19]
He serves on the board of advisors of theCode of Support Foundation,a nonprofit military services organization.[20]
References
edit- ^abcdefghijklmnop"Sonny Jurgensen's College Career"(PDF).LA84.Archived fromthe original(PDF)on December 9, 2012.RetrievedJuly 1,2008.
- ^abcde"Sonny Jurgensen's Pro Football HOF profile".Pro Football Hall of Fame.RetrievedJuly 3,2008.
- ^abcdefghij"Biography - Sonny Jurgensen".HickokSports.Archived fromthe originalon January 25, 2013.RetrievedJuly 2,2008.
- ^ab"Jurgensen Trade In '64 Heralded a New Era".Washington Redskins.RetrievedJuly 2,2008.[dead link]
- ^abcdef"Sonny, Billy & the Boys: Greatest Redskins Quarterbacks".Washingtonian.October 2006.RetrievedJuly 4,2008.
- ^ab"Will Lombardi's Magic Work on Jurgensen?" in Al Silverman (ed.),Pro Football Almanac, 1969.New York: McFadden-Bartell Corp., 1969, pp. 32–33.
- ^"Redskins History: 1960".Washington Redskins.Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2008.RetrievedJuly 3,2008.
- ^"Sonny Jurgensen stats".pro-football-reference.RetrievedDecember 11,2019.
- ^"Sonny Jurgensen | Pro Football Hall of Fame Official Site".
- ^Cold Hard Football Facts: Dead Ball Era career passer rating leadersArchivedJune 20, 2012, at theWayback Machine
- ^"Pat Peppler tells all on Lombardi Packers".Archived fromthe originalon January 11, 2017.RetrievedAugust 7,2015.
- ^Shapiro, Leonard (December 23, 2008)."Jurgensen Conducted Legendary Interview With Baugh".The Washington Post.RetrievedMay 23,2010.
- ^"Leonard Shapiro: Loss of Michael Is a Truly Deep Cut".The Washington Post.December 29, 2008.RetrievedMay 23,2010.
- ^"Sonny Jurgensen Gave 54 Years To The Redskins. They'll Honor His Longtime Dedication Vs. San Francisco".Redskins.RetrievedOctober 17,2019.
- ^"Sonny Jurgensen's NCSHOF profile".North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.Archived fromthe originalon November 27, 2010.RetrievedJuly 2,2008.
- ^"Duke Sports Hall of Fame".Duke Update.RetrievedJuly 2,2008.
- ^"The 50 Greatest Sports Figures: North Carolina".Sports Illustrated.Archived fromthe originalon May 1, 2001.RetrievedJuly 3,2008.
- ^"Celebrate Wilmington! and the Walk of Fame".Insiders.Archived fromthe originalon May 7, 2008.RetrievedJuly 2,2008.
- ^Keim, John (August 23, 2022)."Washington Commanders to retire Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen's No. 9 jersey".ESPN.Archivedfrom the original on August 27, 2022.RetrievedAugust 23,2022.
- ^"Code of Support Foundation advisory board".codeofsupportfoundation.org.Archived fromthe originalon October 23, 2018.RetrievedJune 5,2017.
External links
edit
- Sonny Jurgensenat thePro Football Hall of Fame
- Career statistics and player information fromNFL·Pro Football Reference