.jpg) Theismann in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 7 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1949-09-09)September 9, 1949 (age 76) New Brunswick, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 192 lb (87 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | South River(South River, New Jersey) | ||||||||||||||
| College | Notre Dame (1967–1970) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1971: 4th round, 99th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Career CFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Joseph Robert Theismann (/ˈθaɪzmən/; born September 9, 1949) is an American former professionalfootball player,sports commentator,corporate speaker, and restaurateur. He rose to fame playingquarterback in theNational Football League (NFL) andCanadian Football League (CFL). Theismann spent 12 seasons with theWashington Redskins, where he was a two-timePro Bowler and led the team to consecutiveSuper Bowl appearances, winningSuper Bowl XVII over theMiami Dolphins and losingSuper Bowl XVIII to theLos Angeles Raiders. He playedcollege football for theNotre Dame Fighting Irish and was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
In the Redskins' 11th game of the1985 NFL season, Theismann suffered a gruesome and catastrophic fracture to his right leg that ended his career. Theismann worked as a sportscaster and an analyst on pro football broadcasts withESPN for nearly 20 years.[1] He primarily partnered withMike Patrick, for the network'sSunday Night Football package and for one season ofMonday Night Football withMike Tirico andTony Kornheiser. Theismann also worked as a color analyst onNFL Network'sThursday Night Football package with play-by-play voiceBob Papa andMatt Millen. Theismann also co-hosts the network's weekly showPlaybook. Since 2011, he has worked on the Washington Commanders preseason television broadcast team.[2] Theismann also works on theNFL Network on a variety of programs, primarily as an analyst.[3]
Theismann was born to Austrian Joseph John Theismann who "ran a gas station and worked in his brother's liquor store."[1] His Hungarian mother, Olga Tóbiás,[4] worked forJohnson & Johnson until her retirement. Theismann was raised inSouth River, New Jersey,[5] and attendedSouth River High School, where helettered in baseball, basketball, andfootball.[1]
He was a high school teammate ofDrew Pearson. Theismann accepted acollege football scholarship to attend theUniversity of Notre Dame, where he lived inZahm Hall.[6]
At Notre Dame, Theismann became thestarting quarterback in his sophomore year afterTerry Hanratty was injured late in the season.[7]
In the three remaining games in the regular season, he led the Irish to two wins and a tie. In 1969, Theismann led the Irish to a number five ranking, but lost to theUniversity of Texas in the1970 Cotton Bowl Classic, 21–17. The next year, the Irish had a 10–1 record, a number two ranking, and won against Texas in the1971 Cotton Bowl Classic, 24–11.[7]
That year, Theismann was anAll-American and anAcademic All-American and was in contention for theHeisman Trophy, but he finished second toJim Plunkett ofStanford University.[1][7][8] Theismann, whose last name was actually pronounced THEES-mann, later recalled that Notre Dame Sports Information Director Roger Valdiserri insisted that he change the pronunciation of his name to rhyme with "Heisman", although in the process, Theismann learned from his grandmother that the original pronunciation of his last name was TICE-mann.[9]
Theismann set school records for passing yards in a season (2,429) and touchdowns in a season (16).[7] He also set a school record for passing yards in a game (526) and completions in a game (33) while playing against theUniversity of Southern California in a torrential downpour in 1970, which the Irish lost 38–28.[10] As a starting quarterback, Theismann compiled a 20–3–2 record while throwing for 4,411 yards and 31 touchdowns.[7] His 4,411 passing yards rank fifth on Notre Dame's career passing list.[10]
Theismann was inducted into theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 2003.[7] He was the eighth Notre Dame quarterback enshrined into the hall, joining former Heisman Trophy winnersAngelo Bertelli,John Lujack, andPaul Hornung.[10]
Theismann was selected 99th overall in the fourth round of the1971 NFL draft by theMiami Dolphins and in the 39th round of the1971 Major League Baseball Draft by theMinnesota Twins.[11][12] After prolonged negotiations with the Dolphins failed, Theismann elected to sign with theToronto Argonauts of theCanadian Football League for $50,000 per season.[13]
In his rookie year, Theismann quarterbacked the Argonauts to a 10–4 record, led the league'sEastern Conference in passing statistics, and won a berth in theGrey Cup game against theCalgary Stampeders inVancouver, British Columbia (59th Grey Cup). A fumble late in the fourth quarter by Argonautrunning backLeon McQuay close to the goal line cost the Argonauts what would have been their first Grey Cup victory since 1952.[14][15]
In 1971, Theismann completed 148 of 278 passes for 2,440 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions. His 1972 season was shortened by injury, but he completed 77 of 127 passes for 1,157 yards and ten touchdowns. During his last CFL season in 1973, he completed 157 of 274 passes for 2,496 yards and 13 touchdowns and the same number of interceptions. Theismann was anall-star in both 1971 and 1973.[16]
In 1974, theWashington Redskins obtained Theismann's rights from the Dolphins in exchange for the team's first-round draft pick in1976 (the Dolphins selected linebackerLarry Gordon with the pick).[17] Theismann left the CFL and joined the Redskins, where he served as the team'spunt returner during his first season.[18] In 1978, Theismann became the Redskins' starting quarterback, succeedingBilly Kilmer.
In 1982, Theismann led the Redskins to their first championship in 40 years against the Dolphins inSuper Bowl XVII. He threw two touchdowns and with the Redskins trailing 17–13 in the third quarter made arguably the most importantdefensive play of the game. After his pass was deflected by Dolphins linemanKim Bokamper, causing what appeared to be an interception and sure touchdown that would have given Miami a two-score lead and effectively taken MVP running backJohn Riggins out of the game, Theismann himself was able to knock the ball out of Bokamper's hands to have it result in an incompletion rather than a catch. Later on, Washington ran their way to victory.[19] He also led the team to an appearance inSuper Bowl XVIII the following year and would go on to set several Redskins franchise records, including most career passing attempts (3,602), most career passing completions (2,044) and most career passing yards (25,206), while also throwing 160 touchdown passes, with 138 interceptions. On the ground, he rushed for 1,815 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was named NFLMVP in 1983 by four organizations.[18] He earned the Player of the Game Award in the second of his twoPro Bowl appearances. Theismann also punted once in his career, for one yard against theChicago Bears.[18][20]
In an era when most quarterbacks had long since used variations of a double-bar facemask or "cage" facemasks that afforded more protection, Theismann stood out in his use of a signatureone-bar face mask throughout his pro career.[21]
However, on at least one occasion, Theismann wore a helmet with a more standard facemask. Substituting for an ineffective Billy Kilmer against the Dallas Cowboys on October 16, 1977, Theismann entered the game wearing a facemask similar to the style worn byKen Stabler at the time.[22]
On November 18, 1985, Theismann suffered a comminutedcompound fracture of thetibia andfibula in his right leg when he wassacked bylinebackersLawrence Taylor andHarry Carson.[23] The injury took place during aMonday Night Football game against theNew York Giants telecast byABC fromRFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
The injury was later voted the NFL's "Most Shocking Moment in History" by viewers in anESPN poll,[24] and the tackle was ultimately dubbed "The Hit That No One Who Saw It Can Ever Forget" byThe Washington Post.[25]
The game's score was 7–7 in the second quarter when the Redskins attempted to run a "flea-flicker" play; Theismann handed the ball off tofullbackJohn Riggins, who subsequently lateralled the ball back to the quarterback.[25] The Giants' defense, however, was tightly focused, and they tried toblitz Theismann. As Taylor pulled Theismann down, Taylor's knee came down and drove straight into Theismann's lower right leg, fracturing both the tibia and the fibula as Giants linebackersGary Reasons andHarry Carson also joined Taylor in the sack.[26] Theismann would later describe the incident (December 22, 2005):
The pain was unbelievable, but it didn't last more than a second or two. My leg snapped like a breadstick. I heard it clearly, it sounded like two muzzled gunshots over my left shoulder. Pow, pow! ... It was at that point, I also found out what a magnificent machine the human body is. Almost immediately, from the knee down, all the feeling was gone in my right leg. Theendorphins had kicked in, and I was not in any great pain.[25][27]
As Theismann was down, Taylor immediately popped to his feet and began frantically waving, before looking back and seeing Theismann sprawled on the ground. Initially, many Redskins personnel thought Taylor was taunting after the play before quickly realizing that Theismann was seriously injured, but it was later confirmed that Taylor knew immediately that something had happened and was trying to signal for help from theemergency medical technicians,[27] something theMonday Night Football announcer team ofFrank Gifford,O. J. Simpson, andJoe Namath had correctlyinferred from the start.[28]
While initially only the players on the field could see the extent of the damage to Theismann's leg, the reverse-angle instant replay provided a clearer view of what had actually happened: Theismann's lower leg bones were broken midway between his knee and his ankle, such that his leg from his foot to his mid-shin was lying flat against the ground while the upper part of his shin up to his knee was at a 45-degree angle to the lower part of his leg.[27] ABC's decision to screen the reverse-angle instant replay several times despite its palpably graphic content shocked millions of viewers, with some describing it as "the most horrific professional sports injury of all time"; the repeated screening of this replay remains one of the most controversial in-game television production decisions in NFL history.[29] As the replays were shown, Gifford repeatedly urged viewers at home to exercise discretion: "If your stomach is weak, just don't watch."[27]
The compound fracture of the tibia and fibula led to insufficient bone growth during Theismann's recovery, leaving his right leg shorter than his left.[27] As a result, the injury ended Theismann's career, forcing him to retire at the age of 36. While Theismann has clarified that Taylor apologized to him many times for the incident, he also stated that he never blamed Taylor, reiterating that he was merely doing his job.[30]
Theismann's injury was highlighted in the filmThe Blind Side as the reason that, after the quarterback, one of the highest paid football players is the left tackle, who protects a right-handed quarterback's blind side.[31] A very similar injury occurred exactly 33 years later to another Redskins quarterback,Alex Smith, on November 18, 2018, in a game against theHouston Texans whencornerbackKareem Jackson anddefensive endJ. J. Watt sacked Smith, a game that Theismann himself was attending.[32] However, unlike Theismann, Smith managed to play an additional season two years later in2020 and won theComeback Player of the Year award before retiring in 2021.[33][34]
| Year | Team | GP | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | TD | |||
| 1971 | TOR | 14 | 148 | 278 | 53.2 | 2,440 | 8.8 | 17 | 21 | 71.9 | 81 | 564 | 7.0 | 1 |
| 1972 | TOR | 6 | 77 | 127 | 60.6 | 1,157 | 9.1 | 10 | 13 | 77.2 | 21 | 147 | 7.0 | 1 |
| 1973 | TOR | 14 | 157 | 274 | 57.3 | 2,496 | 9.1 | 13 | 13 | 83.8 | 70 | 343 | 4.9 | 1 |
| Career | 34 | 382 | 679 | 56.3 | 6,093 | 9.0 | 40 | 47 | 77.2 | 172 | 1,054 | 6.1 | 3 | |
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| APNFL MVP &OPOTY | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1974 | WAS | 9 | 0 | – | 9 | 11 | 81.8 | 145 | 13.2 | 69 | 1 | 0 | 149.1 | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 12 | 1 |
| 1975 | WAS | 14 | 0 | – | 10 | 22 | 45.5 | 96 | 4.4 | 30 | 1 | 3 | 33.7 | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 21 | 0 |
| 1976 | WAS | 14 | 5 | 3–2 | 79 | 163 | 48.5 | 1,036 | 6.4 | 44 | 8 | 10 | 59.8 | 17 | 97 | 5.7 | 22 | 1 |
| 1977 | WAS | 14 | 6 | 4–2 | 84 | 182 | 46.2 | 1,097 | 6.0 | 52 | 7 | 9 | 57.9 | 29 | 149 | 5.1 | 14 | 1 |
| 1978 | WAS | 16 | 14 | 7–7 | 187 | 390 | 47.9 | 2,593 | 6.6 | 63 | 13 | 18 | 61.6 | 37 | 177 | 4.8 | 20 | 1 |
| 1979 | WAS | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 233 | 395 | 59.0 | 2,797 | 7.1 | 62 | 20 | 13 | 83.9 | 46 | 181 | 3.9 | 22 | 4 |
| 1980 | WAS | 16 | 15 | 6–9 | 262 | 454 | 57.7 | 2,962 | 6.5 | 54 | 17 | 16 | 75.2 | 29 | 175 | 6.0 | 37 | 3 |
| 1981 | WAS | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 293 | 496 | 59.1 | 3,568 | 7.2 | 79 | 19 | 20 | 77.3 | 36 | 177 | 4.9 | 24 | 2 |
| 1982 | WAS | 9 | 9 | 8–1 | 161 | 252 | 63.9 | 2,033 | 8.1 | 78 | 13 | 9 | 91.3 | 31 | 150 | 4.8 | 16 | 0 |
| 1983 | WAS | 16 | 16 | 14–2 | 276 | 459 | 60.1 | 3,714 | 8.1 | 84 | 29 | 11 | 97.0 | 37 | 234 | 6.3 | 22 | 1 |
| 1984 | WAS | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 283 | 477 | 59.3 | 3,391 | 7.1 | 80 | 24 | 13 | 86.6 | 62 | 314 | 5.1 | 27 | 1 |
| 1985 | WAS | 11 | 11 | 6–5 | 167 | 301 | 55.5 | 1,774 | 5.9 | 55 | 8 | 16 | 59.6 | 25 | 115 | 4.6 | 25 | 2 |
| Career[18] | 167 | 124 | 77–47 | 2,044 | 3,602 | 56.7 | 25,206 | 7.0 | 84 | 160 | 138 | 77.4 | 355 | 1,815 | 5.1 | 37 | 17 | |
In 1985, Theismann helped callSuper Bowl XIX forABC alongsideFrank Gifford andDon Meredith, becoming only the second player to do commentary on a Super Bowl telecast while still an active player at the time (the first wasJack Kemp when he helped callSuper Bowl II forCBS). Theismann served as acolor commentator on regional CBS NFL coverage in 1986 and 1987, then worked onESPN'sSunday Night Football telecasts from 1988 to 2005, and on theirMonday Night Football coverage in2006.
In addition to covering football, Theismann hosted the first half of the first season ofAmerican Gladiators in 1989.
On March 26, 2007, ESPN announced thatRon Jaworski would replace Theismann in theMonday Night Football booth. Theismann rejected an offer to work on the network'scollege football coverage. He has since done a number ofWashington Redskins pre-season games on CSN. On September 16, 2009, theNFL Network announced that Theismann would analyze game films on the showPlaybook, airing Thursday and Friday nights at 6 p.m. Eastern.
On January 9, 2010, Theismann and his former head coach Joe Gibbs served as color commentators, along with play-by-play man Tom Hammond, for the SaturdayAFC wild card game between the New York Jets and the Cincinnati Bengals.
On September 6, 2010, NFL Network announced that they added Theismann to theirThursday Night Football broadcast crew alongsideBob Papa andMatt Millen.[37] The grouping lasted one season. He also co-hosted NFL games onNBC in 2010,[38] and co-hosted NFL Network'sNo Huddle in 2011.[39]
Theismann has occasionally acted, although most appearances are as himself or as himself in a fictional context. He does have several TV and movie appearances, includingB.J. and the Bear (1981),Cannonball Run II (1984), andThe Man from Left Field (1993).[40]
Theismann appeared as himself, as part of a buyer group for the fictional "New York Hawks" football team on the TV seriesNecessary Roughness (2013) and on the post-Super Bowl episode "Operation: Broken Feather" ofBrooklyn Nine-Nine (2014). His most recent acting appearances were in movies for theHallmark Channel. In 2016's "Love on the Sidelines," he appeared as the father of an injured professional football player. In 2019's "SnowComing," he played an agent for professional athletes (in particular, a professional football player).
.jpg)
Theismann and his first wife, the former Shari Brown, had three children: Joseph Jr., Amy, and Patrick. The couple divorced in April 1985, seven months before Theismann's injury in November 1985, after which Theismann began a seven-year relationship – including a brief engagement – with television personalityCathy Lee Crosby.[41] Early in 1991, Crosby sued for $4.5 million,[42] touching off a counter suit. The suits were settled several months later.[43]
His second marriage, to formerMiss Connecticut winner andMiss America contestant Jeanne Caruso, ended in divorce after three years in 1995. Theismann was ordered to pay nearly $1 million of marital property and $3,500 a month in alimony.[44] In 1996, Theismann married Robin Smith. They have homes inVirginia,Tennessee, and theFlorida Panhandle.[1] In 1975 he founded Theismann's Restaurant and Bar inBailey's Crossroads, Virginia, later expanding to a chain of five restaurants in the DC-Baltimore area.[45] Now the restaurant has a single location inAlexandria, Virginia.[46]
.jpg)
Theismann received the Golden Plate Award of theAmerican Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council memberTom Landry in 1983.[47][48]
Theismann was inducted into theNew Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997.[49]
In 2011, Theismann was inducted into theNew Jersey Hall of Fame.
On September 5, 2014, Theismann was honored by theRide of Fame as they christened a double decker sightseeing bus in Washington DC dedicated to him and his achievements.[50]
In October of 2010, theUFL'sFlorida Tuskers had a portion of their franchise bought by Theismann.[51] Theismann expressed disappointment at the way he was treated during his time in the league and left the team when it was folded into theVirginia Destroyers in January 2011.[52]
| Media offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by None | Super Bowl television color commentator (prime-time package carrier) 1984 (withDon Meredith) | Succeeded by |
