Ex-Raiders QB Plunkett speaks at Eureka

By JIM LUKSIC

The Progress

Former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett returned to the spotlight last week for a Q&A session at Eureka Casino Resort in Mesquite.

The free event took place on Thursday, April 25 in Town Square restaurant, where Plunkett met football fans while fielding questions on the same night the NFL Draft kicked off in Detroit.
Beforehand in Eureka’s ballroom, Plunkett signed memorabilia during a meet-and-greet with dozens of invited VIP guests.

“They invited me here, and it’s nice to get around and meet people,” the 76-year-old native of San Jose, who still resides in California, told The Progress.

The Stanford University alumnus – who earned the Heisman Trophy in 1970 as college football’s best player – went on to a decorated NFL career with the Raiders, 49ers, and Patriots.

Plunkett’s on-field peak was tossing three touchdowns in Super Bowl XV en route to earning MVP honors for leading Oakland over the favored Philadelphia Eagles. Three years later, he led the Los Angeles Raiders to a lopsided Super Bowl victory over the Washington Redskins.

When asked what it’s like to be the only starting QB with two Super Bowl rings who hasn’t been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Plunkett modestly replied, “It is what it is.”
Somebody who thinks Plunkett is worthy of that ultimate NFL honor is Mesquite resident Ed Lewis, a retired veterinarian who was invited Thursday as a guest of William Hill Sportsbook.

“It’s incredible Jim isn’t in the Hall of Fame,” said Lewis, who once worked for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cardinals. “Winning championships is more important than statistics.”

Also waiting in the ballroom line was Johnny Solis of Mesquite who was sporting a Plunkett jersey that soon would be autographed by the ex-QB. Solis said he has been “following the Raiders for a long time” – since 1971, to be exact.

Dozens of VIP guests posed for photos with Plunkett before enjoying appetizers, an open bar, and music. Each attendee received a gift bag with a mini stuffed football.

Conducting the retired quarterback’s on-stage Q&A session was Mark Musgrave from Fan Sports Network in St. George, Utah.

The festivities included questions from audience members and trivia prizes (including a framed Raiders jersey of Plunkett’s No. 16).

During the interview, Plunkett revealed his love for baseball and that he yearned to play for the illustrious New York Yankees. It wasn’t long, however, before “…my love of football took over,” he said.

In 1971, he was drafted by the (Boston) Patriots, for whom he played five seasons prior to a two-year stint with San Francisco. Following his release by the 49ers – “One of my most difficult times” – he suddenly received a call from Raiders’ iconic owner Al Davis.
“That turned my life and entire career around,” Plunkett said.

He asserted the Pittsburgh Steelers had the toughest defense he ever faced, and that ex-Raider and Hall of Famer Marcus Allen was the “most exciting” teammate to watch.
Plunkett’s wife Gerry sat in the front row and temporarily took center stage, whereupon she described initially meeting her future husband at a restaurant. “I had asked him to dance,” she said. Forty-plus years later, the couple remains happily married.

After the hour-long event, many fans surrounded the guest of honor for autographs and photo ops – before Plunkett headed to catch a flight to Detroit on Friday, when he announced the Raiders’ second and third draft picks.