Sherman Plunkett
| No. 79, 70 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Offensive tackle | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Date of birth: | April 17, 1933 | ||||||||
| Place of birth: | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | ||||||||
| Date of death: | November 18, 1989 (aged 56) | ||||||||
| Place of death: | Baltimore, Maryland | ||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 290 lb (132 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| College: | Maryland State | ||||||||
| NFL Draft: |
1956 / Round: 6 / Pick: 71 (By the Cleveland Browns) | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||
Sherman Eugene Plunkett (April 17, 1933 – November 18, 1989) was an American football offensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) from 1958 to 1960, for the Baltimore Colts, and in the American Football League from 1961–1967, for the San Diego Chargers and the New York Jets. He was an American Football League All-Star in 1964 and 1966 and a 1st Team All-Pro All-AFL in 1966. He was involved in what is dubbed as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", the 1958 NFL Championship Game. It was his and the Colts' first ever title win. Plunkett was drafted by the Cleveland Browns two years prior to joining the Colts, but his admission into the Army months after joining delayed his playing career and he joined the Colts after his service instead.
In his later playing years, he was most notable for his massive size. While the typical lineman in the 1960s weighed in at around 250–260 lb, Plunkett was almost 100 lb (45 kg) heavier.
Plunkett played college football at Maryland State College, now known as the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
According to Joe Namath, it was Plunkett who coined the star New York Jets quarterback's nickname "Broadway Joe", following Namath's appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Plunkett died of cancer at the age of 56, at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore.[1]
See also
Reference
- ↑ "Sherman Plunkett, Former Jets Tackle, 56". The New York Times. November 21, 1989. Retrieved July 27, 2009.