Sonny Jurgensen

[DieselPwr44]

I was born in 1970 so I never got to see him play. I hear tales from time to time from my Dad about how good a QB Sonny was.

This is to all the Skins fans here who can remember Sonny playing. Let's hear some of your best Sonny stories.

PS: Does anyone know if there are any films on vhs or dvd featuring Sonny? I'd really be interested in games where Sonny was starting.

[TLusby]

I was young and just remember every kid emulating him in street pick-up games. He was close to over-the-hill when I remember the saga of who would start between Billy and Sonny. I understand they would decide between each other and give the start to the one with the larger hangover.

[Joeythetapeworm]

My english teacher last year mentioned seeing Sonny throw perfect spirals behind his back to Charley Taylor in practice. He also said that he saw Sonny throw a completion from his left hand when a pass-rusher hit his right side and locked his arm to his body. That is to say that Sonnny swapped hands as he was being sacked and threw a spiral downfield with his off hand. Obviously Sonny is before my time too but I thought those were interesting anecdotes.

[DieselPwr44]

Originally posted by Joeythetapeworm

My english teacher last year mentioned seeing Sonny throw perfect spirals behind his back to Charley Taylor in practice. He also said that he saw Sonny throw a completion from his left hand when a pass-rusher hit his right side and locked his arm to his body. That is to say that Sonnny swapped hands as he was being sacked and threw a spiral downfield with his off hand. Obviously Sonny is before my time too but I thought those were interesting anecdotes.

I too had heard about the behind the back passes but what I had heard was that he did it in an actual game. Don't know if it's true or not but maybe someone here can verify or debunk that legend?

[Paydirt]

There was a thread a couple months ago about Sonny throwing passes behind the back. You might try a quick search, though I don't know how far back they're archived. Anyway, not sure I remember this accurately, but I seem to recall someone saying it was during practice or warm-ups or something that he did it.

[Disco Dave]

My boss played high school football with Sonny. I'll ask him if he has any good stories about him. Sonny came by not to long ago, I wasn't at work at the time. I wish that I could have met him. Sonny was inducted into my towns hall of fame.

[CHAMBURGER]

I remember watching footage and I believe it was in a game or perhaps a scrimage, and he hit a receiver over the middle for about a 20 yrd gain with a behind the back perfect spiral. I only saw it once about 25 years ago so my memory could be off but it was incredible. Never seen anything like it

[Woofer]

I can remember Sonny playing. Someone earlier said that everyone tried to be Sonny when playing street or sandlot football - he was right. There was no bigger star QB in the world than Sonny J.

Unfortunately, I cannot remember a lot of specific plays or games. I too was young then.

What I do remember most was Sonny did not look like today's QBs; he had a pot belly. I remember him always throwing like crazy trying to keep the skins in the game, but the Defense was never good so the other teams were always in the game or winning the game.

When Lombardi came in, we had a good team that year, 1969 I think. Vince was the designer of the circle R helmets.

Then, cancer took Vince, and shortly after, George Allen came in. George never liked Sonny, and always started Kilmer. Compared to Sonny's passes, Kilmer's passes looked like lame ducks.

A lot of times (my memory could be off here) or maybe even most games, Billy would play 57 or 58 minutes, the George would send Jurgensen in to win the game. I could never figure out why Sonny just did not start.

Anyway, you could try going to NFLFilms.com and going through their old films for games featuring Sonny.

[DieselPwr44]

Ok, I just sent an e-mail to Steve Sabol at NFL Films. What do you guys think?

Dear Mr. Sabol,

I have been a faithful viewer of the NFL channel ever since it became available to my home (about a year ago). I especially like to watch NFL Films Presents,which you host. I am a lifelong Redskins fan and I would like to know if you ever plan to do a feature on Sonny Jurgensen?

I was too young to ever see him play but from the stories I've heard and the one or two clips I've seen over the years, I understand that he was one of the all-time great quarterbacks. I'm also of the understanding that he still ranked pretty high up in the record books also. In my opinion, there are alot of people who only know him as a radio broadcaster. Could you enlighten all of us on what kind of player he was? I think Sonny could be a Lost Treasure.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely, Bob Sheets Jr

[McMetal]

My old man actually knew Sonny when he was a spokesman for Toro. Dad had lots of great stories...mostly about drinking though, not so much about football

[Jurgy9]

Sonny had the prettiest looking passes you've ever seen. He used to do the behind the back thing in practice. Here's a good Jurgy story. The skins have the ball on about opponents 25 or 30 yard line. Kilmer gets injured and has to come out for a play. Sonny tosses a couple of warm up tosses and goes over to George Allen. George calls a draw play. Sonny goes to the line... reads a blitz... audibles to a pass... and throws a touchdown. He goes over to the sideline and gets blasted. George didn't care for Sonny's style, but whenever he was healthy, he would always get the eventual nod from George to bail out the team. He was never really healthy for the whole time he played under Allen, but he still led the league in passing his last year in the league. Earlier in his carear with the Skins he led the league in passing, Charlie Taylor was 1st in receptions, Jerry Smith was 2nd, Bobby Mitchell was 4th, and I think they had a running back also in the top 10. Sammy Baugh was before my time, but no other Skins QB since should be mentioned in the same breath as Sonny.

[yankstrat]

Sonny is the primary reason I became a Skins fan. I am 47 years old and live in NY. As a kid just starting to watch football I remeber Sonny always passing, throwing bullets. As a kid I loved passing plays and did not appreciate the run. Sonny threw the ball. Of course in those years Sonny thre because the Skins were losing..but what did I know. The uniforms were cool, sonny threw and a Skins fan was born in NY

[Disco Dave]

Ok, I talked to my boss and he said that the behind the back pass did happen in a game. He said he was with the eagles when he did it. He also said that he played baseball with him and that Sonny was an excellent Shortstop. Oh, one last thing. My boss always says that Sonny has massive hands.

[thito_da_skins_fan]

skinsfan44, where ya at?

[Leonard Washington]

i wish i could see sonny play also. everytime people speak of him they say he was one of the best qbs they've ever seen. that also explains why sonny get so much adolation eventhough he doesn't toot his own horn or talk about plays he used to make.

[afparent]

Sonny is an icon in this area. I think a couple of years ago, he was voted most popular sports person even though he had not played in 25 years. I know I saw some NFL film on him throwing behind his back in warmups. He was a partier though. I remember both him and Kilmer would get pulled over a lot for DUI but never busted. Actually him and Kilmer were pretty good friends. George Allen was a great coach but he made a mistake of not playing Sonny.

[Woofer]

Originally posted by Leonard Washington

i wish i could see sonny play also. everytime people speak of him they say he was one of the best qbs they've ever seen. that also explains why sonny get so much adolation eventhough he doesn't toot his own horn or talk about plays he used to make.

S. Jurgensen - HOF

From the HOF:

Christian Adolph Jurgensen, III. . .Exceptional passer, superb team leader, intelligent, determined, competitive, poised against pass rush. . .Career 82.625 passing rating. . .Won three NFL individual passing titles. . .Surpassed 3,000 yards in five seasons, 300 yards in 25 games, 400 yards in five games. . .Career totals: 2,433 completions, 32,224 yards, 255 touchdowns. . .Excelled in spite of numerous injuries. . . Born August 23, 1934, in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Sonny Jurgensen riddled enemy defenses with picture-perfect bullets for 18 seasons in the National Football League. With Philadelphia for seven seasons and Washington for 11 more, Sonny – one of the finest pure passers ever – accumulated a seemingly endless list of individual records.

Even at the age of 40 in his final 1974 season, Jurgensen won his third NFL individual passing crown. Particularly in Washington, Jurgensen became a folklore-type hero. “I had as much fun playing as anyone,” he once said. “But on the field, it was serious business. I was interested in winning.”

Whether the Redskins won or lost, adoring fans knew Jurgensen would provide game-long excitement, throwing long and short, dissecting defenses, and working on the clock. A classic drop-back passer, Sonny was respected for his ability to deliver the ball at the last moment under the pressure of a vicious pass rush.

In many circles, he was recognized as the best passer of his time. A five-time Pro Bowl selection, his stats include 2,433 completions for an impressive 32,224 yards and 255 touchdowns. “All I ask of my blockers is four seconds, “ the veteran quarterback once explained. "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."

In 1969, Vince Lombardi took over the Redskins’ coaching. Many wondered if Lombardi and Jurgensen could work together. Noted for his taskmaster approach to coaching, Lombardi quickly developed a strong admiration for the fun-loving quarterback. "Jurgensen is a great quarterback," the coach said without hesitation. "He hangs in there under adverse conditions. He may be the best the league has ever seen. He is the best I have seen."

[HailSkinz1]

Originally posted by Woofer Magoo

A lot of times (my memory could be off here) or maybe even most games, Billy would play 57 or 58 minutes, the George would send Jurgensen in to win the game. I could never figure out why Sonny just did not start.

This is exactly how I remember Sonny as well Magoo. If we needed to score late in the game to win, Sonny would come off the bench and move us down the field.

Allen liked Billy better because he saw Billy as a more complete QB - one that would play in his very pedestrian system (this isn't a knock on Allen, I loved the guy!). Remember, this is when QBs called their own plays. Allen trusted Billy to call his (Allen's) plays.

The behind the back throw was just to show off for the cameras, but he never did it in a game. Had he tried that with Lombardi or Allen, he never would have made it back on the field!

Sonny threw the prettiest ball of any QB. Tight spirals and right on target. He was a classic pocket passer.

Hail,

H

[DaRock]

I was named after the guy!

[atloldskin]

I grew up watching Sonny. The guy was fantastic; he threw the sweetest down and out pass to Charlie Taylor or Bobby Mitchell. He could fire a spiral anywhere and loved the inside post pattern too. It seemed Sonny could always manage the drive to score; it's just that our D was porous throughout his career until we made the SuperBowl VII and he was on the decline.

He partied hard, that is a know fact. But the red-head could throw the ball!!

[RicRod]

I was too young to watch him play but I have seen the footage of the behind the back pass. He was in practice and was throwing a perfect spiral to a receiver a good 15 yards away.

[Arioch]

Originally posted by Paydirt

There was a thread a couple months ago about Sonny throwing passes behind the back. You might try a quick search, though I don't know how far back they're archived. Anyway, not sure I remember this accurately, but I seem to recall someone saying it was during practice or warm-ups or something that he did it.

There is a video clip of him doing just that in practice. The clip appears in the '50th anniversary' of the Redskins ('Hail to the Redskins). It was relesed by NFL films instead of the 1985 'yearbook' video that they do for every team each year. I've heard Sonny on the radio talk about doing it in a few games. (A guest during one of the games radiocasts brought it up. Sonny is actually very modest and doesn't like to bring those things up himself, but will talk about them if someone else opens the topic. Of course Sam Huff was all too happy to chime in and egg him on!)

[G-Town]

I love seeing clips of him throwing BEHIND his back like 20-30 yards and hitting a receiver in stride. He was a stud, and still is.

[Arioch]

Originally posted by DieselPwr44

Ok, I just sent an e-mail to Steve Sabol at NFL Films. What do you guys think?

Dear Mr. Sabol,

I have been a faithful viewer of the NFL channel ever since it became available to my home (about a year ago). I especially like to watch NFL Films Presents,which you host. I am a lifelong Redskins fan and I would like to know if you ever plan to do a feature on Sonny Jurgensen?

I was too young to ever see him play but from the stories I've heard and the one or two clips I've seen over the years, I understand that he was one of the all-time great quarterbacks. I'm also of the understanding that he still ranked pretty high up in the record books also. In my opinion, there are alot of people who only know him as a radio broadcaster. Could you enlighten all of us on what kind of player he was? I think Sonny could be a Lost Treasure.

Thank you very much.

Sincerely, Bob Sheets Jr

Go to their website (NFL films) and they'll provide you with a phone number to call and order (free) a catalog of available films (I obviously have done it). There isn't anything there, other than the yearbook material, or the '3 cheers for the Redskins' film.

There is a '69 pre-season game out there that is being traded around (vs. Detroit in Tampa). There is the '71 vs. Rams game that is making the rounds as well, however, Sonny only makes an appearance as the holder for Curt Knight.

I remember Sonny vividly. To this day, I think he was the best 2 minute drive QB I ever saw (YES! Better than Elway, Marino, Or Montana. I'll be happy to argue that one with anyone). Johnny U. was a little before my time, I saw him during the last few years of his career. So his career was winding down while Sonny was still devastatingly effective. Sonny was DEADLY. There are reasons he's in the Hall Of Fame when the Redskins teams were terrible during those years.

[Disco Dave]

RicRod he did complete a behind the back pass in an NFL game but not for the Redskins. My boss grew up with him and he said it really happened. He even acted out the play; he said he could still remember it perfectly.

P.S. Nice post woofer magoo, good write up.