Notre Dame, 1971
• 1970 Academic All-America® First Team
Joe Theismann was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 1990.
Born and raised in South River, New Jersey, Joe Theismann was a football star at South River High School before attending the University of Notre Dame. The famed Fighting Irish quarterback was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy in 1970 and had a 20-3-2 collegiate record. He set the Notre Dame record for most passing yards in a single game, with 526 yards against archrival USC in a memorable game in a torrential downpour during the 1970 season.
Theismann played in the Canadian Football League after graduating from Notre Dame in 1971. He chose to play for the Toronto Argonauts despite the fact that he was drafted in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins and was also drafted as a shortstop for the Minnesota Twins. After three seasons in Canada, Theismann joined the Washington Redskins. He played in Washington from 1974 until 1985. Theismann led the Redskins to the Super Bowl XVII Championship and a berth in Super Bowl XVIII. He appeared in the Pro Bowl in 1982 and 1983 and was also the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1983.
Theismann’s career was brought to an abrupt and unfortunate end on November 18, 1985 in a game against the New York Giants. In an injury that was voted the NFL’s “Most Shocking Moment in History” in an ESPN poll, Theismann suffered a compound leg fracture when he was sacked by two Giants linebackers. The injury forced Theismann to retire at 36 after a relatively short but impressive professional career.
Theismann took his career to the broadcast booth in 1985, calling Super Bowl XIX and ESPN’s Sunday Night Football from 1985 until 2005. He was also a part of the Monday Night Football coverage in 2006.
His other honors include induction into the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1997 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.