Joe Theismann is a name that easily comes to mind whenever sports injury is being discussed. The American, former quarterback player in the National Football League and the Canadian Football League suffered a compound fracture in the leg that was witnessed by a live audience in the ’80s. He is also a sports commentator, motivational speaker and restaurateur.
Theismann had a fruitful 12 season career with the Washington Redskins, leading them to the Super Bowl XVII win over the Miami Dolphins. However, the College Football Hall of Fame inductee retired in 1985 after a leg injury. Afterwards, he began to work as a sportscaster and Analyst for the ESPN. He also worked on the NFL network Thursday night as a colour analyst and is a co-host on the network’s weekly program, Playbook.
In addition, Joe Theismann is a restaurant owner and a corporate /motivational speaker. Unfortunately, he never made it back to the field after his injury because the injured right leg was shorter than the other leg. Thus, he helps to encourage victims of sports accidents from the knowledge of his recovery process.
Here are some personal details about the former quarterback whose personal tragedy has brought about a new consciousness to sports injuries in general.
Joe Theismann Biography
Joe Theismann was born on September 9, 1989, to an Austrian father and a Hungarian mother. His father operates a gas station in addition to working in his brother’s liquor store while his mother was a staff of Johnson and Johnson. Theismann grew up in South River New Jersey and studied at the South River High School where he excelled in sports, playing for the baseball, basketball, and football teams. He was awarded a Scholarship to study at the University of Notre Dame where he became the starting quarterback in his Sophomore year after Terryville Hanratty suffered an injury. He played many memorable games with the team and was named All-American and an Academic All-American in 1971, as well as being one of the contenders for the Heisman trophy.
In addition, Theismann set several School records and threw for 4,411 yards and 31 touchdowns as a starting quarterback. He was eventually inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.
Professional Career
Theismann commenced Professional football in 1971 when he joined the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. With his help, the Argonauts were able to reach the Grey Cup finals but unfortunately, lost out to the Calgary Stampeders. During his first season, Theismann made a complete pass of 148 out of 278 for 2,440 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions and was an all-star in the 1972 and 1973 seasons.
In 1974, Theismann was traded to the Washington Redskins in exchange with another player, Larry Gordon. He played out his first season with the Redskins as a Punt returner and became the team’s starting quarterback in 1978. He led them to Super Bowl XVII – their first in 40 years – and won against the Dolphins with Theismann playing Vital roles in the victory. The team also made a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XVIII.
Furthermore, Theismann held the most career passing completions record with 3,602 passes, the most career passing completions with 2,044, and a host of other franchise records in the Redskins. He has a long list of achievements including, Super Bowl champion (XVII), NFL Most Valuable Player ( 1983), NFL Man of the Year (1972), and Bert Bell Award (1982).
Joe Theismann Leg Injury
Every November 18 marks the day Joe Theismann, the valuable Redskins quarterback, sustained an injury that will keep him off football for the rest of his life. The year was 1985 and it was a Monday night football game between the Redskins and the New York Giants.
The game which took place at the RFK Stadium, Washington DC was broadcast live by ABC and was watched by millions across the United States. It was a tough match as the scoreline read 7-7 during the second quarter and the Redskins tried to get ahead of their opponents by using the “flea flicker” play.
However, the Giant’s defense has seen them use the strategy before and was determined to stop them. Unfortunately, as the Giant’s linebacker, Lawrence Taylor tried to push Theismann down by sending his 243-pound body onto him. Theismann’s leg which was in an awkward position bent, causing his right leg to break below the knee.
After he realized what had happened, Taylor signaled to the emergency medical team by waving his helmet. At first, he was misinterpreted by the Redskins personnel, who thought he was making fun of them because he has successfully stopped their play, but came over a few minutes later when they noticed that Theismann has been hurt. Meanwhile, TV audiences got a picture of the injury because of the reverse angle instant replay that was newly introduced.
The compound fracture effectively ended Theismann’s career because the right leg became shorter than the left leg after treatment. Theismann’s leg injury inspired the high-grossing Sports movie, The blind side, which highlighted the importance of the left tackle in protecting the blind side of a right-handed quarterback.
More than three decades later, another Redskins quarterback Alex Smith suffered the same mishap in a game against the Houston Texans when Kareem Jackson and J. J. Watt sacked him. Theismann was among the first to wish him a speedy recovery and assisted him through the mental hurdles of the recovery process.
Joe Theismann became a sportscaster and actor after hanging his boots and worked for ESPN and CBS. He was also a host of American Gladiators in 1989 and co-hosted NFL games on NBC in 2010, as well as NFL Network’s No Huddle in 2011. He has appeared in some movies and TV series such as B. J and the Bear (1981) Cannonball Run I (1984) and Love on the Sidelines (2016).
Joe Theismann’s Wife
After finalizing their Divorce in 1984, Theismann moved on with Cathy Lee Crosby, a TV personality, in a relationship that spanned seven years. Crosby was present when he suffered the leg injury and drove with him to the hospital in an ambulance. The relationship, however, took a hit and they broke up with Crosby heading to the courts for settlements.
