Joe Theismann

Lore & Background

Theismann was born to Austrian Joseph John Theismann and Hungarian mother Olga Tóbiás. He was raised in South River, New Jersey, and attended South River High School, where he lettered in baseball, basketball, and football. He accepted a college football scholarship to attend the University of Notre Dame, where he lived in Zahm Hall. At Notre Dame, he became starting quarterback in his sophomore year after Terry Hanratty was injured. He set school records for passing yards in a season (2,429) and touchdowns in a season (16), and a game record for passing yards (526) and completions (33) against USC in 1970. He finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to Jim Plunkett. Theismann was selected 99th overall in the fourth round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins and in the 39th round of the 1971 MLB draft by the Minnesota Twins. After negotiations with the Dolphins failed, he signed with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL for $50,000 per season. In 1974, the Washington Redskins obtained his rights from the Dolphins in exchange for a first-round draft pick. He served as punt returner in his first season and became starting quarterback in 1978, succeeding Billy Kilmer. He led the Redskins to their first championship in 41 years in Super Bowl XVII. He set several Redskins franchise records, including most career passing attempts (3,602), completions (2,044), and passing yards (25,206), with 160 touchdown passes and 138 interceptions. He rushed for 1,815 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was named NFL MVP in 1983 by four organizations. On November 18, 1985, during a Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants, he suffered a career-ending comminuted compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg when sacked by Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson. The injury was later voted the NFL's 'Most Shocking Moment in History' by viewers in an ESPN poll.

In Their Own Story

The roar of the crowd at RFK Stadium faded into a hush as Joe Theismann stepped into the pocket, the cold November air biting at his exposed neck. He scanned the field, the familiar rhythm of the game taking over, eyes locking on a receiver breaking free downfield. With a snap of his wrist, the ball spiraled perfectly through the crisp air, finding its mark for another first-down gain. In that moment, he was the undisputed king of Washington football, a steady captain guiding his ship toward glory. But the game is unforgiving; seconds later, the whistle blew not on a play, but on silence, as the reality of the collision with Lawrence Taylor shattered the dream of another season.

Reader's Guide

Theismann worked as a sportscaster and analyst on pro football broadcasts with ESPN for nearly 20 years, primarily partnering with Mike Patrick for Sunday Night Football and for one season of Monday Night Football with Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser. He also worked as a color analyst on NFL Network's Thursday Night Football with Bob Papa and Matt Millen, and co-hosts the network's weekly show Playbook. Since 2011, he has worked on the Washington Commanders preseason television broadcast team. He also works on the NFL Network on a variety of programs, primarily as an analyst.

Did You Know?

• Theismann's last name was originally pronounced THEES-mann, but Notre Dame's sports information director insisted he change it to rhyme with 'Heisman'; he later learned from his grandmother the original pronunciation was
• Theismann punted once in his NFL career, for one yard against the Chicago Bears.
• He wore a signature one-bar face mask throughout his pro career, though on at least one occasion (October 16, 1977) he wore a more standard facemask.
• Theismann was an a