Notre Dame Football: Biggest NFL Draft steals of all-time
Notre Dame Football: Biggest NFL Draft steals of all-time
Joe Theismann-QB
- 1971 Draft: Round 4, Pick 99
Joe Theismann’s career, fairly or unfairly, will forever be tied to how it ended. The broken leg that he suffered was so shocking that it is the first thing most people think about when they hear the name Theismann. The second thing they think about might be the story of how he changed the pronunciation of his name to rhyme with Heisman, despite coming in second place.
Still, Theismann had an absolutely remarkable NFL career.
Theismann was actually drafted by Miami, but couldn’t agree on a contract, so, his career started in the CFL. It was with the Toronto Argonauts that he’d be a two-time All-Star. By 1974, Washington traded for the rights to Theismann.
He’d be able to successfully negotiate with Washington, and from there, his NFL career took off. By the early 1980s, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the game. Theismann went to two Pro Bowls, won the Bert Bell Award, the NFL Man of the Year, won a Super Bowl, an MVP, and he was an All-Pro.
Theismann did all of that in 1982 and 1983, and of course, during those two years, he also won a Super Bowl.
In 1985, Theismann’s career ended on a compound fracture of his leg. Still, even with his career cut short, he’s in the Washington Ring of Fame.