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Joe Theismann

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Joe Theismann Fast Facts:

Played high-school football in New Jersey as a teammate of future Dallas Cowboys rival Drew Pearson.
Changed the pronunciation of his last name to rhyme with Heisman while in contention for college football's top award as a Notre Dame senior (he finished second to Jim Plunkett). The slogan "Theismann for Heisman" was popularized on campus and by the Sports Information department.
Built an impressive 20-3-2 record as starting QB at Notre Dame, setting a record for passing yards in a game (526) against USC in 1970.
Drafted by the Dolphins in the 1971 NFL draft and by the Minnesota Twins (as a shortstop) in that year's Major League Baseball draft, but a contract dispute with Miami led him to sign with Toronto of the Canadian Football League, where he spent three seasons.
Quarterbacked the Washington Redskins to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances, beating Miami in 1983 and losing to Oakland in 1984. Theismann won the Bert Bell Award in 1982 and the AP Most Valuable Player Award in 1983.
Wore a single-bar face mask on his helmet for his entire career, despite the implementation of advanced equipment.
Worked as an analyst for Super Bowl XIX on ABC while still active. Upon retirement following a gruesome leg injury against the Giants on Monday Night Football in 1985, Theismann landed at CBS for two years, then became a fixture in the booth on ESPN's Sunday Night Football (1988-2005) and MNF (2006) before being replaced by Ron Jaworski.