Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
1971 Rose Bowl Game
1989 Inductee
After falling short of earning a trip to the Rose Bowl Game in the 1968 and 1969 seasons, quarterback Jim Plunkett and several other Stanford juniors made a pact that they would work harder and play better in their senior year in order to finally make it to Pasadena on New Year’s Day. They did just that, earning a trip to the 1971 Rose Bowl Game to play Ohio State. Plunkett led Stanford to an early 10–0 advantage, only to see Ohio State come back and lead 14–10 at halftime. Plunkett, however, took Stanford downfield for a third-quarter ield goal and two fourth-quarter touchdowns to win the game 27–17. He finished 20 of 30 passing for 265 yards and one touchdown, earning Player of the Game honors for his efforts.
Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy in 1970, and went on to be the number-one overall pick (by the Patriots) in the 1971 NFL Draft. He spent 15 years in the league, and played on two Super Bowl-winning teams. He was the MVP of the Oakland Raiders’ victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV (1980 season), and became the first player to be named Rose Bowl Player of the Game and Super Bowl MVP.
