By Gary Bennett
Special to the News-Post
Legendary NFL quarterback Joe Theismann will share his incredible journey from 1982 NFL MVP and 1983 Super Bowl champion to media personality, businessman and motivational speaker at 8 p.m. Jan. 10 at the Weinberg Center for the Arts in Frederick. An Evening with Joe Theismann is part of the Weinberg Center’s Live Series, celebrating iconic speakers and resilient stories.
Joe Theismann is an iconic Washington sports figure, best known for his long NFL career spent entirely with the Washington Redskins, after a short stint in the Canadian Football League. He played with Redskin greats like the “over-the-hill-gang,” “hogs,” “fun bunch” and “Riggo.” He led the Redskins to victory in Super Bowl XVII in January 1983 over the Miami Dolphins but unfortunately suffered a gruesome on-field injury that ended his football career abruptly in 1985.
His football journey was unique and star-crossed, to say the least.
A college football Hall of Famer, Theismann starred for three years as quarterback for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. He was not only a football all-American and Heisman Trophy runner up in 1971 but was also an academic all-American, loquacious and witty and with movie star good looks. The Notre Dame sports information department was so eager for him to win the Heisman in 1971 that they informed him they would change the pronunciation of his name to rhyme with Heisman (with a long i sound). At the time, there was not a more glamorous or well-known player in college football.
Thought too small to play quarterback in the NFL, Theismann was drafted into the Canadian Football League in 1971. He spent three standout years with Toronto Argonauts, lauded for his daring and effective quarterback play. In 1974 he was acquired by the Washington Redskins as a backup quarterback and punt returner. The latter was a job unheard-of for any quarterback before or since. Known as a fierce competitor, Theismann willingly took the job just to get onto the field. In 1978, he finally assumed the starting quarterback position, supplanting another Redskin favorite, Billy Kilmer.
In November 1985, shortly after his MVP and Super Bowl winning years, Theismann suffered a devastatingly severe compound fracture of his tibia and fibula when sacked by Lawrence Taylor of the New York Giants on Monday Night Football in front of millions of viewers. The 36-year-old Theismann was wstill in his prime for an NFL quarterback, but unfortunately, the injury ended his career on the spot. The image of Taylor frantically waving for help while a prone Theismann lay unable to move and in clear agony is one of the most enduring and wrenching images the NFL has to offer.
Unable to play again, Theismann retired and embarked on a successful broadcasting career. In 1986 and 1987, he served as color commentator on NFL games for CBS. In 1988 he became the longtime lead analyst for Sunday Night Football, a job he kept through 2005. He joined the Monday Night Football TV crew for one year in 2006. Since then, he has appeared consistently on the NFL Network and covered Thursday Night Football. In 1994 he won a CableACE Award (an Emmy equivalent) for insightful NFL commentary.
Today, he appears across various media, co-hosting Playbook, a weekly show on the Washington Commanders network; on podcasts such as 2nd City Gridiron and the Ruffino and Joe Show; in the movies, usually playing himself in such fare as Cannonball Run II; and in the theater with his live show, An Evening with Joe Theismann. His NFL Films documentary, Joe Theismann: A Football Life airs periodically on the NFL Network. He has written books, including his latest, How to be a Champion Every Day, and leads various business ventures including Theismann’s, his restaurant in Alexandria, that has been in operation since 1975.
As a motivational speaker, Theismann is in high demand by organizations such as Gaylord Hotel, ADM Investor Services, SHOPCO Stores, Prosperity Life, University of Phoenix and the Restaurant Association of Maryland. Theismann often speaks on the relationship between business, sports, and our personal lives, and how they parallel one another. He shares lessons on leadership, overcoming adversity and mental toughness, which he now brings to his live shows.
At the Weinberg Center, Theismann will speak for about 60 to 75 minutes about his football life and how to set and reach your goals and motivate those around you. After his talk, he will entertain questions from the audience. Tickets are available at weinbergcenter.org.
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.