Burgundy & Gold Chronicles: Sonny Jurgensen

January 13, 2023

by David Earl

Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen‘s Number Retired

 

Washington retired the famed Redskins quarterback Sonny Jurgensen’s number during the team’s dominant performance against Dallas Sunday afternoon. Initially drafted in 1957 by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 4th round (43rd overall), Sonny played 11 of his 18 seasons with the Washington Redskins. While never securing a championship title as a starting quarterback, he was undoubtedly as prolific of a passer as was possible in his era. His numbers may not stand tall next to some of the more recent greats to play the position but considering the period, Sonny’s achievements were definitely revered. The 1983 Hall of Fame Inductee and 1961 first team All-Pro ended his career with an 82.6 passer rating, 32,224 yards passing, and 255 touchdowns. Sonny led the league in passing for 5 years, eclipsed 30 touchdown passes twice, and was a consistent top-10 passer throughout his career. Many are far too young to know this era of football, but Sonny Jurgensen helped usher in a new age of the dropback passer we saw decades later.

Eagles Paid Dearly

 

Once the Philadelphia Eagles finally turned to Sonny Jurgensen he went 10-4 his first year starting and leading the league in completed passes, passing yardage, touchdowns, and yards per game (and interceptions). The transition from Bobby Thomason and then Norm Van Brocklin seemed to be seamless but injuries and back-to-back 10-loss seasons were enough. The Eagles would then promptly trade him for Norm Snead who did not record a single winning season for the Eagles. On Oct. 11, 1964, Jurgensen, in a Redskins uniform facing his old team for the first time, went 22 of 33 for 385 yards, five touchdowns, two interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 120.6. The 35-20 Redskins victory over the rival Eagles was a sample of the mistake Philadelphia made the season prior. Sonny Jurgensen ensured that Philadelphia felt the mistake they made going 13-3 as a starter vs. Philadelphia.

 

The Memorable Wins vs. Dallas Cowboys

 

In three games from 1965-1967, Sonny Jurgensen was absolutely brilliant against the hated rivals Dallas Cowboys. In these three wins, Sonny totaled 984 yards passing, and 10 touchdowns while completing an average of 62% of his passes, compiling a 106.9 quarterback rating over that span. The 1965 game saw a 21-0 Dallas lead evaporate and end with a game-winning 35 yard touchdown pass to Bobby Mitchell. Although he had a mediocre record of 12-13 against the Cowboys, Sonny certainly left an impression on the organization that once he retired that organization was relieved to see him go. Many comments ranged from the confidence factor of the team will be lost to just how great of a quarterback he was compared to his peers. Some of the statements were:

• Tom Landry, “They (the Redskins) lose a big confidence factor. When they are not moving, getting behind, they will not believe they can catch up like Jurgensen was able to do for them.”
• Cornell Green said, “Jurgensen was the best throwing quarterback I ever played against.”
• Ermal Allen commented, “The greatest thing was Jurgensen’s peripheral vision, the ability to pick out the open receiver. He had one of the fast releases under pressure: he seldom got trapped. His accuracy percentage (57.1) was unbelievable. People were scared to death to blitz Jurgensen.”
• Chuck Howard (LB) stressed, “It was frustrating to play against Jurgensen because he threw so many percentage passes. It was very difficult for a defensive line to get to him. He set up short and got rid of the ball in a hurry.”

What Sonny Jurgenson brought to the game, as you see alluded to above, was a quarterback who essentially redefined the position as a passer. His execution at the line, pre and post-snap, was near flawless, and his release was frustratingly quick for the pass rushers. If you bring pressure, then Sonny killed you, but if you sat back in coverage Sonny killed you. A position this current Washington franchise has such a terrible time figuring out today they, once upon a time, had one of the greatest to ever play the position.

Legend Plays for a Legend

 

In Vince Lombardi’s one and only year with the Washington Redskins, Sonny Jurgensen helped secure the team’s best record since 1955 and a winning record (7-5-2) that preserved Lombardi’s record of never having a losing season. He led the league in completions (274), pass attempts (442), completion percentage (.619), and yards (3,102) that season while earning All-Pro honors. In this short relationship Vince Lombardi boldly stated, “If we would have had Sonny Jurgensen in Green Bay, we’d never have lost a game.” Although this combination sadly ended with Lombardi succumbing to colon cancer, there was a brief moment where the future for the Washington Redskins was bright following decades of mediocrity since their last championship appearance in 1945.

Voice of the Redskins

 

Sam Huff, Frank Herzog and Sonny Jurgensen Photo by: Patrick Ryan

 

After decades of calling Washington Redskins games with local sportscaster Frank Herzog, Sonny Jurgensen retired from broadcasting in August of 2019, stating, “It’s been a great 55 years in Washington. I want to thank our Redskins fans for being so generous to me and our teams. We owe it all to you,” before the team’s opening preseason game against Cleveland. Sonny became more than just a voice for the Redskins during their glory years – he was a true ambassador for the fans and team. He was truly a humble person who never sought attention but never shied away from engaging his fans and colleagues all the while never making them feel any lesser than him. His ability to be both engaging and informative, on and off the radio, was a unique trait uncommon in this day and age of sports. Sonny’s disposition was relatable to nearly anyone he came across as he just seemed like any ordinary man. His relationships with Joe Gibbs during the Super Bowl runs coupled with his extremely high IQ for the game translated over the air in a way that just kept the audience in tune from the opening kickoff. Sonny Jurgensen was not only masterful on the field but was nearly just as brilliant over the air especially having the chemistry he had with Frank Herzog and Sam Huff. His story as a broadcaster is fascinating to read about especially through the memories of those like Frank Herzog.