BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…January 25, 1981:
The Oakland Raiders become the first wild card team to win the Super Bowl, beating Philadelphia, 27-10. The Raiders did it with three interceptions by linebacker Rod Martin and three touchdown passes from Jim Plunkett, the veteran former Heisman Trophy winner whose career was revitalized in Oakland that season. But there were already storm clouds swirling over the franchise. The Raiders would play one more season in the Bay Area before moving to Los Angeles in 1982.
With apologies to Paul McCartney, it was a long and winding road for Plunkett. He had starred at Stanford and led the Cardinal to a Rose Bowl win pver Ohio State while earning the Heisman as a senior. Then Plunkett was drafted No. 1 overall by the New England Patriots in 1971. Things didn’t go well with the Pats, and he eventually returned to the Bay Area in a trade to San Francisco in 1976. Plunkett struggled with the 49ers, too, and he was released, signing with the Raiders in 1978.
Just when it looked like he was washed up, he was elevated to starting quarterback with Oakland in 1980. Despite completing just 51 percent of his passes and throwing for just 18 touchdowns against 16 interceptions, Plunkett was on the podium as Super Bowl MVP when the season ended. He’d lead the Raiders to another Super Bowl crown in L.A. in 1983.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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