Joe Theismann is an entrepreneur and the former star quarterback for the Washington Redskins. Most recently, he spent the last decades working for ESPN on their NFL broadcast. Currently, Theismann is the host of The Joe Theismann Radio Show on ESPN 980 in Washington DC and he is also working as an analyst for the NFL Network doing a show called Playbook.
The former Washington Redskins quarterback joined ESPN in April 1988, reuniting with play-by-play voice, Mike Patrick. Theismann's first television experience came in 1976 when he served as analyst alongside Patrick for University of Maryland basketball telecasts. Theismann joined ESPN after spending two seasons as an NFL analyst for CBS Sports.
A 12-year NFL veteran, Theismann played in 163 consecutive games from 1974-1985 and holds Redskins' records for passing yardage (25,206), completions (2.044) and attempts (3,602). A two-time Pro Bowl selection, Theismann led Washington to a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.
Theismann was selected the NFL's Man of the Year in 1982 for his community service and dedication to the health and welfare of children. He won the league's 1983 Most Valuable Player Award for leading the Redskins to an NFL-recorded 541 points and a second consecutive Super Bowl appearance. His career ended abruptly in 1985 after sustaining a broken leg during a game against the New York Giants on national television.
Theismann graduated in 1971 from the University of Notre Dame where he received All-America honors and led the Fighting Irish to consecutive Cotton Bowls and was runner-up to Jim Plunkett in the Heisman Trophy balloting. In 2003, Theismann was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Theismann began his career in 1971 with the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League, after being drafted by the Miami Dolphins and Major League Baseball's Minnesota Twins.
Theismann, a much sought after motivational speaker, also oversees a popular Washington, DC restaurant that bears his name. Born September 9, 1949, he is also the author of The Complete Idiots Guide to Understanding Football Like a Pro.
