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Few players are more memorable than former Arizona State quarterback Jake Plummer.
Plummer was an electrifying quarterback that could turn broken plays into electrifying ones. He was a four year starter and nearly led the Sun Devils to a perfect season in 1996.
College Career
Plummer struggled initially under center for the Sun Devils. In his first two seasons combined, he compiled a 9-13 record and threw only 24 touchdowns.
However, Plummer turned things around in his final two seasons in Tempe. In his junior year, he threw for 2,222 yards, 17 touchdowns, and was named First Team All Pac-10.
This set things up for an incredibly memorable senior campaign. Plummer led the Sun Devils to a 19-0 upset over then No. 1 (and two-time defending National Champion) Nebraska in the third week of the season. Plummer continued to dominate throughout the season and led the Sun Devils to an undefeated (11-0) regular season . He was also named the Pac-10 offensive player of the year, and finished in third place in Heisman Trophy voting.
The Sun Devils' successful regular season meant they would face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Plummer worked his magic giving the Sun Devils a 17-14 with just over a minute to go as he escaped from a sack and scrambled 11 yards for the go-ahead touchdown run.
However, the Buckeyes meticulously drove down the field on their next possession and scored. This dashed the Sun Devils' hopes of winning "The Granddaddy of Them All." Had Plummer won this game, it would be extremely difficult to not consider him the greatest Sun Devil quarterback of all time.
After all was said and done, Plummer finished as Arizona State's career leader in touchdown passes (65) and passing yards (8,827). These records were later broken by quarterback Andrew Walter.
Pro Career
After his collegiate career, Plummer was drafted 42nd overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 draft. Plummer's most successful season under center for the Cardinals was his second season when he led the Cardinals to a 9-7 record and a playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys. It was the franchise's first playoff victory since 1947.
In 2003, Plummer was signed by the Denver Broncos. Plummer went 40-18 as a starter and led them to the 2005 AFC Championship game. En route to the AFC Championship game, the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots, and snapped their 11-game postseason win streak. That same season Plummer was selected to the Pro Bowl.
Plummer officially retired from football in 2007. That same year he was elected into the Sun Devil Football Hall of Fame.