Jake Plummer
Encyclopedia
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born on December 19, 1974) is a former American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
. He played college football
at Arizona State
.
His nickname, Jake "the Snake", was given to him as a tribute to professional wrestler
, Jake "the Snake" Roberts
. Coincidentally, Roberts adopted that nickname as a tribute to his favorite NFL player, former Oakland Raiders
quarterback Ken Stabler
, who was nicknamed "the Snake".
After a 2007 offseason trade from the Denver Broncos
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Plummer failed to report to the team and announced his intention to retire, although he had not yet officially retired.
in 1993. He was a three-sport star in high school, playing baseball and basketball in addition to football. He was selected as an all-state quarterback as well as punter twice, and passed for 6,097 yards and 68 touchdowns in his junior and senior years.
on a football scholarship, gaining national attention as "Jake the Snake" for his elusiveness on the playing field. In 1996 Plummer led ASU to an undefeated regular season, a Pac-10 championship, and ASU's second trip to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to Ohio State 20-17. He was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
by the Arizona Cardinals
.
Plummer was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame in September 2007.
was an up and down year. He finished 3-6 as a starter, and the Cardinals went 4-12 to finish 5th in the NFC West.
In 1998
he led the Cardinals to a 9–7 regular season record and an upset victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, giving the Cardinals their first postseason victory since 1947.
Plummer had a disappointing season in 1999
. Football Outsiders
commented, "At the start of the 1999 season, Jake Plummer was being celebrated as one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks, the man who would make the Cardinals respectable again. By the end of the 1999 season, Plummer ranked as the league's worst quarterback...."
In 2000
Plummer threw for 2,946 yards, 21 interceptions, and had a 66.0 quarterback rating. He reached 10,000 career passing yards through 47 starts. In his 14 starts, he compiled a 3-11 record and the Cardinals finished 3-13, in last place in the NFC West.
2001
was Plummer's best season to that point. He was one of only two quarterbacks to take every snap for his team (Kerry Collins
was the other), and he passed for 3,653 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He had a stretch of 142 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception. The streak was snapped on January 6, 2002, when Plummer threw an interception to rookie Redskins linebacker Antonio Pierce
. Plummer led the NFL in fourth-quarter passing yards (1,227) and led the Cardinals to a 7-9 record, and a 4th place in the NFC West.
Plummer's last season with the Cardinals was 2002
. His statistics were below league average (53.6 passer rating, 2,972 yards, 18 touchdowns and 20 interceptions). He eclipsed the 15,000 passing yard mark against the San Diego Chargers on September 22.
Plummer signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos
in 2003
, replacing Brian Griese
. With guidance from Broncos head coach, Mike Shanahan
, Plummer had his best season to date, finishing the season with a career high 91.2 rating. He had the longest run by a Broncos QB on Monday Night Football
, 40 yards against the Oakland Raiders
. He led the Broncos to a wild card playoff berth, where the Broncos were beaten by the Indianapolis Colts
41–10 at the RCA Dome.
2004
was a roller coaster ride for Plummer. One of his closest friends and former teammate at ASU and the Cardinals, Pat Tillman
, was killed in Afghanistan. Along with matching or surpassing some of former Broncos QB John Elway
's passing records (including passing yardage and passing touchdowns in a single season), he also threw for 20 interceptions. He led the Broncos to a second straight wild card playoff berth, but the Broncos were again beaten by the Colts, 49–24.
In 2005
Plummer experienced his best season as a professional. Most notable was his streak of 229 passes without an interception, the longest such streak of his career. Plummer helped the Broncos compile a 13–3 record, making the Broncos the #2 team in the AFC (behind the Colts), earning the Broncos a first-round bye. The Broncos' first game was against the New England Patriots
in the AFC Divisional Game at Invesco Field. Plummer's performance (15-26 for 197 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) helped the Broncos to become the first team to defeat the Patriots in the past 11 postseason games. In the AFC Championship, Plummer and the Broncos were defeated 34–17 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers
, with Plummer the cause of 4 Denver turnovers.
On November 27, 2006, after a lackluster performance throughout the first eleven games of the regular season, and directly following back to back losses to the San Diego Chargers
and Kansas City Chiefs
, Broncos head coach, Mike Shanahan
, announced that Plummer would be replaced at starting quarterback by rookie Jay Cutler
. The decision to hand a 7-4 team over to a rookie quarterback was met by fans and media with mixed reactions. Those who viewed Plummer as inconsistent heralded the change as one that would revive the Broncos struggling offense; others claimed such a move was ill-advised, especially given that Plummer had guided the Broncos to the AFC Championship game the year before.
on March 3, 2007, for a 2008 conditional draft pick. A very short time later, however, rumors began to surface that Plummer was going to choose retirement over competition with Buccaneers quarterbacks, Bruce Gradkowski
, Tim Rattay
, Jeff Garcia
, and Luke McCown
. On March 9, Plummer ended the speculation surrounding him by announcing his decision to retire at a live press conference. Plummer also confirmed his retirement through the Jake Plummer Foundation's website.
Though he had announced his retirement, he was still under contract to the Buccaneers, therefore Tampa Bay coach, Jon Gruden
, met with Plummer to try to convince him to play in the 2007 season. The attempt was unsuccessful. As he did not show up for 2007 training camp, the Buccaneers sued for recovery of his signing bonus. A settlement was reached on June 10, 2008 requiring Plummer to pay back $3.5 million to the Buccaneers.
. Jake attended his first professional handball tournament in 2007 when he entered the Simple Green US Open of Handball (with brother Eric) in the pro doubles division; eventually losing to future Hall of Fame members John Bike and Danny Bell. In 2008 Jake Plummer hosted his own pro invitational
and lost in the finals of the pro consolation bracket to #37 ranked, Jeff Kastner. Jake Plummer played and lost in the semifinals versus brother Eric Plummer (eventual champion) at 2008's Idaho State Singles Championships.
, night club, Club Rio. The women stated to police that Plummer reached under their skirts and down their pants while dancing with them and consuming alcohol. When one of the women confronted him, he allegedly kicked her in the leg. Plummer was formally charged on May 28, 1997, with felony sexual abuse. He later struck a plea bargain and received two years probation. He was also fined $1,020 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
in northern Idaho
, near Jake's brother, Eric. In June 2010, Kollette gave birth to the couple's first child.
Jake made a brief appearance in the 2007 Holiday Bowl
, when he introduced the players of his alma mater
, Arizona State
.
, Andrew Walter
, John F. Goodman
, and Jeff van Raaphorst
.
Jake Plummer is close friends with notable Missoula, MT resident Kevin Costello, formerly of the Costello Family Band.
, at both Arizona State and the Arizona Cardinals, and the two became close friends. After the 2001
season, while Plummer was still with the Cardinals, Tillman joined the U.S. Army Rangers
in response to 9/11.
On Sunday, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL
wore a memorial decal on their helmets in honor of Pat Tillman
. The Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004
season. Meanwhile, Plummer, who by this point was with the Broncos
, requested to also wear the decal for the entire season, but the NFL turned him down for the reason that his helmet would not be uniform with the rest of the team.
For the 2005
season Plummer grew an untrimmed, full beard, and wore his hair long in honor of Tillman, who had such a style in the NFL before cutting his hair and shaving off his beard to fit military uniform guidelines. By the start of the 2006
season, however, Plummer had gone back to cutting his hair short. And while he maintained the beard, he started keeping it trimmed on a regular basis. he still maintained this look in the few public appearances he made since retiring.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Arizona State
Arizona State Sun Devils football
The Arizona State Sun Devils' football program represents Arizona State University in college football, and competes in NCAA Division I FBS as a member of the Pacific-12 Conference....
.
His nickname, Jake "the Snake", was given to him as a tribute to professional wrestler
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
, Jake "the Snake" Roberts
Jake Roberts
Aurelian Jake Smith, Jr. is a second-generation American professional wrestler, the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...
. Coincidentally, Roberts adopted that nickname as a tribute to his favorite NFL player, former Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
quarterback Ken Stabler
Ken Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
, who was nicknamed "the Snake".
After a 2007 offseason trade from the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Plummer failed to report to the team and announced his intention to retire, although he had not yet officially retired.
Early years
Plummer was born in, and grew up in, Boise, Idaho, went to Pierce Park Elementary, Hillside Junior High, and graduated from Capital High SchoolCapital High School (Idaho)
Capital High School is a three-year public secondary school in Boise, Idaho. Opened in 1964, it was the third of four public high schools constructed in the city. The others are Boise , Borah , and Timberline High School ....
in 1993. He was a three-sport star in high school, playing baseball and basketball in addition to football. He was selected as an all-state quarterback as well as punter twice, and passed for 6,097 yards and 68 touchdowns in his junior and senior years.
College career
He attended Arizona StateArizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
on a football scholarship, gaining national attention as "Jake the Snake" for his elusiveness on the playing field. In 1996 Plummer led ASU to an undefeated regular season, a Pac-10 championship, and ASU's second trip to the Rose Bowl, where they lost to Ohio State 20-17. He was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft
1997 NFL Draft
The 1997 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 19–20, 1997. No teams elected to claim any players in the supplemental draft that...
by the Arizona Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Plummer was inducted into the Arizona State Hall of Fame in September 2007.
Arizona Cardinals
19971997 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1997 Arizona Cardinals season was the 78th season the franchise was in the National Football League and 10th in Arizona. The team was unable to match their previous output of 7-9, instead winning only four games. The Cardinals failed to qualify to the playoffs for the fifteenth consecutive...
was an up and down year. He finished 3-6 as a starter, and the Cardinals went 4-12 to finish 5th in the NFC West.
In 1998
1998 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1998 Arizona Cardinals season was the Cardinals 11th season in Arizona. The club appeared in the postseason for the first time since the 1982 season and won its first postseason game since 1947....
he led the Cardinals to a 9–7 regular season record and an upset victory against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs, giving the Cardinals their first postseason victory since 1947.
Plummer had a disappointing season in 1999
1999 Arizona Cardinals season
The 1999 Arizona Cardinals season was the 80th season the team was in the National Football League and 12th in Arizona. The team was unable to match their previous output of 9-7, instead winning only six games. The Cardinals failed to return to the playoffs....
. Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders
Football Outsiders is a website started in July 2003 which focuses on advanced statistical analysis of the NFL. The site is run by a staff of regular writers, who produce a series of weekly columns using both the site's in-house statistics and their personal analyses of NFL games.In 2005 and 2006,...
commented, "At the start of the 1999 season, Jake Plummer was being celebrated as one of the NFL's best young quarterbacks, the man who would make the Cardinals respectable again. By the end of the 1999 season, Plummer ranked as the league's worst quarterback...."
In 2000
2000 Arizona Cardinals season
The 2000 Arizona Cardinals season was the Cards' 13th season in Arizona. The Cardinals ranked 24th in the NFL in total offense and 30th in total defense...
Plummer threw for 2,946 yards, 21 interceptions, and had a 66.0 quarterback rating. He reached 10,000 career passing yards through 47 starts. In his 14 starts, he compiled a 3-11 record and the Cardinals finished 3-13, in last place in the NFC West.
2001
2001 Arizona Cardinals season
-NFL Draft:-Staff:-Roster:-Schedule:-Standings:-References:**...
was Plummer's best season to that point. He was one of only two quarterbacks to take every snap for his team (Kerry Collins
Kerry Collins
Kerry Michael Collins is an American football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the fifth overall pick of the 1995 NFL Draft, the first choice in the franchise's history...
was the other), and he passed for 3,653 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. He had a stretch of 142 consecutive pass attempts without throwing an interception. The streak was snapped on January 6, 2002, when Plummer threw an interception to rookie Redskins linebacker Antonio Pierce
Antonio Pierce
Antonio Durran Pierce is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at Arizona....
. Plummer led the NFL in fourth-quarter passing yards (1,227) and led the Cardinals to a 7-9 record, and a 4th place in the NFC West.
Plummer's last season with the Cardinals was 2002
2002 Arizona Cardinals season
-Roster:-Schedule:-References:**...
. His statistics were below league average (53.6 passer rating, 2,972 yards, 18 touchdowns and 20 interceptions). He eclipsed the 15,000 passing yard mark against the San Diego Chargers on September 22.
Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 2003
2003 Denver Broncos season
The 2003 Denver Broncos season was the team's 44th year in professional football and its 34th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:* *...
, replacing Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
. With guidance from Broncos head coach, Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
, Plummer had his best season to date, finishing the season with a career high 91.2 rating. He had the longest run by a Broncos QB on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
, 40 yards against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He led the Broncos to a wild card playoff berth, where the Broncos were beaten by the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
41–10 at the RCA Dome.
2004
2004 Denver Broncos season
The 2004 Denver Broncos season was the team's 45th year in professional football and its 35th with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-Playoffs:-References:* *...
was a roller coaster ride for Plummer. One of his closest friends and former teammate at ASU and the Cardinals, Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
, was killed in Afghanistan. Along with matching or surpassing some of former Broncos QB John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
's passing records (including passing yardage and passing touchdowns in a single season), he also threw for 20 interceptions. He led the Broncos to a second straight wild card playoff berth, but the Broncos were again beaten by the Colts, 49–24.
In 2005
2005 Denver Broncos season
In 2005 the Denver Broncos ended the 2005 regular season with a 13–3 record, the franchise's second-best number of wins of all time and their third best win percentage ever. They won their first playoff game since winning Super Bowl XXXIII in the 1998 season...
Plummer experienced his best season as a professional. Most notable was his streak of 229 passes without an interception, the longest such streak of his career. Plummer helped the Broncos compile a 13–3 record, making the Broncos the #2 team in the AFC (behind the Colts), earning the Broncos a first-round bye. The Broncos' first game was against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in the AFC Divisional Game at Invesco Field. Plummer's performance (15-26 for 197 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) helped the Broncos to become the first team to defeat the Patriots in the past 11 postseason games. In the AFC Championship, Plummer and the Broncos were defeated 34–17 by the eventual Super Bowl champions, the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
, with Plummer the cause of 4 Denver turnovers.
On November 27, 2006, after a lackluster performance throughout the first eleven games of the regular season, and directly following back to back losses to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, Broncos head coach, Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
, announced that Plummer would be replaced at starting quarterback by rookie Jay Cutler
Jay Cutler (American football)
Jay Christopher Cutler is a quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played football at Vanderbilt University. Cutler began his professional football career with the Denver Broncos, who selected him as the 11th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. The decision to hand a 7-4 team over to a rookie quarterback was met by fans and media with mixed reactions. Those who viewed Plummer as inconsistent heralded the change as one that would revive the Broncos struggling offense; others claimed such a move was ill-advised, especially given that Plummer had guided the Broncos to the AFC Championship game the year before.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Following the end of the regular season, Plummer was traded to the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
on March 3, 2007, for a 2008 conditional draft pick. A very short time later, however, rumors began to surface that Plummer was going to choose retirement over competition with Buccaneers quarterbacks, Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Gradkowski
Bruce Raymond Gradkowski is an American Football quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at Toledo.Gradkowski has previously been a member of the Tampa...
, Tim Rattay
Tim Rattay
Timothy F. Rattay [] is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League and United Football League. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round of the 2000 NFL Draft...
, Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
, and Luke McCown
Luke McCown
Lucas Patrick McCown is an American football quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League...
. On March 9, Plummer ended the speculation surrounding him by announcing his decision to retire at a live press conference. Plummer also confirmed his retirement through the Jake Plummer Foundation's website.
Though he had announced his retirement, he was still under contract to the Buccaneers, therefore Tampa Bay coach, Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
, met with Plummer to try to convince him to play in the 2007 season. The attempt was unsuccessful. As he did not show up for 2007 training camp, the Buccaneers sued for recovery of his signing bonus. A settlement was reached on June 10, 2008 requiring Plummer to pay back $3.5 million to the Buccaneers.
Handball
Since his now official NFL retirement, Plummer has been an avid player of four-wall handballAmerican handball
American handball is a sport in which players hit a small rubber ball against a wall using their hands.- History :...
. Jake attended his first professional handball tournament in 2007 when he entered the Simple Green US Open of Handball (with brother Eric) in the pro doubles division; eventually losing to future Hall of Fame members John Bike and Danny Bell. In 2008 Jake Plummer hosted his own pro invitational
Plummer Family Helluva Handball Bash
The Plummer Family Helluva Handball Bash is an annual American handball tournament which takes place each Fall in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. Organized by former NFL Quarterback Jake Plummer, the event was first held in 2008 and now draws many top handball professionals each year...
and lost in the finals of the pro consolation bracket to #37 ranked, Jeff Kastner. Jake Plummer played and lost in the semifinals versus brother Eric Plummer (eventual champion) at 2008's Idaho State Singles Championships.
Controversy
On March 23, 1997, Plummer became the subject of controversy when he was accused of fondling three women at Tempe, ArizonaTempe, Arizona
Tempe is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, with the Census Bureau reporting a 2010 population of 161,719. The city is named after the Vale of Tempe in Greece. Tempe is located in the East Valley section of metropolitan Phoenix; it is bordered by Phoenix and Guadalupe on the west, Scottsdale...
, night club, Club Rio. The women stated to police that Plummer reached under their skirts and down their pants while dancing with them and consuming alcohol. When one of the women confronted him, he allegedly kicked her in the leg. Plummer was formally charged on May 28, 1997, with felony sexual abuse. He later struck a plea bargain and received two years probation. He was also fined $1,020 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service.
Personal
He married former Broncos cheerleader, Kollette Klassen, on August 26, 2007. The two met in 2005 and now reside in SandpointSandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 7,365 at the 2010 census.Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products and light manufacturing, tourism and recreation and government services...
in northern Idaho
Idaho Panhandle
The Idaho Panhandle is the northern region of the U.S. State of Idaho that encompasses the ten northernmost counties of Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, Shoshone. Residents of the panhandle refer to the region as North Idaho...
, near Jake's brother, Eric. In June 2010, Kollette gave birth to the couple's first child.
Jake made a brief appearance in the 2007 Holiday Bowl
2007 Holiday Bowl
The 2007 Pacific Life Holiday Bowl was a college football bowl game played December 27, 2007 in San Diego, California. It was part of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season and one of 32 games in the 2007-2008 bowl season. It featured the Texas Longhorns against the Arizona State Sun...
, when he introduced the players of his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Arizona State
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
Recent Honors
On October 29, 2010, Plummer was honored, along with all Sun Devil Quarterbacks, at a Legends Luncheon hosted by the Arizona State University Alumni Association and Sun Devil Club. Other honorees included Danny WhiteDanny White
Wilford Daniel "Danny" White is a former quarterback and punter for the Dallas Cowboys, an American football coach in the Arena Football League and also occasionally appears as an analyst on broadcasts of college football games. He was named the head coach of the Arena Football League expansion...
, Andrew Walter
Andrew Walter
Andrew Scott Walter is a former American football quarterback in National Football League. He was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft after playing college football at Arizona State....
, John F. Goodman
John F. Goodman
Lieutenant General John Floyd Goodman is a retired United States Marine Corps general. He is currently Director of the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance , United States Pacific Command having assumed the directorship on October 17, 2008.-Early life:John...
, and Jeff van Raaphorst
Jeff Van Raaphorst
Jeffrey Richard Van Raaphorst is a former American football quarterback. After going to high school at Grossmont High School in La Mesa, California, Van Raaphorst attended Arizona State University. He led the Sun Devils football team to the PAC-10 championship in his senior year, where they won...
.
Jake Plummer is close friends with notable Missoula, MT resident Kevin Costello, formerly of the Costello Family Band.
Relationship with Pat Tillman
Plummer was a teammate with safety, Pat TillmanPat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
, at both Arizona State and the Arizona Cardinals, and the two became close friends. After the 2001
2001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
season, while Plummer was still with the Cardinals, Tillman joined the U.S. Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
in response to 9/11.
On Sunday, September 19, 2004, all teams of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
wore a memorial decal on their helmets in honor of Pat Tillman
Pat Tillman
Corporal Patrick Daniel "Pat" Tillman Jr. was an American football player who left his professional career and enlisted in the United States Army in June 2002 in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He joined the Army Rangers and served several tours in combat before he died in the...
. The Cardinals continued to wear this decal throughout the 2004
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
season. Meanwhile, Plummer, who by this point was with the Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, requested to also wear the decal for the entire season, but the NFL turned him down for the reason that his helmet would not be uniform with the rest of the team.
For the 2005
2005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
season Plummer grew an untrimmed, full beard, and wore his hair long in honor of Tillman, who had such a style in the NFL before cutting his hair and shaving off his beard to fit military uniform guidelines. By the start of the 2006
2006 NFL season
The 2006 NFL season was the 87th regular season of the National Football League.Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
season, however, Plummer had gone back to cutting his hair short. And while he maintained the beard, he started keeping it trimmed on a regular basis. he still maintained this look in the few public appearances he made since retiring.
See also
- List of NFL Quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards
- List of 300-Yard Passing Games by NFL Quarterbacks