Why is Joe Theismann not in the Hall of Fame? Did Joe Theismann change the pronunciation of his last name?

Why is Joe Theismann not in the Hall of Fame? Did Joe Theismann change the pronunciation of his last name? – Joseph Robert Theismann is an American former professional football player, sports commentator, corporate speaker, and restaurateur.

He rose to fame playing quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL).

Theismann spent 12 seasons with the Washington Redskins, where he was a two-time Pro Bowler and helped the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl XVII over the Miami Dolphins and losing Super Bowl XVIII.

Why is Joe Theismann not in the Hall of Fame?

In 1983, Theismann led the Washington Redskins to a 14-2 record and an appearance in Super Bowl XVIII in 1983, one year after capturing the championship with the Redskins. He completed 60.1% of his passes for 3,914 yards with a career-high 29 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions (a career-high 97.0 passer rating).

Theismann is not a member of the NFL Hall of Fame despite ranking second in throwing touchdowns (in 1983) and having the most game-winning drives (four). This is primarily due to the fact that an injury ended his career early. When Theismann was forced to retire in 1985 due to a broken leg, he was only 25th all-time in throwing touchdowns (160) and 21st in passing yards (25,206).

Below is a summary of reasons why Theisman is not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

His career was cut short by injury: Theismann broke his leg in a gruesome play during the 1985 season and never played again. He was only 35 years old at the time and had just completed one of his best seasons.

His statistics are not overwhelming: Theismann finished his career with 25,206 passing yards, 160 touchdowns, and 125 interceptions. He was a solid quarterback, but he was not among the all-time greats.

He played in a very competitive era: Theismann played in the NFL from 1974 to 1985. During that time, there were many other great quarterbacks in the league, such as Roger Staubach, Terry Bradshaw, Joe Namath, and Dan Fouts. Theismann was never able to separate himself from the other great quarterbacks of his era.

Theismann was, however, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Did Joe Theismann change the pronunciation of his last name?

Yes, Joe Theismann changed the pronunciation of his last name. According to the NFL and Wikipedia, his last name was originally pronounced as “THEES-mann”.

However, when he was playing college football for Notre Dame and contending for the Heisman Trophy, Notre Dame publicity man Roger Valdiserri insisted that he change the pronunciation of his name to rhyme with “Heisman.”