#Sonny August 23

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On Thursday August 8th I saw that a legendary North Carolinian was retiring.

SONNY Jurgensen on August 8th announced his retirement from broadcasting with the Washington Redskins. He had been associated with the National Football League (NFL) as a player and broadcaster for 62-years.

On August 23, 1934, legendary quarterback Christian Jurgensen, was born in Wilmington, NC. He was pretty much called SONNY his entire life. So today is his 85th birthday.

In many circles the redheaded Jurgensen is considered one of the all-time best passers in pro football history.

Sonny played 11 years with the Washington Redskins and then at the age of 41 retired from the game as a player. He joined the Redskins broadcast team in 1981, as a color analyst. Part of his broadcast team included Sam Huff. To many Redskins fans Sam and Sonny became an institution.

The two would occasionally disagree during a broadcast and that chemistry is what made them unique.

SONNY was a multi-talented athlete at New Hanover HS in Wilmington during the 1940s and 1950s, playing baseball, basketball, football and tennis.

He attended Duke University and joined the varsity football squad in 1954 as a defensive back, becoming starting quarterback the next year and leading the team to the Orange Bowl.

He then played seven seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles after signing as a 4th round draft pick in 1957. In 1964 on April’s Fools Day, the Eagles traded him to the Washington Redskins.  He finished up his playing career with Washington.

After his retirement as a player SONNY began his sports casting career, first with CBS, and then in 1980 with the Redskins Radio Broadcast Team.

He was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONNY.