Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Sonny Jurgensen has died at age 91, his family announced Friday.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our husband, father and grandfather, Sonny Jurgensen,” said a statement from the Jurgensen family, distributed by the Washington Commanders.
“We are enormously proud of his amazing life and accomplishments on the field, marked not only by a golden arm, but also a fearless spirit and intellect that earned him a place among the legends in Canton.”
Jurgensen spent the final 11 seasons of his 18-year career playing for the Washington franchise.
A native of Wilmington, N.C., Jurgensen was a fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles out of Duke in 1957. He was the backup to Norm Van Brocklin when Philadelphia won the 1960 NFL Championship before becoming the Eagles’ starter the following season.
That was the only NFL title of his career.
In 1964 he was traded to Washington, where his No. 9 is retired. After his playing career, he became a longtime radio and television broadcaster for Washington.
“Sonny Jurgensen is, and always will be, one of the defining legends of Washington football. He was a brilliant leader, Hall of Fame quarterback, and had one of the best arms the game has ever seen. After his career on the field, Sonny’s voice became a fixture of Washington Sundays for decades, shaping the way generations of fans experienced the game,” Commanders’ managing partner Josh Harris said in a statement Friday.
Jurgensen is in Washington’s Ring of Fame and the Eagles’ Hall of Fame and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
A first-team All-Pro in 1961, he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and named to the Hall of Fame’s All-1960s team.
Jurgensen led the league in passing yards five times. His 32,224 career passing yards ranks 51st all-time.
He finished 69-71-7 in 218 games (147 starts) with Philadelphia (1957-1963) and Washington (1964-1974), throwing 255 touchdown passes. He added 15 on the ground and ran for 493 yards in his career.
