Jason Steven " Jake " Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is a former professional football player, a quarterback for ten seasons at the National Football League ( NFL). He was selected by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft, and spent his first six seasons with the Cardinals and the last four with the Denver Broncos. Plummer plays college football at Arizona State University.
His nickname, "Jake the Snake," was given to him as a tribute to professional wrestler, Jake "the Snake" Roberts. Coincidentally, Roberts adopted the nickname as a tribute to his favorite NFL player, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, nicknamed "Snake."
Plummer joined Pac-12 Network in 2013 as studio analyst for college football.
Video Jake Plummer
Initial years
Born in Boise, Idaho in 1974, Jake and his two older brothers spent most of their youth in the family factory and family shed at Smiley Creek, town 50 in Sawtooths. Plummer attended Pierce Park Elementary, Hillside Junior High, and graduated from Capital High School in 1993. He is a three-star sportsman in high school, playing baseball and basketball beside football. Plummer selected all countries as both quarterback and passenger and pass for 6,097 yards and 68 goals in the junior and senior years.
Maps Jake Plummer
College career
Plummer received a football scholarship to Arizona State University in Tempe. He did not redshirt and took over as an early quarterback (from Grady Benton) at the start of his first season in 1993. He has consistent statistical output, but not amazingly, during his career, and never led Pac-10 in any major statistical category. He threw for an impressive 1,650 yards in his first season, but also had seven interceptions just nine goals. He broke 2,000 yards in 1994 as a second year student, and raised his touchdown to 15. As a junior in 1995, 2,222 yards and 17 goals, many came at important moments in the game, earning him a strong fan base and an all-conference honor despite a poor 6-5 record.
His senior season in 1996 was the best in school history. Arizona State attracted national attention on Sept. 21 when they closed the Nebraska top spots 19-0 to seize 26 Huskers winning wins. Plummer avoids sacks to throw a 25-yard touchdown on the game's opening drive, and finishes 20 from 36 to 292 yards, setting a new school record for passing the career yard in the process. He leads the ASU to an unbeatable regular season and the Pac-10 championship, aided by fellow linebacker all-conferences and personal close friend Pat Tillman. At the Rose Bowl, he scored an 11-yard sensational goal late in the fourth quarter, but Ohio State responded and won 20-17. Victory will likely mean a national championship as the only unbeatable team in the country, but their last ranking is fourth. The third Plummer at the Heisman Trophy voting behind Florida's Danny Wuerffel and Iowa State's Troy Davis, is the second All-American team, and the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year.
Plummer ended his career with some school records; most since then have been surpassed, but 34 games with a hurried or passing touchdown remain an ASU record. A dedicated student, Plummer is also an All-Conference Academic player twice. The 2013 review records Jake Plummer as the best Sun Devil player of all time.
College statistics
Professional career
Arizona Cardinals (1997-2002)
Plummer was designed in the 2nd round of the 1997 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals hometown. He played behind Kent Graham and Stoney Case at the start of his rookie season. He took his first snap at the end of the 4th quarter of game 7, and immediately led the Cardinals on a 98-yard drive, going 4-of-6 for 87 yards and capping with a 31-yard front touchdown. He led the Cardinals to 3 of their 4 wins of the year. Already very popular in ASU, according to teammate Chad Carpenter, he is now treated "like a god." We went to the restaurant and people stood and clapped as he passed. In 1998, Cardinals designed a Plummer friend, Pat Tillman, and both started all 16 games on the go to a regular 9-7 season record. In game 10 against the Dallas Cowboys, he throws for 465 yards and three goals. In the playoffs, he leads the Cardinals to the annoyance of the same Cowboys for the first postseason franchise victory since 1947, before losing in the second round to the Minnesota Vikings.
Plummer had a disappointing season in 1999; he went 3-8 as a starter, threw 9 goals into 24 interception, and Cardinals finished 6-10. Regarding the Plummer season, Football Outsiders commented: "At the start of the 1999 season, Jake Plummer is being celebrated as one of the best young NFL midfielders, the one who will make the honorable Cardinals again." At the end of the 1999 season, Plummer ranks as the worst quarterback of the league. shooters "who risk taking responsibility. In 2000 Plummer threw for 2,946 yards, 21 interception, and had a quarterback rating of 66.0. Though he reached 10,000 yards past his career (at 47 starts), Plummer composed a record of 3-11 and Cardinals finished last in the East NFC.
Plummer bounced back in 2001 with his best statistical season with the Cardinals. He is one of only two NFL quarterbacks to take every snap for his team (another Kerry Collins), and he passes for 3,653 yards, 18 goals, and 14 interceptions. During the season, he has 142 trials in succession without releasing interception. Plummer also led the NFL in the quarter quarter meter (1.227) and Cardinals to a 7-9 record.
The last season of Plummer with Cardinals was in 2002 and again the statistics are down (rating 65.7 passengers, 2,999 yards, 18 goals and 20 interception). On September 22 against the San Diego Chargers, he surpassed 15,000 yards of his career.
In the off season of NFL 2017, Jake Plummer holds at least 9 Cardinals franchise records, including:
- Passing TDs: rookie season (15 year 1997), rookie game (4 on 1997-12-07 WS)
- Passer Rating: rookie game (119.1 on 1997-11-30 PIT)
- Sacked: game (10 on 1997-11-30 PIT), rookie season (52 year 1997)
- Yds/Pass Att: rookie season (7.44 in 1997)
- Pass Yds/Game: rookie season (220.3 year 1997)
- 300 yards passing games: playoff (2) Denver Broncos (2003-2006)