- Ron Jaworski
Infobox NFLretired
position=Quarterback
number=7,16
birthdate=birth date and age|1951|3|23Lackawanna, New York
debutyear=1974
finalyear=1988
draftyear=1973
draftround=2
draftpick=37
college=Youngstown State
teams=
* Los Angeles Rams (1973-1976)
*Philadelphia Eagles (1977-1986)
*Miami Dolphins (1987-1988)
*Kansas City Chiefs (1989)
stat1label=TD-INT
stat1value=179-164
stat2label=Yards
stat2value=28,190
stat3label=QB Rating
stat3value=72.8
nfl=JAW553722
highlights=
*Pro Bowl selection (1980)
* 1980Bert Bell Award
* 1980UPI NFC Player of the Year Ronald Vincent "Jaws" Jaworski (born
March 23 ,1951 in Lackawanna, New York) is a formerAmerican football quarterback and currently an NFLanalyst onESPN . He is also CEO of Ron Jaworski Golf Management, Inc. based out ofBlackwood, New Jersey and managesgolf course s in southernNew Jersey , northeastPennsylvania , andWest Virginia . He also owns part interest in thePhiladelphia Soul of theArena Football League .National Football League career
1977 season
In the spring of 1977, Jaworski was traded by the L.A. Rams to the
Philadelphia Eagles for formerAll-Pro tight end Charle Young ; the trade was technically illegal under NFL by-laws since both Jaworski and Young had completed their contracts, but no one raised any objection to the deal so it was permitted to stand.He teamed up with a young coach namedDick Vermeil , and was given the opportunity to start for the up-and-coming Eagles. Things were not easy for the young QB, but Vermeil stood by his developing QB, and soon the Eagles became a playoff team.1980 season
The Eagles made the playoffs in 1978 and 1979, but lost in the early rounds. Little-by-little, Vermeil built the Eagles into a
Super Bowl team, and Jaworski was its leader on offense. In 1980, the Eagles started out 11-1 in the regular season, (including defeating the eventual Super Bowl championOakland Raiders ), and won the NFC East Division for the first time. Jaworski had a stellar season. In 1980, Jaworski was named the UPI "NFL Player of the Year", and also in that same year he received theBert Bell Award , TheMaxwell Football Club 's Professional Player of the Year award, and the Professional Athlete of the Year award sponsored byDunlop Rubber .The Eagles beat the
Minnesota Vikings in the Divisional Round of the playoffs (31-16), and then defeated theDallas Cowboys in theNFC Championship Game (20-7) to reach the franchise's first Super Bowl. It was one of the greatest games in Philadelphia sports history.Tom Landry 's Cowboys had dominated the Eagles during the past decade, and the victory was sweet for the franchise and its fans.The Eagles ultimately lost in
Super Bowl XV to the Oakland Raiders.End of Eagles career
Despite compiling generally good statistics during his tenure with the Eagles (which lasted through 1986), Jaworski was never able to win a Super Bowl with the Eagles. Likewise, the Eagles did not return to the successes of the 1978-81 playoff years under their new
head coach ,Marion Campbell (the "Swamp Fox"). Following a shaky performance in the 1985 season-opener, he was benched and replaced byrookie Randall Cunningham in Week 2; Jaworski subsequently regained the starter's role and performed well, earning NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors in Week 7. He also tied an NFL record with a 99-yard overtimetouchdown pass toMike Quick in 1985. After more injuries to Jaworski in 1986, Cunningham remained the starter and the team did not re-sign Jaworski at season's end. He finished with 69 wins, 67 losses and 1 tie as the Eagles starting QB. [http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/J/JawoRo00.htm?redir]Miami Dolphins
In the spring of 1987, he signed with the
Miami Dolphins as backup toDan Marino . Jaworski never took the field in 1987 and saw limited action in 1988.Kansas City Chiefs
He moved on to the
Kansas City Chiefs in 1989, starting a pair of games in a QB rotation that includedSteve DeBerg andSteve Pelluer . At one point, he and centerMike Webster formed the oldest starting QB-center combo in NFL history. Following that season, he retired as an NFL player. Jaworski turned down appeals to return to the Eagles in 1991, when Cunningham was lost for the season due to an injury in Week 1.Career statistics
Jaworski finished his 17 season career with 2,187 completions on 4,117 attempts for 28,190 yards, 179 touchdowns, and 164 interceptions. He also rushed for 859 yards and 16 touchdowns. He previously held the record for most consecutive starts by a quarterback [http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=1345] with 116 having since been surpassed by
Brett Favre andPeyton Manning . His 170 regular season touchdowns with the Philadelphia Eagles was the most in franchise history until he was surpassed byDonovan McNabb onSeptember 21 ,2008 , 22 years after Jaworski left Philadelphia.Awards
In 1979, he and
Joe Pisarcik received medals fromPope John Paul II on the occasion of his visit toPhiladelphia . Like the Pope, both men are of Polish ancestry, with Jaworski being nicknamed "The Polish Rifle."While still playing for the Eagles in 1986, Jaworski was inducted into the YSU Sports Hall of Fame at his collegiate alma-mater,
Youngstown State University . [ [http://www.ysu.edu/sports/traditions/hofclasses.htm YSUsports.com- Hall of Fame Inductees By Class ] ] Along with formerPittsburgh Steelers quarterbackCliff Stoudt (inducted 1987 & Jaworski's successor on the football team, though playing for the Cardinals at this point) and recently-retiredSt. Louis Rams kickerJeff Wilkins (inducted in 2003), Jaworski is one of only three former YSU football players to be inducted while still active in the NFL.In 1991, Jaworski was inducted into the
National Polish-American Hall of Fame .In 1992, Jaworski was inducted into the
Philadelphia Eagles Honor Roll , and in 1994 he was nominated for admission to thePro Football Hall of Fame inCanton, Ohio (his first year of eligibility for this as he had retired five years earlier, in 1989).In 1997, he received the
Pinnacle Award from the South Jersey Chamber of Commerce for his outstanding volunteer work and longtime service to the South Jersey Chamber as well as the business community.In 1997, Jaworski received the
Bert Bell Award from the Eagles Fly for Leukemia, which is given to the person who had contributed significantly to the NFL.In 1998, The United Way honored Ron with their Volunteer Leadership Award, which is the highest award given by the United Way.
In 2007, the Father's Day Council of the Greater Philadelphia chapter of the
American Diabetes Association selected Ron to receive one of their "Father of the Year" awards.Post-NFL career
He currently serves as team president of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League (owned by
Jon Bon Jovi ), and an NFL analyst on ESPN] . He owns and operates a Golf Course inBlackwood, New Jersey called Valleybrook Golf Course. His management company runs two golf courses, one in Drums, Pennsylvania called Edgewood in the Pines Golf Course, and another inMineralwells, West Virginia called Woodridge Plantation. He will soon be managing a third golf course called Running Deer Golf Club inPittsgrove, New Jersey . He was part of ESPN's broadcasting team for the second half of its opening-night "Monday Night Football " doubleheader onSeptember 11 , 2006, withBrad Nessler andDick Vermeil . Jaworski was also thecolor commentator forTampa Bay Buccaneers preseason games onWFLA-TV from 2003 to 2006. In 2007, he replacedJoe Theismann as color commentator for ESPN's 2007 "Monday Night Football" broadcasts, where he partners withMike Tirico andTony Kornheiser .Personal
Jaworski and his wife, Liz, live in suburban Philadelphia. They have three children, Joleen, Jessica, and William.
References
External links
*http://www.ronjaworski.com
* [http://www.databasefootball.com/players/playerpage.htm?ilkid=JAWORRON01 More Career Stats]
*http://www.valleybrookgolf.com
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