Raiders' Plunkett, Flores scored big with Hispanic fans
The Shadow
By David Flores
It's been 24 years since Oakland Raiders coach Tom Flores and his
quarterback, Jim Plunkett, made Hispanics proud on a magical afternoon at
the Superdome in New Orleans.
If you're Hispanic and old enough to remember the Oakland Raiders' 27-10
victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, you appreciate the
significance of the game in nuestra gente's sports history.
"I'll never forget that day," said Roy Zuniga, president of Latinos in
Action Sports Association. "I'm sure a lot of Hispanics feel the same way."
Plunkett, picked up by the Raiders in 1979 after bouncing around the NFL for
eight seasons, was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21 passes for
261 yards and three touchdowns.
The Raiders' Super Bowl triumph — their second in five years — came in
Flores' second season as their head coach.
"It was the first time it had ever happened — an Hispanic coach and an
Hispanic quarterback winning the Super Bowl — so we were very proud," Zuniga
said.
Flores, the first quarterback in Oakland history, replaced John Madden as
the Raiders' coach in February 1979.
The Raiders won another Super Bowl three years later, beating the Washington
Redskins 38-9 with Flores as their coach and Plunkett at quarterback.
"This is Dallas Cowboys country, but when Flores took over the Raiders and
Plunkett was playing, we lived and died by how the Raiders did," Zuniga
said. "We were so proud to have an Hispanic head coach and quarterback in
the NFL."
Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy in 1970 when he was a senior at Stanford.
A San Antonio businessman, Zuniga founded Latinos in Action in 1992 to help
promote young Hispanic athletes and help them go to college.
Zuniga and Noe Medina, a cousin, established the National Hispanic Sports
Hall of Fame in San Antonio in 1995.
Zuniga finally had the opportunity to meet Flores when he was inducted into
the National Hispanic Sports Hall of Fame in 2000. He said Latinos in Action
also has plans to induct Plunkett.
"It was a thrill for me to meet Tom," Zuniga said. "Flores beat the odds.
He's a great role model for our kids.
"He came up the hard way. He's a complete gentleman. He doesn't talk about
himself. He's very low key, very humble. Tom Flores is somebody we can be
proud of."
We are.
TAFKAB
tortorous stint in NE under a succession of absolutely horrible coaches. At
one point, I'd have sworn there was a plot to either get him killed or
totally embarass him. He rose above it, won his rings, and remaind a class
act all the way. Great football player, fine man.
"The Shadow" <mie...@bright.net> wrote in message
news:K-6dnUUQbf8...@bright.net...
The Shadow
What does not kill you makes you stronger.
"TAFKAB" <TheA...@FormerlyKnownAs.Bowser> wrote in message
news:p_uKd.1$Y_...@bos-service2.ext.ray.com...
> For me,what made Plunkett's success amazing was that he survived his
> tortorous stint in NE under a succession of absolutely horrible coaches.
> At one point, I'd have sworn there was a plot to either get him killed or
> totally embarass him. He rose above it, won his rings, and remaind a class
> act all the way. Great football player, fine man.
>
> "The Shadow" <mie...@bright.net> wrote in message
> news:K-6dnUUQbf8...@bright.net...
>> http://www.mysanantonio.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> By David Flores
>>
>>
>>
>> It's been 24 years since Oakland Raiders coach Tom Flores and his
>> quarterback, Jim Plunkett, made Hispanics proud on a magical afternoon at
>> the Superdome in New Orleans.
>>
>> If you're Hispanic and old enough to remember the Oakland Raiders' 27-10
>> victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV, you appreciate the
>> significance of the game in nuestra gente's sports history.
>>
>> "I'll never forget that day," said Roy Zuniga, president of Latinos in
>> Action Sports Association. "I'm sure a lot of Hispanics feel the same
>> way."
>>
>> Plunkett, picked up by the Raiders in 1979 after bouncing around the NFL
>> for eight seasons, was named Super Bowl MVP after completing 13 of 21
>> passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns.
>>
>> The Raiders' Super Bowl triumph - their second in five years - came in
>> Flores' second season as their head coach.
>>
>> "It was the first time it had ever happened - an Hispanic coach and an
>> Hispanic quarterback winning the Super Bowl - so we were very proud,"