"Sonny Jurgensen learned he had been traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to the team now known as the Washington Commanders while eating lunch on April 1, 1964. He thought it was an April Fool's prank. Jurgensen had been in the NFL for seven seasons, all with the Eagles. He had been their starter for the last three years and had led the league in total passing yards in two of them. In 1961, he also led the league in touchdowns."
"But Philadelphia had fallen off in 1962 and '63. Jurgensen was seen as too much of a swashbuckler. A risk-taker. Sure, he threw 54 touchdowns in 1961 and '62 - an outstanding total for the era. But he also tossed 50 interceptions in the same two years. When he struggled with an injury in 1963, the brass in Philadelphia began looking to move on."
"Washington had a promising young signal-caller named Norm Snead, whom they were willing to part with for a chance to grab a mercurial talent like Jurgensen. Sonny Jurgensen was the embodiment of everything great about Washington football And so it came to pass that Jurgensen was sitting in a deli eating lunch when he found out he would have a new NFL home."
"Jurgensen died on Friday at the age of 91. His legacy in both the league and Washington is secure. The Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Ring of Honor. More than 50 years after he took his last snap for Washington, he remains one of the two or three most beloved players in franchise history."
Sonny Jurgensen was traded from the Philadelphia Eagles to Washington on April 1, 1964, and initially thought the news was an April Fool's prank. He spent seven NFL seasons with Philadelphia, starting the last three and leading the league in passing yards twice and touchdowns in 1961. Philadelphia's decline in 1962-63 and Jurgensen's risk-taking style, including many interceptions, prompted the team to move on. Washington traded Norm Snead to acquire him. Jurgensen became a foundational figure in Washington football, earned Pro Football Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor recognition, and died at age 91.
Read at Riggo's Rag
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