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Joseph Robert Theismann (born September 9, 1949 in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA), is a former American football quarterback in the NFL. He was born to an Austrian father, Joseph John Thiesmann and a Hungarian mother, Olga Tobias and was raised in South River, New Jersey. He played football for the University of Notre Dame and was a runner-up for the 1970 Heisman Trophy which went to Jim Plunkett of Stanford University. Late in the season, his hallmates in Zahm Hall hung an enormous banner out of a 4th story window proclaiming, "Theisman for Heisman", (sic) changing the original pronunciation of his surname, "THEEZ-man," to rhyme with "Heisman", which he has used since.[1] [2] During his collegiate career, the smallish Theismann (just 6'-0", 180 lb/1.83 m, 82 kg), led the Fighting Irish to a 20-3-2 record. He still holds the school record for most passing yards in a single game with 526 against USC in a torrential downpour in 1970. Theismann played high school football at South River High School. For his efforts as a collegiate player, Joe Theismann was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. Prior to joining the NFL, he was a Canadian Football League star. After an injury ended his professional career, he settled with his family in Loudoun County, Virginia.
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