[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 183 (Friday, November 15, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1452-E1453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING JAKE PLUMMER FOR HIS INDUCTION INTO THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL 
                              HALL OF FAME

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                           HON. GREG STANTON

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, November 15, 2019

  Mr. STANTON. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize and honor Jake 
Plummer, a legendary former student athlete at Arizona State University 
who has earned induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.
  ``Jake the Snake'' made his first pass as a Sun Devil quarterback 
count: a 78-yard touchdown in the team's shutout win over the 
University of Utah. It's clear that the world should have known at that 
time, at that place, that Plummer's Sun Devil career would be one for 
the ages. But few could have predicted the heights the young gunslinger 
from Boise, Idaho would take the program.
  The Sun Devils needed a savior. After the team consistently earned 
bowl game appearances in the 1970s and 1980s, it was in the midst of a 
decade-long drought as Plummer entered his senior year as the team's 
captain. That year, 1996, there was renewed promise. And under the 
guidance of head coach Bruce Snyder, the team began the season with a 
gritty roster and a Top 25 ranking.
  Hopes for a Pac-10 championship nearly ended as soon as they began. 
During the season opener, ASU squandered a 42-21 lead, allowing the 
University of Washington to score three straight touchdowns to tie the 
game. With just a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Sun Devil 
offense took the field and Plummer orchestrated a 42-yard drive that 
set up a game-winning field goal. Plummer and the team showed they 
could overcome adversity--an inner-strength they would need several 
times throughout the season.
  The nation finally took notice of this special Sun Devil squad when 
it shut out two-time defending national champion and top-ranked 
Nebraska Cornhuskers before more than 74,000

[[Page E1453]]

fans at Sun Devil Stadium on September 21, 1996. Plummer sparked the 
team's stellar performance, leading the team 80 yards down the field on 
its first offensive drive and connecting with wide receiver Keith Poole 
for a 25-yard touchdown to put ASU on the board. The Sun Devils' 19-0 
victory ended Nebraska's 26-game winning streak and marked just the 
second time a No. 1 team had been shut out in college football history.
  For Plummer, highlights continued throughout the year. After the Sun 
Devils fell behind on the road to the UCLA Bruins, Plummer delivered on 
what is now one of the most memorable plays in ASU history. With 6:45 
left in the fourth quarter, and the Devils on the Bruins' 16-yard line, 
Plummer handed the ball off to halfback J.R. Redmond. Redmond moved 
right, then faded back to throw the ball back to Plummer, who caught it 
at the 10-yard line before slithering past four Bruin defenders and 
into the end zone for a touchdown.
  After vanquishing its remaining Pac-10 opponents, Plummer and the Sun 
Devils pummeled their arch-rival Arizona Wildcats with a 56-14 win in 
Tucson.
  The undefeated Sun Devils earned the Pac-10 championship and 
represented the conference in the 1997 Rose Bowl.
  Plummer's season--and career--remains one of the best in Sun Devil 
history. After the 1996 season, during which he threw 24 touchdowns and 
for more than 2,500 yards, he was named a finalist for the Heisman 
Trophy, recognized as the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, a second 
team All-American, and was a two-time All-Academic All-Conference 
player.
  Jake Plummer went on to be drafted into the National Football League 
by the Arizona Cardinals and also started for the Denver Broncos, but 
it is his time at ASU--and especially his legendary senior season--that 
earned him his spot in the Hall of Fame. He remains a fan favorite in 
Tempe, and I am honored to recognize his career and contributions to 
Arizona.

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