Sonny Jurgensen Biography

Christian Adolph Sonny Jurgensen III was born on August 23, 1934, and played 18 seasons in the NFL as a quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. Jurgensen played college football for the Duke Blue Devils after high school. In 1951, he helped lead New Hanover to the NCHSAA Class AAA state championship as a junior. He played halfback and linebacker during his junior year before transitioning to quarterback as a senior. During his senior year, he tied a team record with interceptions in four straight games and finished with five. Duke lost to South Carolina 7–0 in the 1956 season opener, marking a difficult start to his final college campaign. Jurgensen was selected 43rd overall in the 1957 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.