Hart to heart: From NFL quarterback to big local benefactor
As a Washington Redskins fan in the ?70s, I developed a feeling of dread whenever the ?Skins played the St. Louis Cardinals. No lead was safe. In the end, Don Coryell?s ?Cardiac Cardinals,? led by quarterback Jim Hart, would snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Jim was always cool under pressure, and with teammates such as Mel Grey and Terry Metcalf, he always came up with the big game-winning play.
Jim and his wife, Mary, have called the Paradise Coast home for more than a decade. It was a call from close friend and former Redskin quarterback Sonny Jurgensen that led the Harts here in the first place. The 1999 call was an invitation for Jim to play in the Immokalee Child Care Center Celebrity Golf Invitational. In recent years, Jim has been helping run the event.
For the past 13 years, net proceeds from the golf tournament have benefitted the endowment fund and scholarship fund for the center, provides an accredited early childhood learning and development curriculum to pre-school, low-income and migrant children in the Immokalee area.
The 14th Annual Mike Ditka / Jim Hart Celebrity Golf Invitational takes place this year on Friday (the Celebrity Pairings Party) and Saturday, April 5-6. I look forward to playing again this year, alongside celebrities including Mr. Jurgensen and
M( Mike Ditka, Sam Wyche and Billy Kilmer. (There?s wd still a chance to sign up; visit www.immokaleechildcarecenter.org for details.) wt Jim was born in 1944. His father died when Jim was 7, and he credits his stepfather for encouraging him to get into sports.
Growing up in Morton?s Grove, Ill., he started playing football at age 13 and played varsity football, baseball and basketball all through high school. He chose to attend Southern Illinois University at Carbondale because it was easily accessible by train, which meant his parents would be able to come watch him play football.
The team didn?t perform very well, however, nor did Jim win any awards or honors for his performance on the field. It was no surprise to him that he didn?t make the 1966 NFL draft.
It appeared his football career was over ? until his coach at SIU, Don Shroyer, who was a former assistant coach with the St. Louis Cardinals, arranged a tryout for Jim with the team. Jim was offered a contract.
Jim was a backup for Charley Johnson and others until the new coach for the Cardinals, the aforementioned Don Coryell, tapped him to start in 1973. Jim remained the starter for the Cardinals through the 1983 season.
From 1974-1976, he guided the Cardinals to three straight 10-plus-win seasons and to back-to-back division crowns in 1974 and 1975. He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and was named NFC Player of the Year by UPI. He threw for 34,665 yards and 209 touchdown passes in the NFL and was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
When Coach Coryell left St. Louis to join the San Diego Chargers, Jim once again believed his football career had ended. But then Joe Gibbs, a former assistant under Coach Coryell, asked Jim to provide veteran presence and play backup to rookie quarterback Jay Schroeder with the Redskins. Jim ultimately retired from professional football in 1984. In the 1990s, he served as athletic director at his alma mater, SIU.
In recent years, chronic pain has become Jim?s unwelcome companion. Among other ailments, he has had a hip replacement and dealt with Barrett?s esophagus, a precursor to cancer. He remains upbeat, however, and is a generous contributor to the community. He and Mary will celebrate their 46th wedding anniversary in June.
Local golfers can get to know Jim at his tournament in April. I hope to see you there! ?
Talking points with Jim Hart
Something your mom was always right about: Treat people nicely and they will treat you likewise.
Mentors: Former NFL quarterbacks Charley Johnson, Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A baseball player or a teacher/coach.
High school job: Caddy.
Next vacation destination: Pebble Beach, Calif.
Something people might be surprised to find out about you: I play the accordion and the electric organ.
Skill or talent you wish you had: I?d love to be able to play music by ear.
Advice for your grandkids: Study hard but have fun.
Best thing about grandkids: They go home at the end of the day.
Something that?s been on your mind: Everlasting life.
What makes you laugh? I can find humor in almost anything.
Last book you read: ?Twelve Mighty Orphans,? by Jim Dent.
Something you?ll never understand: Women.
Pet peeve: Rude people.
Guilty pleasure: Ice cream.
What are you most proud of? My career.
Favorite thing about the Paradise Coast: The weather.
What I miss about the Paradise Coast when I?m away: See above.
? Bob Harden is the producer and host of ?The Bob Harden Show,? airing from 7- 8 a. m. weekdays at www.bobharden.com. The show is archived for listeners? convenience.
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