Joe Theismann

What makes you special? It isn’t what you think.

What happened to Joe Theismann is not what Joe Theismann will tell you happened to him. His take on the day that ended his career as an elite NFL quarterback has made a huge difference on how his life turned out.

Theismann’s football career ended on November 18, 1985 when he suffered a compound fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg while being sacked by linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson of the New York Giants during Monday Night Football.

But a gruesome injury and the end of his days on the gridiron were not the end of his life. “Snap your fingers,” he says. “That’s how fast your life can change.” But you shouldn’t let it define you. The road from injury opened the door to Theismann becoming an ESPN sportscaster, motivational speaker, restaurateur and actor. “These days people no longer associate me with a broken leg. They recognize me from the Hallmark movie, ‘Love on the Sidelines.’”

As an actor, Theismann has appeared in Cannonball Run II and The Man with Bogart’s Face. He went on to play himself in the TV series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and “Necessary Roughness.” He also starred in the TV movie “The Man from Left Field,” and in the Hallmark Original “Love on the Sidelines.”

And as an author, in his latest book, “How to Be a Champion Every Day,” Theismann recounts stories from his impressive career, providing an inspirational guide for how to succeed on a team, in your career, and in your everyday life.

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