Biography
Others Talk About
PLUMMER GOES TO HEAD OF THE CLASS
October 20, 2004
By Pat Rooney, Special to the News
THORNTON - Twelve-year-old Jacob Stoller brought a friend to class Tuesday and immediately became the most popular kid at York Middle School.
But not because he began the school day by stepping out of a long black limousine.
Stoller drew the envy and admiration of his classmates after surviving the luck of the draw in a "Take a Player to School" contest conducted by J.C. Penney. Stoller's prize? Sharing a limo ride to school with Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer.
Plummer surprised a group of about 225 sixth-graders at the Thornton school, beginning his busy day off by giving a speech praising the virtues of staying in school and participating in after-school programs.
"They didn't know I was coming, and it is always fun to put a smile on a kid's face," Plummer said. "It was a lot of fun to remember what it was like to be in sixth grade. Jacob (Stoller) was lucky enough to win, and it was pretty exciting for him and for me to talk to some kids."
After his appearance at York, Plummer made his way to the Broncos' annual blood drive at Invesco Field. While there, Plummer put on an Arizona Cardinals jersey with No. 40 to tape a public-service announcement for the Pat Tillman Foundation.
Tillman, a former teammate of Plummer's at Arizona State University and with the Cardinals, left the NFL after 9/11 to join the U.S. Army and was killed in combat in Afghanistan in April.
Every team in the league wore a decal honoring Tillman's No. 40 during Week 2, but Plummer was facing a potential fine from the league for continuing to wear the decal in defiance of the NFL's uniform code.
Taping the public-service announcement was part of a compromise Plummer reached with the league in lieu of a fine. The spot will air twice at each of the remaining Broncos home games and at every NFL game the weekend after the Nov. 11 observance of Veterans Day.
"Compromise is good. Sometimes you have to settle for compromises in life," Plummer said Tuesday. "I would have liked to keep wearing (Tillman's) number, but I'm happy we could do something for Pat. He's a guy who should be remembered more than just on one day."
Plummer's day at school with "Little Jake" Stoller was repeated throughout the country Tuesday, as players with all 32 NFL teams accompanied similar sweepstakes winners to their respective schools.
The stunned sixth-graders at York couldn't have been more surprised about the guest provided by Stoller, who gamely kept Plummer's appearance a secret for a week.
"It was easy," Stoller said. "(Monday), the principal came in and said we were having an assembly and that it was a secret who is coming. I was pretty happy when I heard that Jake was coming."
Plummer began his appearance by recounting his personal and academic background, reminding the youngsters throughout his speech about the need to never lose faith in their goals. The 29-year-old quarterback then opened the floor to questions, answering such pertinent queries as "Do you party much?" and "Do you know John Elway?"
Plummer then signed autographs and threw passes to some of Stoller's classmates before moving on to the Broncos' blood drive.
"When I was a kid, I looked up to athletes, and now to be in that situation, to be in an athlete's shoes, it's fun to go back and send a positive message to the kids," Plummer said. "Working with kids is a lot of fun. I was a kid once, and I was a fan of all sports. To be able to come back and make an impact, it's a lot of fun."