- published: 09 Aug 2015
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Christian Adolph "Sonny" Jurgensen III (born August 23, 1934) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1983.
Jurgensen was born in Wilmington, North Carolina. He became active in sports as early as elementary school, when he led his school to the city grammar school titles in baseball and basketball. He later captured the boys tennis championship of Wilmington and pitched for his local Civitan club, who won the city baseball title.
Jurgensen attended and played high school football at New Hanover High School. He played a number of positions for the team and as a junior was a backup quarterback on the state championship team. After a senior year where he scored three touchdowns and kicked nine extra points, he was chosen to start at quarterback for the North Carolina team in the annual North Carolina vs. South Carolina Shrine Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina.