Christian Adolf Jurgensen III better known as, Sonny Jurgensen, might have played in an era of football where quarterbacks were extremely reserved, but Jurgensen was willing to take risks through the air while he was on the field. During his tenure in the NFL, a lot of controversy surrounded his style of play for refusing to play ball-controlled conservative football. His unwillingness to conform split the city of Washington DC in half on whether Jurgensen or the team's second option should be the starting quarterback for the Redskins back in the early 1970s. Jurgensen attended Duke University from 1954 to 1956 and had an instant impact on the field as a defensive back. In his initial year with the team, Jurgensen broke a school record, nabbing an interception in four consecutive games. The following year, Sonny took over as starting quarterback and led the Blue Devils to an ACC co-championship. Despite starting out hot, Jurgensen had an abysmal final year at Duke, finishing the season 5-4-1.
Sonny Jurgensen would go on to be drafted 43rd overall in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles where he would play seven seasons out of the eighteen seasons of his total NFL career. Sonny would go on to win an NFL Championship with the Eagles as a backup in 1960 but threw for an NFL record 3,723 yards and an NFL record-tying 32 touchdowns the following year as the team's starting quarterback. At the time, this was unheard of and Jurgensen began to revolutionize the game as a precision passer throughout his entire NFL career. In 1964, 5x Pro Bowler signed a deal with the Washington Redskins where he would play for the next decade before retiring. Throughout Jurgensen's nearly two-decade career, he would lead the league in passing yards five times as well as touchdowns twice.
When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.
John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop
Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.
Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.