PLUNKETT'S LEGACY IS NEARLY LOST : QUARTERBACK'S RECORD IN SUPER BOWLS DESERVES TO BE REMEMBERED VIVIDLY BY ALL.

Byline: Pedro Gomez Sacramento Bee

Time has not been kind to Jim Plunkett.

Outside of Raiders and Stanford circles, Plunkett's name rarely surfaces when talk turns to great modern-era quarterbacks.

Indeed, among today's youth, the former Heisman Trophy and two-time Super Bowl winner remains relatively unknown.

``You can't talk about Jim Plunkett's qualifications in front of a group of young players,'' said John Ralston, who coached Plunkett at Stanford from 1967-70 and retired from coaching this past season at San Jose State. ``They don't know him. It's really unfortunate.''

With his name causing many to draw a blank, Plunkett's accomplishments on the football field have largely faded into a trivia question: ``Who was the last quarterback to lead an AFC team to a Super Bowl victory?''

Answer: Plunkett.

With heavily favored Green Bay representing the NFC against New England in Sunday's Super Bowl, it appears Plunkett will keep his claim for another year as the last AFC quarterback to win the big game.

``It's not something that comes up that often,'' said Plunkett, 49, who now owns part of a Coors Beer distributorship in Stockton and is a radio analyst before and after Raiders games. ``It's kind of a dubious honor. For the most part, I'd like to see the AFC get the Super Bowl back. There's still certain teams I'm not real fond of.''

Yes, it's been 13 years since Plunkett helped lead the then-Los Angeles Raiders to a crushing victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVIII.

While Plunkett played a mostly overlooked part in the Raiders' 38-9 victory that Jan. 22, 1984, evening in Tampa, Fla., his former teammates and coaches point to his leadership abilities as one of the biggest reasons they won that season.

``I remember looking at his body,'' said former Pro Bowl defensive lineman Howie Long. ``It was terrible. He had cuts, bruises and scars everywhere. But when it came time to play, especially in big games, he always rose to the occasion. It gave everyone confidence.''

Long, now an analyst for Fox TV, said the Raiders always looked to Plunkett for inspiration.

``What he gave us was what I call the `El Cid' factor,'' Long said. ``I always likened him to Charlton Heston's character in the movie `El Cid.' In that final scene where they're outnumbered 20-1 and the castle is surrounded and it looks like they have no chance.

``Then they prop up Heston's beat-up body on a horse, open the gates and march him out there. The opposing army retreats just at the sight of him.

``He had that effect on our team. He was a calm individual who handled the offense. He was an integral part of setting the tone for the whole team.''

The biggest reason Plunkett might now be overlooked is the way he looked doing his job. Flair was never a part of his game.

Plunkett was a very unassuming player who never showed much pizazz while quarterbacking, which tends to get guys like Fran Tarkenton and Dan Marino far more attention even though the two have combined for zero Super Bowl victories.

``Jim had some ugly days,'' said former Raiders coach Tom Flores. ``But winning is the bottom line and he did that. It's not fair that he's not mentioned more often.''

The Raiders' 1983 championship season, the last time the team appeared in a Super Bowl, didn't go entirely Plunkett's way.

Midway through that season, Flores benched Plunkett and went with Marc Wilson, who at the time looked to be a future NFL star.

Wilson started three games and Plunkett's career once again seemed over, just as it had five years earlier after the 49ers released him.

Following his departure from San Francisco, every NFL team passed on Plunkett except the Raiders. The team paid the then- $100 fee for the rights to Plunkett in 1978, hoping the veteran could help the team as a reliable backup. Instead, Plunkett ended up leading the Raiders to Super Bowl victories in the 1980 and 1983 seasons.

``It had to be the lowest point in my career,'' Plunkett said of his release. ``At the time I felt I should maybe get out of football. Maybe I should do something else. After winning the two Super Bowls, it definitely was a kind of vindication.''

Being the MVP of Super Bowl XV, Plunkett didn't take kindly to the 1983 benching, even asking the Raiders to trade or release him so he could sign elsewhere.

``He had gone through a couple of horrendous days,'' Flores said. ``He was beat up and he wasn't getting any better. His body needed rest.''

Just as Wilson was beginning to show flashes of brilliance, the Raiders' No. 1 pick of 1980 broke a bone in his shoulder. Once again ``El Cid'' rode in to lead the Raiders to victory in the regular season and the playoffs.

``During a game he didn't look pretty doing things,'' said former teammate Art Shell, a Hall of Fame offensive tackle who is now an assistant coach with Kansas City. ``But he found a way to get things done. He always had the players' respect and I think that's a big reason we won with him.''

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Photo: Jim Plunkett, a Heisman Trophy winner at Stanford, was the quarterback in two Super Bowl victories.

Daily News File Photo