Jim McMahon
The swashbuckling, headband-wearing quarterback who became the defiant soul of the Chicago Bears' legendary 1985 Super Bowl championship team.
Born 1959 (age 67)·American football player·Birthday: August 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Jim McMahon didn't just play quarterback; he embodied an attitude. At BYU, he shattered NCAA passing records with a gunslinger's flair. Drafted by the Chicago Bears, he found his perfect home in a team defined by its ferocious defense and outsized personalities. McMahon was the perfect offensive counterpoint: brash, resilient, and unapologetically himself, from his trademark sunglasses to his feuds with the NFL commissioner. His real skill was an uncanny ability to manage games and deliver in critical moments, most notably in the Bears' dominant 1985 season. Injuries plagued his career, turning him into a football nomad who played for seven NFL teams, but his legacy is forever cemented in Chicago as the punk-rock leader of one of football's most iconic squads.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Jim was born in 1959, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jim Was Born
The biggest hits of 1959
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur
Best Picture
Ben-Hur
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Jim's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1959Born
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1964Started school
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1972Became a teenager
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
1975Could drive
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1977Could vote
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Turned 21
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1989Turned 30
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1999Turned 40
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 50
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 60
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 67 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Quarterbacked the Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl XX victory in the 1985 season.
- Set an NCAA record for career passing yards per game (275.5) while at Brigham Young University.
- Won the 1981 Davey O'Brien Award as the nation's top collegiate quarterback.
Did You Know?
He famously wore a headband with 'ADIDAS' on it during Super Bowl XX, a direct violation of the NFL's strict uniform policy, as he was not paid by the company.
McMahon underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder the day after winning the Super Bowl.
He is one of the few players to have won a Super Bowl ring, a USFL championship ring (with the Chicago Blitz), and a college national championship.
“I'm not a role model. I'm not here to set an example for your kids. That's your job.”
