McMahon Has Proved He’s a Winner--When He Has Chance to Play

One thing about Jim McMahon’s trade to the San Diego Chargers Friday: He will be closer to his surgeon.

The former Chicago Bears quarterback has visited Dr. Frank Jobe of Los Angeles after each of the last three seasons--to repair his right shoulder twice and his right knee once.

Damaged goods? McMahon, who will turn 30 Monday, has hardly had a healthy day since the Bears drafted him during the first round in 1982. He brought a questionable knee with him from Brigham Young University, where he wore a brace at the end of his college career, and has added shoulder, knee, back and hamstring injuries--plus a lacerated kidney--to his portfolio of pain in seven seasons since. That doesn’t include the fork he stuck into his right eye when he was 6. The eye hasn’t been able to adjust to strong light since, which is why McMahon always wears sunglasses.

McMahon has had only two injury-free pro seasons--his first two. By 1984 he had established himself as the starter, but he also had become controversial, wearing a Mohawk haircut and mooning an airplane at a Super Bowl practice.

He has never played a full season--13 starts in ’83 are the most--and has had eight disabling injuries in the last five seasons. He started only 41 of the Bears’ 80 regular-season games during that span.

The uncertainty of his game-to-game availability might be one reason Bear Coach Mike Ditka finally gave up on him.

Perhaps one reason Ditka didn’t give up sooner is that until this summer, when McMahon seemed relatively healthy, his ailments reduced his trade value. Another reason might be that when he could play, McMahon was a winner.

The Bears won 35 of 38 regular-season games McMahon that started through his last five seasons. From mid-1984 until mid-1987, the Bears were unbeaten when McMahon started.

Twice he even led them to victory in relief. The more dramatic performance was at Minnesota in 1985, when he was unable to start because of a stiff neck. McMahon came on in the middle of the third quarter, threw three touchdown passes--two on his first two plays--and led the Bears from a 17-9 deficit to a 33-24 victory.

Two years later he was on injered reserve for the first six games after off-season rotator cuff surgery. Activated two days before a game at Tampa Bay, he took over for Mike Tomczak with the Bears trailing, 23-14, at halftime, and turned it around for a 27-26 victory.

McMahon’s worst injury, he says, was the lacerated kidney he suffered in a game against the Raiders in 1984.

“You don’t want one of those,” he said in an interview with Playboy magazine in 1986. “I’ve blown my knee and hurt my shoulder, but nothing felt like that. Straightened me up.

“The guy hit me from behind, turned me around, and another guy (nose tackle Bill Pickel) hit me in the side. After it happened, I got up and threw an interception. At halftime I couldn’t sit down. I thought I’d just bruised something, but the pain was getting worse.

“I tried to play the second half but couldn’t even call the play in the huddle. Finally, I took myself out of the game, sat on the bench for about five minutes. By then I was cramping up, bending over. So I went to the locker room and tried to (urinate). Nothing but blood.

“I freaked out: ‘Hey, get me to a hospital!’ It took me an hour to take a shower, then they got me to a hospital. That thing was torn in two places, and the bottom piece of it was torn off. I don’t know why it didn’t just erupt.”

McMAHON’S INJURY LIST A list of the injuries that have sidelined quarterback Jim McMahon during his career:

1984--Bruised back and hairline fracture of right hand, missed one game. Lacerated kidney vs. Raiders, missed six games and playoffs. Nine starts.

1985--Shoulder tendinitis, missed three games. Later, stiff neck prevented start at Minnesota, but he relieved in come-from-behind victory. Eleven starts, plus three in playoffs.

1986--In and out with shoulder injuries, played six games. Shoulder/rotator cuff surgery after season. Six starts.

1987--On injured reserve first six games after shoulder surgery. Tore hamstring in 13th game, missed last three regular-season games, returned for playoff game. Minor surgery on right shoulder joint. Six starts, plus one in playoffs.

1988--Sprained right knee in ninth game, missed last seven, returned for playoff game. Minor surgery on right knee after season. Nine starts, plus one in playoffs.