Passing it Forward

Football legend Jim McMahon on life in the Valley and his passion for giving back

By Kaylor Jones
Photos by Claudia Johnstone

For the average football fan, Jim McMahon needs no introduction. But lesser known is that McMahon’s athletic career almost looked a lot different – the NFL superstar’s first love was actually baseball.

Born in New Jersey and raised in Northern California as the second of six kids, McMahon played both sports growing up. As high school graduation neared, scholarships to play college football started flooding in.

“There were only two schools offering a football scholarship that would also allow me to play college baseball – a college in Las Vegas and Brigham Young University,” McMahon says. “As you can imagine, my parents very quickly nixed the idea of me going to college in Las Vegas, so I entered BYU in 1977, playing both quarterback in football and outfield in baseball.”

But eventually, a choice had to be made – McMahon was spending his days running up and down the hill between the two fields, throwing a baseball from the outfield one minute and throwing a football from the pocket the next. Baseball season interfering with spring football meant one of them had to go.

“That was very hard at the time, but football allowed me to go to college, not to mention get the attention of the NFL, so I made that very hard decision.”

Most Valuable Player

Though a tough choice for McMahon, BYU reaped the benefits. While playing for the Cougars, McMahon set 32 NCAA records and collected honors like two-time WAC Player of the Year, third-place finisher in the Heisman Trophy balloting and a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame.

In 1982, the decorated college player was the fifth overall draft pick for the Chicago Bears.

During his NFL career, McMahon was known for both his skill and his unforgettable personality. It’s no wonder why they called him the Punky QB – one minute he was setting NFL records (like winning 25 consecutive games as starting quarterback), the next he was making the news for antics like mooning paparazzi cameras and feuding with NFL officials.

As quarterback for the Bears from 1982 to 1988, McMahon was the face of a team that became a pop culture phenomenon – a face typically found behind a pair of signature sunglasses, worn not for stylistic purposes but due to a light sensitivity resulting from a childhood injury. But McMahon says there’s so much more to his 15-year career.

“Given our success, I always get asked about my years with the Chicago Bears. I certainly get it – we won the Super Bowl in 1985, created The Super Bowl Shuffle and the team was so popular that Sports Illustrated named us the ‘greatest of all time.’ But I played in the NFL for 15 years and for a total of seven NFL teams, including the Arizona Cardinals in 1994 and, of course, for the Green Bay Packers in 1996, which resulted in my second Super Bowl in 1997. I’m proud of my entire football career.”

Now, McMahon is one of many athletes who decided to spend their retirement in Arizona, a decision he made back in 1944 while playing for the Cardinals.

“I loved the weather – yes, even the 110-degree days. I loved the dryness. I loved the entirety of the Valley. While it took a bit of time as I retired in 1997, I made Arizona, and Scottsdale in particular, my home in 2010 and it was one of the best decisions I ever made.”

Kickoff for a Cause

McMahon is an active philanthropist, with one of his favorite causes being veteran-focused charities like Wounded Warriors, Hope for the Warriors, and Folds of Honor. “I feel strongly that we need to support the men and women who fight for our rights and country in every way possible, and at all times,” he says.

McMahon is also a recent friend of the Fiesta Sports Foundation. Earlier this year, he struck up a friendship with CEO Erik Moses when the two of them were seated next to each other at an event .

“A couple weeks after, he asked if I would be interested in serving as the featured guest for their annual Football Kickoff event. He told me about the fundraising purpose behind the event and some of the previous speakers like Larry Fitzgerald, Jr., Desmond Howard, Urban Meyer, Lou Holtz and Steve Spurrier. When Erik told me it would be a fireside chat with Dan Bickley from Arizona Sports 98.7, I was sold, especially as the ‘answer questions people really want to know’ guy that I am.”

Taking place August 15 at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the annual UMB Bank Fiesta Sports Foundation Football Kickoff marks the start of the college football season. As keynote speaker, McMahon will share stories from his career and allow the crowd to ask him their most pressing questions. Attendees can also expect to mingle with fellow fans, participate in interactive games and raise money for a worthy cause.

“As a college football player and having played for the Arizona Cardinals, I was very familiar with the Fiesta Bowl, but I can’t say that I knew much about the organization that put it on,” McMahon says. “I’ve enjoyed learning about all that Fiesta Sports Foundation does in addition to the two football games. The Fiesta Sports Foundation’s mission is to deliver positive economic impact and charitable resources that benefit communities across Arizona.”

This year, the Kickoff will support the Palo Verde Fiesta Sports Foundation Wishes for Teachers program as it celebrates its 10th anniversary. One of the state’s largest teacher-support programs, it topped $8 million in giving in 2024 – distributed across 380 schools in 84 cities in Arizona. Over 500 teachers receive grants each year, and the foundation plans to expand the program in 2025 to help even more educators, a reflection of its commitment to the pillars of youth, sports and education.

“In my youth, let’s just say I may have caused some trouble and was focused on things other than my studies,” McMahon says. “That being said, with encouragement from my parents and teachers, I worked my way through school with a B average. It wasn’t until I became a parent (father of four) and grandfather (grandfather of seven) that I really understood the impact and importance of educators in the lives of our kids and as a support to parents.”

And at the end of the day, McMahon’s all for anything that improves the lives of the next generation and the families standing behind them. These days, the football legend is most often found spending time with his loved ones, golfing with his kids – or in a celebrity golf tournament, where the ever-irreverent McMahon has been known to compete barefoot – and playing with his grandkids.

“I’d like to be remembered as doing all I could both on the field and off as a player, a dad and grandfather, a friend, and a volunteer. I am so proud of my four kids, all of whom are great members of society, and, of course, my grandkids.”

To learn more about the upcoming kickoff event and purchase tickets, visit www.fiestasportsfoundation.org.