After rising to national stardom at Arizona State, Jake "The Snake" Plummer began his NFL career as an erratic, high-volatility passer for the Arizona Cardinals. Joining Mike Shanahan’s Denver Broncos as an unrestricted free agent in 2003, Plummer found the ideal scheme to unlock his full potential. Shanahan’s bootleg-heavy, zone-stretch offense played seamlessly into Plummer’s athleticism on the move and lethal accuracy on the roll-out.

Plummer’s decision-making transformed rapidly in Mile High. After throwing 90 touchdowns against 114 interceptions in Arizona, he dramatically flipped his script in Colorado, tossing 71 touchdowns to just 47 interceptions. His poise behind center delivered immediate results, leading Denver to playoff appearances in three of his four seasons as the starter.

His best season in the NFL arrived in 2005. Plummer orchestrated a blistering 13-3 regular season while setting a franchise record by throwing 229 consecutive passes without an interception. He earned his lone career Pro Bowl selection that year and guided Denver past the defending champion New England Patriots in the Divisional Round, taking the Broncos to the AFC Championship Game.

Despite boasting a remarkable 39-15 regular-season starting record in Denver (41-18 including the postseason), Plummer was replaced midway through the 2006 season by rookie Jay Cutler. Traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in March 2007, Plummer chose to walk away from pro football on his own terms rather than play elsewhere, retiring to pursue business and life outside the game.

With Denver, Plummer played in 59 games and accumulated 11,631 passing yards, 71 passing touchdowns, 47 interceptions, 131 rushing carries, 687 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns, while winning 72.2 percent of his games.