What a juxtaposition. Jim Plunkett, the player to Jim Plunkett, the man. It's a wonder that the two can co-exist.

On the line of scrimmage, you've got the New England Patriot's aggressive, loud, and confident quarterback who can deftly read defensive formations, call his own plays and execute them gracefully. At home, you see a man of few words, who matter-of-factly offers you a Michelob in a quiet and self-conscious manner.

In tense goal-to-goal situations, Plunkett is poised and powerful. Sitting in his modest Chestnut Hill apartment, he's ill-at-ease and soft-spoken. He'll crack a smile about as often as he'll fumble a football--hardly ever.

With pigskin in hand, the 6 ft.-2 in. Californian is cool and smooth. With a telephone cord nervously wrapped between his knockwurst sized fingers, the high cheekbones, battered nose, and crack between the front teeth express discomfort and tension.

So it's no surprise that the Patriots' Number 16 is quick to discuss football and is just as quick to end conversation about his personal life.

It's also no surprise that he would pick Joe Namath as the quarterback for whom he has the most respect because Namath plays injured. "A guy's got a lot of guts to go out there week after week knowing that the next time he gets hit, it may be the last time because he might not be able to walk again," Plunkett says.

One can't help but wonder, though, if Plunkett's respect for Namath isn't also laced with a deep-seated desire to be as "gutsy" or flashy as the charismatic Broadway Joe--off the field as well as on. Plunkett's walk-on role in the newly released movie, Airport 1975, may be a step in that direction--he brashly tells a stewardess that the Pats will go "all the way" this season.

Though Plunkett's past performance on the gridiron has been more conservative than flashy, it obviously speaks for itself. The honors and accolades have been heaped on him. During his career at Stanford, where he majored in political science, he shattered NCAA records, beat Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, made every All-American team, and won the Maxwell Award as well as the highly-touted Heisman Trophy.

During his first year with the Pats, he earned Rookie-of-the-Year honors. And, of course, he's been instrumental in leading the young Patriot team to a possible shot at the Super Bowl this year. He is ranked third in the NFL efficiency ratings with a passing record of 53 per cent--180 attempts and 96 completions for 1366 yards with 14 touchdowns.

Even opposing coaches have nothing but praise for the young quarterback. Lou Saban, head coach of the Buffalo Bills and former Patriots coach, says, "Jim Plunkett is certainly one of the fine young quarterbacks in professional football. He is an intelligent player with outstanding tools. He particularly impresses us with his ability to read defenses and to set up and deliver the ball before the pass rush can reach him."

But Plunkett's athletic triumphs and praise have been matched with personal hardships. His Mexican-American mother, who lives in San Jose, Calif., is blind as was his part-Irish father who ran a tobacco shop before he died in 1969. Plunkett and his two older sisters helped to support their family when they were on welfare. In high school, he worked in gas stations and grocery stores, and between summers in college, he joined construction crews.

The combination of professional glory and personal pathos has had a humbling effect on Plunkett. Though he'll readily admit to being "one of the best in the NFL," he modestly attributes the Pats' success this season to Coach Chuck Fairbank's 3-4 defense, rather than to his ability at calling plays--something which he didn't do in years past.

"Calling the vast majority of the plays is better for the team as well as me. It's a lot less mechanized and makes the game more of a game," Plunkett says. "I also don't have to wait for a play to be called in, which causes me great anxiety."

"But the defense is the major reason why we've been winning. We don't have to take chances on the offense. We can punt the ball away knowing that we'll probably get it back not in eight minutes, but in two."

Plunkett's respect for Fairbanks is equalled only by his fondness for former Stanford coach, John Ralston, now with the Denver Broncos. "John Ralston is personable and mingles with the people, whereas Coach Fairbanks doesn't say much to anybody. He keeps to himself and if he says something, you'd better listen because you might not hear something for awhile. They're both tremendous organizers. But Coach Fairbanks has more authority as head coach than any coach we've had before."