The Jets have had a long history of relevance and mostly irrelevance, whether that be for good reasons or bad reasons. They have been a part of the NFL’s history since the ’60s, but only bringing one championship to the team, which was one of the biggest upsets if you haven’t heard. However, with all these years of mostly irrelevance, they still have had some great players within their roster throughout the years. While some positions are pretty thin. While others I did not expect to make this team. However, today, I am blessing your time with my personal all-time roster for the New York Jets. The criteria I used for this process was; longevity, their impact, accolades, and their tenure with the Jets.
Coach: Weeb Ewbank
The man who brought the only championship to the New York Jets is deserving to be the head coach of this hypothetical team. He won three championships as a head coach with two coming from the Baltimore Colts in 1958 and 1959, one being an overtime thriller against the Giants called “The Greatest Game Ever Played”. He is the only coach to win a championship in the NFL and the AFL. His record with the Jets was 71-77, but before 1970 when the AFL and NFL merged, he was 50-42-6, finishing first in the AFL East in 1968, when they won Super Bowl III, and 1969. He is one of the best coaches in AFL history along the likes of Hank Stram and John Madden. Just based on how many players he coached on this list; he deserves to be recognized as the best coach the Jets have ever had. He was voted in as part of the inaugural class for the Jets Ring of Honor in 2010.
Quarterback: Joe Namath
The myth, the legend, the three words that Jets fans will remember, whether they were alive or not, “I guarantee it.” This man does not only have those three words on his resumé though in Super Bowl III. He also won the MVP of the game as well. Namath had the stats to prove his Hall of Fame pedigree. In a run-heavy era of football, Namath was the first Quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in 1967. Namath won the MVP of the AFL twice, in 1968 and 1969 while also being included in the All-AFL First Team once and the Second Team three times. His best season post the 1969 season, was in 1972 when he was the leader in passing yards and passing TD’s with 2,816 yards and 19 TDs. He was never the most accurate passer with only 52.9% being his highest completion percentage in a season, but he was never afraid to throw the ball, which was sometimes the Jets downfall. He accumulated 230 interceptions throughout his career. Past the 1969 season, Namath only played one full season, 1974. He retired in 1978 as the leading Jets passer, which still remains today. He accumulated over 27,000 yards with the Jets and is the most gunslinger Quarterback they’ve had, even after Brett Favre, who only played for one season in New York. Namath was voted in the Ring of Honor in 2010 with his coach Weeb Ewbank.
Running Back: Curtis Martin
Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012, Martin carried the ball for 14,101 yards in his entire career. He finished his career fourth in total rushing yards in history, leading the league in 2004 with almost 1,700 yards. He caught 367 of his 453 targets in his entire career bringing in 81% of his catches. He played for the Patriots from 1995 to 1997, then followed his former head coach, Bill Parcells to the rival, New York Jets. During his tenure in the NFL, he went to the Pro Bowl five times, three of those with the Jets. He also was a First-team All-Pro twice and a Second-team once. He only did not rush for over 1,000 yards twice in his 12-year career, which was towards the end of his career when he was injured with four games left in the 2005 season, and then in 2006, when he was out for the year. Martin was voted in the Jets Ring of Honor inaugural class in 2010.
Full Back: Matt Snell
Matt Snell was part of the two-headed workhorse in the Jets 60’s era along with Emerson Boozer. Snell rushed for 4,287 yards on 1,057 attempts in his eight-year Jet career. Another Jet that suffered through injuries, he played three full seasons and was hit hard enough to force him to get his spleen removed. His defining moment though was his record-breaking Super Bowl III performance. He rushed the ball 30 times to rush for 121 yards along with the Jets only TD late in the fourth quarter. His 121-yard performance, not surprisingly, was a Super Bowl record. He was put in the Jets Ring of Honor in 2015 along with Emerson Boozer.
Wide Receivers: Don Maynard, Wesley Walker, and Wayne Chrebet
The three Jets who lead the team’s history in receiving yards. Maynard number one, Walker number two, and Chrebet number three are my choices.
First off, Don Maynard. Lucky number 13. He signed with the newly made team, New York Titans in 1960 after being cut by the New York Giants in 1958. His first year with the Titans, he had 72 receptions for 1,265 yards with six touchdowns. A remarkable stat line for that era. His first year with this list’s QB, Joe Namath, in 1965 was another remarkable year for Maynard. Of Namath’s 22 passing TD’s, Maynard caught 14 of them. He also had another 1,200-yard season that same year. His best year, in my opinion, would be 1967 where he led the league with 71 receptions, 1,434 receiving yards with 20 yards per reception and 10 touchdowns. He’s earned AFL All-Star votes four times and was an AFL All-Teamer four times as well. When he retired, he led the history of the NFL with 11,834 yards. He’s now 29th on this list, so the league has definitely changed from the ’60s, but still insane. He was the first player to ever reach 10,000 yards in a career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Maynard was another part of the inaugural Jets Ring of Honor class in 2010.
Wesley Walker is legally blind in his left eye. Yet, he overcame this to gain over 8,000 yards in his career being the second all-time Jets leader in receiving yards. He received the ball 438 times in his career and 71 of those catches were touchdowns. He never had this one amazing year that really stands out, but he did have a career-best 12 touchdowns in 1986, towards the end of his career. He was voted in two Pro Bowls and also voted as an All-Pro once in his sophomore season, 1978. He was put into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2012.
Wayne Chrebet was one of my favorite players as a child, so this might be biased. He was an undrafted free agent coming out of Hofstra University in 1995. His first year he gained over 700 yards proving his worth already. He was a great complement to the Jets number one receiver, which changed every few years, but the trust he gave the Jets never changed. He never went to a Pro Bowl or was part of an All-Pro team, but he gained 7,365 yards in his career being third on the All-Time Jets leader in receiving yards, and is second in receptions, with 580, only behind Don Maynard. In 1998, he had his best year with 75 receptions, 1,083 yards, and eight touchdown catches. Chrebet was voted in the Jets Ring of Honor in 2014.
Tight End: Mickey Shuler
Mickey Shuler played for the Jets from 1978 to 1989. Through all these years he accumulated a bit over 5,000 yards. Nothing insane. However, he is tied for fifth all-time in Jets receptions with 438. The Tight End history in New York is not very prolific, but Shuler was the standout out of all Jet Tight Ends that consistently wore a Jets uniform.
Tackles: Winston Hill and Marvin Powell
Winston Hill should be in the Hall of Fame with his credentials, being an AFL All-Star four times, being on the All-AFL team three times, being a Pro Bowler four times, and finally being a three-time All-Pro. He was a hallmark Jets player during the 60’s era for the Jets, then the transitional 70’s period, and was the Left Tackle for Joe Namath and was a vital part for the Jets winning their matchup against the Colts great defensive line in Super Bowl III. He changed to the right side of the line in 1971 and was voted into the Pro Bowl three times at this position. He was put in the inaugural Jets Ring of Honor class in 2010.
Marvin Powell was drafted as the fourth overall pick in the 1977 NFL Draft. He lived up to that draft position. He was a key part for the Jets success in the early ’80s. He was a Pro Bowler from 1977 to 1983 and also an All-Pro three times as the Right Tackle for Ken O’Brien.
Guards: Dave Herman and Randy Rasmussen
Dave Herman was the Right Guard for the Jets, but in Super Bowl III, Weeb Ewbank benched Sam Walton, Right Tackle, and replaced him with Herman to protect Joe Namath against Hall of Famer, Bubba Smith. This strategy definitely paid off and helped the Matt Snell rush for 121 yards. Herman was a two-time AFL All-Star and was part of the All-AFL Team three consecutive times.
Randy Rasmussen was drafted by the Jets in 1967. He retired in 1981 making him the last Jet player from Super Bowl III to be playing until his retirement. He was voted in as the Guard to represent the Jets on their 40th Anniversary team by the fans. He does not have the credentials award wise, but he started 199 games out of 207 in his career, and six of those non-started games came in his second year when the Jets signed Bob Talamini who was an All-AFL caliber Left Guard. Rasmussen stayed the course and Talamini retired after the 1968 season.
Center: Kevin Mawae
The newly christened Hall of Famer is being inducted as a Jet. He was with the Jets eight years out of his amazing sixteen-year career. During this career, he only missed three games and at one point had a consecutive start streak of 177. He made the Pro Bowl eight times, the All-Pro team eight times as well, with only one time being the Second Team. He contributed to 13 1,000 yard rushing seasons in his 16 years. His last year in the NFL, he helped Chris Johnson rush for 2,000 yards in a season. He was elected into the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 2000s. He is the latest player to be put in the Jets Ring of Honor, 2017.
Defensive Ends: Mark Gastineau and Shaun Ellis
Mark Gastineau was a part of “The New York Sack Exchange”. In 1981, he sacked the QB an estimated 20 times (Sacks were not an official stat until 1982). Gastineau then in 1983, he led the league in sacks with 19. Then, he broke that same record with 22 sacks in history the year after. Michael Strahan broke the record in 2001. Gastineau’s record stood for seventeen years, and it seems Strahan’s might cross the twenty-year mark soon. Gastineau had approximately 107.5 sacks in his entire career which leads the team’s history. He was in the Pro Bowl and voted as an All-Pro from 1981 to 1985. Gastineau was put in the Jets Ring of Honor in 2012.
Shaun Ellis was drafted 12th overall in the 2000 NFL Draft where the Jets had four first-round picks. He recorded 8.5 sacks as a rookie which was just behind the Jets rookie record by 1.5 sacks by Hugh Douglas in 1995. In 2003, he recorded 12.5 sacks and in 2004 recorded 11 sacks. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2003 and 2009. He is one of the most post-New York Sack Exchange prolific and most tenured Defensive Ends the Jets have had.
Defensive Tackles: Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons
An outstanding stat of Joe Klecko’s career was that he was selected to the Pro Bowl four times; in 1981 he was selected as a Defensive End, in 1983 and 1984 he was selected as a Defensive Tackle, and in 1985 when the Jets implemented a 3-4 defense, Klecko was selected as a Nose Tackle. That makes three of his four appearances a different position, which is very very rare, even in today’s NFL. Other than that crazy stat, he led the league unofficially in 1981 with 20.5 sacks, a half more than his teammate, Gastineau. He was also named to two All-Pro teams. Klecko is definitely the most versatile defensive player the Jets have had I would say. He was part of the inaugural Jets Ring of Honor class in 2010.
Marty Lyons is another member of the stellar New York Sack Exchange. He approximately accumulated 45 sacks in his ten-year career. He was named as a Jets Ring of Honor recipient in 2012. He was voted by the fans to be their Nose Tackle, along with Klecko, in the All-Time Four Decade Team.
Middle Linebacker: Kyle Clifton
The Jets all-time leading tackler is Kyle Clifton. He had almost 1,500 tackles in his career with the Jets. He led the league with tackles in 1985, 1986, and 1988. He was three tackles away from leading the league again in 1990. However, in 1990, he had the most tackles in his career with 199. Somehow even with his crazy tackling ability, he never went to the Pro Bowl or was voted to be an All-Pro. The issue for voters might’ve been his non-tackling ability. He only had 12 interceptions and only forced 13 fumbles in his 13-year career. However, his tackling ability is insane.
Outside Linebackers: Mo Lewis and Larry Grantham
Mo Lewis has over 1,200 tackles in his Jets career, which is second all-time in Jets history. Unlike Harris and Clifton, he went to the Pro Bowl three times and was voted as an All-Pro once in 2000. He was a well-rounded Linebacker for the Jets. He had 52.5 sacks in his career, which is fourth all-time in Jets history. He gathered four defensive touchdowns in his career through his 14 career interceptions.
Larry Grantham is one of the original Jets players in their history. Original enough that the Jets were the Titans. Larry was one of the key players the New York Titans acquired in their first year in 1960 when he was drafted in the first round of the first AFL Draft. Larry Grantham is one of only 20 players who played all ten years of the AFL. Grantham was an AFL Pro Bowler in each of his first five years and made the AFL All-Team list three times in his career. As a linebacker, Grantham had 24 interceptions in his 13-year career. Tackles, nor as mentioned Sacks, were not recorded during his career, tackles were not recorded as accurately as today, so I am sure he has a lot of those too. He was voted as the All-Time Second AFL Team when the AFL merged with the NFL in 1970. Grantham was put into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2011.
Cornerbacks: Darrelle Revis and Aaron Glenn
Darrelle Revis was one of the best corners of his time. His nickname, “Revis Island”, was brought into existence because of how dominant he was covering the opposing team’s number one Wide Receiver. He intercepted the ball 29 times over his career, which is not too crazy for a shutdown Corner, but also QB’s were not throwing his way due to his greatness most times. He is the leading Jets pass deflection leader with 111, with 29 more in two seasons playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New England Patriots. He is also tied for the most yards in an interception return for a touchdown (100 yards) with Aaron Glenn. He was a seven-time Pro Bowler and a four-time All-Pro within his career.
Speaking of Aaron Glenn, he was on five different teams in his fifteen-year career, but seven of those were with the New York Jets. He was selected 12th overall in the 1994 NFL Draft by the Jets to upgrade their corners. He had 24 of his 41 interceptions with the Jets, with 1998 including his career-high, 6. In the 2002 NFL Expansion Draft for the Houston Texans, Aaron Glenn was selected to join their new team starting the second half of his career. While with the Jets, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and the All-Pro team in 1997 and 1998.
Strong Safety: Victor Green
Victor Green was with the Jets for nine years from 1993 to 2001. In those years, he accumulated 24 interceptions, played in 139 games, seven forced fumbles, and had 848 combined tackles. He was never selected to a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro team, but I don’t think you have to for an All-History Team. Not all players need to be dominant at their position for a year, or multiple years. He was great for what the Jets have to offer for the Strong Safety position. He could be toppled by Jamal Adams, but that could be in a few years to let Adams have a few more years under his belt.
Free Safety: Darrol Ray
Ray played in the NFL for five years, all with the New York Jets. He was demoted in 1985 due to his lack of leadership and subsequently retired. However, his short career included 21 interceptions, 13 in his first two years, and four defensive touchdowns. His career could have gone better towards the end, but he was very impactful in his few years with the Jets, and of course, the Jets do not have a great history of Free Safeties.
Kicker: Pat Leahy
Pat Leahy played in 250 games in his 18-year Jet career. In this time he attempted 426 kicks and made 304 of them making 71% of his kicks. Nothing stellar. He also only made five kicks over 50 yards out of 24 kicks. Nothing Hall of Fame worthy, at all, but his longevity puts him above everyone else. The next longest tenured Kicker in Jets history is Nick Folk and Jim Turner, who both played with the Jets for seven years. That is not even half as long as Leahy, yay math!
Punter: Curley Johnson
Curley Johnson played in 110 games from 1961 to 1968. He averaged 42.5 yards each punt, accumulating almost 23,000 yards, which is the leading punt yardage in Jet history. He is the most consistent Punter the Jets have had and will most likely stay that way for a while longer.
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