Mike D'Amato (American football)
Encyclopedia
Michael Anthony "Mike" D'Amato (born March 3, 1943 in Brooklyn
, New York
) is a former American football
defensive back
. A safety, he played college football
at Hofstra University
, and played professionally in the American Football League
for the New York Jets
in the 1968 season. That season, the Jets defeated the Oakland Raiders
in the AFL Championship game, and went on to humble the heavily favored NFL
champion Baltimore Colts
in the third AFL-NFL World Championship
game. He followed Jets center
John Schmitt as the second Hofstra alumnus to play for the team. D'Amato is now Hofstra's Special Assistant to the President for Alumni Affairs.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
) is a former American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive back
Defensive back
In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of...
. A safety, he played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
, and played professionally in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
for the New York Jets
History of the New York Jets
The history of the New York Jets American football team began in 1959 with the founding of the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League. The team had little success in its early years . After playing three seasons at the Polo Grounds, the team changed its name to the...
in the 1968 season. That season, the Jets defeated the Oakland Raiders
History of the Oakland Raiders
-Early years :A few months after the first AFL draft in 1959, the owners of the yet-unnamed Minneapolis franchise accepted an offer to join the established National Football League as an expansion team in 1961, sending the AFL scrambling for a replacement. At the time, Oakland seemed an unlikely...
in the AFL Championship game, and went on to humble the heavily favored NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
champion Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
in the third AFL-NFL World Championship
Professional American football championship games
Below is a list of professional football championship games in the United States, involving:* the informal Pittsburgh circuit of professional football teams ;...
game. He followed Jets center
Center (American football)
Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
John Schmitt as the second Hofstra alumnus to play for the team. D'Amato is now Hofstra's Special Assistant to the President for Alumni Affairs.