New York Jets
Encyclopedia
The New York Jets are a professional football
team headquartered in Florham Park
, New Jersey
, representing the New York metropolitan area
. The team is a member of the Eastern Division
of the American Football Conference
(AFC) in the National Football League
(NFL). In a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
with the New York Giants
. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, LLC.
The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League
; later, the franchise joined the NFL in the merger of the AFL and the NFL
. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds
. Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise was relocated to Shea Stadium
in 1964 and then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex
in 1984. The Jets advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 1968 and went on to compete in Super Bowl III
where they defeated the Baltimore Colts
, becoming the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in a AFL-NFL World Championship Game
. Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs thirteen times, and in the AFC Championship Game
four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
in 2010.
The team headquarters and training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park. The team currently holds their annual training camp sessions on the campus of the State University of New York at Cortland
(SUNY Cortland) in Cortland
, New York while holding occasional sessions at the Florham Park complex.
, representing the city of New York at the meeting, proclaimed the state was ready for another professional football team and that he was more than capable of running the daily operations. Wismer was granted the charter franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained, "Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants." He secured the Titans' home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, where the team struggled financially and on the field during its first three years. By 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until season's end.
A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin
, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, purchasing the lowly Titans for one million dollars. Renamed the Jets, the new owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the general manager and head coach. Ewbank and quarterback Joe Namath
led the Jets to prominence in 1969 when New York defeated the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and solidified the AFL's position in the world of professional football.
When the AFL and NFL merged, the team fell into a state of mediocrity along with their star quarterback, Namath, who only had three successful post-merger seasons after injuries hampered much of his career. The Jets continued to spiral downward before enjoying a string of successes in the 1980s which, included an appearance in the 1982 AFC Championship Game.
The early 1990s saw New York struggling. After firing coach Bruce Coslet
, owner Leon Hess
hired Pete Carroll
who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite
was selected to lead the team to victory; instead he led the Jets to the NFL's worst record for two consecutive years. Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach.
Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots
head coach Bill Parcells
to New York in 1997. Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, falling short of a playoff berth. At the end of the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach deferring control to his assistant, Bill Belichick
; Belichick immediately resigned and went on to accept the head coaching position with the Patriots.
The franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, though the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three different coaches. The Jets's current head coach, Rex Ryan
, was hired in January 2009. Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years.
originally with Michigan State and become a pioneer of the industry. Later, as the Titans owner, Wismer formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally amongst the teams.
Wismer, who had previously had a 25% stake in the Washington Redskins, was interested in the American Football League and was given a franchise to develop in New York. Wismer, whose philosophy was who you knew mattered most, tried to make the team and the league a success. Unfortunately, his efforts began to accrue debt as the Titans' first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year. The franchise was sold for $1 million to a five man syndicate headed by Sonny Werblin of the Gotham Football Club, Inc. in February 1963.
, eventually becoming president of the company's television division. With a vast knowledge of media, Werblin was determined to put the spotlight on the team. His first order of business, after changing the team's name and jerseys, was to sign Joe Namath to an unprecedented contract. Werblin's gamble would later pay off as Namath, who become a public star, led the Jets on to victory in Super Bowl III, though by then Werblin had sold his stake in the team.
Werblin's partners, Townsend B. Martin, Leon Hess, Donald C. Lillis, and Philip H. Iselin
, had a falling out with Werblin over the way the team was run—though the franchise had begun to make a profit, Werblin was making all the policies and decisions himself with little or no input from his partners, much to their dismay. Though Werblin initially resisted their ultimatum to dissolve the partnership, Werblin agreed to be bought out in 1968. Werblin remained involved in the sports community and became the first chairman and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
where he helped to create the Meadowlands Sports Complex, including Giants Stadium.
gas stations; however, he also played an instrumental part in the development of the Jets during his tenure as co-owner and eventual sole owner. Hess had often fought for improvements while the team was a tenant at Shea Stadium but generally stayed away from football operations, allowing his coaches and general manager to make football-related decisions.
Becoming the team's majority stockholder in 1973, Hess bought Philip H. Iselin's share upon his death in 1976 after which only two of Hess' partners remained, Townsend Martin and Helen Dillon, who had inherited the stake from her father Donald Lillis, upon his death. Hess began to buyout the remaining partners in 1981 when he bought Martin's 25% stake for $5 million. Hess bought Dillon's stake three years later for another $5 million, acquiring sole control of the team.
Hess had a passion for his team and took losses hard. In 1995, following a mediocre 6–10 season under Pete Carroll, despite generally shying away from football operations, Hess announced "I'm 80 years old, I want results now" during a conference in which Rich Kotite was introduced as the team's new coach. After two unsuccessful years with Kotite, Hess heavily involved himself in hiring Bill Parcells in hopes to see his team again reach the Super Bowl. He did not live to see his dream realized as he died on May 7, 1999.
, expanded Johnson & Johnson
. Johnson was unknown amongst the other NFL owners at the time of his $635 million purchase of the franchise. However, Johnson has a passion for sports according to former Knicks
general manager Ernie Grunfeld
and desired to own his own team. Johnson has been considered to be an enabler who wants the best from his employees.
Much like Hess, Johnson left many of the football related decisions up to his management team and tended to avoid the spotlight however, upon hiring head coach Rex Ryan, Johnson had an increased presence as he molded the Jets into his team.
, without a major tenant since the New York Giants vacated the stadium in 1957. The Titans played their first four seasons at the stadium—in the final season they were renamed the Jets. The Titans shared the stadium with baseball's
new expansion team, the New York Mets
, for two years before both teams moved to Queens in 1964. The Jets hold the distinction of being the final team to host a game at the Polo Grounds, a 19–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills
on December 14, 1963.
Wismer hoped the Titans could play, in what would become known as Shea Stadium
, beginning in 1961. However funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction of the stadium. Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding
in late 1961 to secure the Titans' new home. That memorandum recognized that the Mets would have exclusive use of the stadium until they had completed their season. As the team moved to Shea under new ownership, they were, in most years, required to open the season with several road games, a problem made worse in 1969 and 1973 when the Mets had long playoff runs.
Feeling that having to play road games until the Mets were done with the stadium put the Jets at a disadvantage, the team announced in 1977 that they would play two home games a year during the month of September at the Giants's new home in New Jersey, Giants Stadium
. Litigation began between New York City and the Jets over the issue, and in the lawsuit's settlement, the city agreed to allow the Jets to play two September home games a season at Shea beginning in 1978 for the remaining six years in the Jets' lease. In 1977, the Jets were to play one September game at Giants Stadium and an October 2 game at Shea.
In spite of these issues, majority owner Leon Hess was interested in renewing the team's lease at Shea, which was due to expire in 1983. Hess negotiated with New York mayor Ed Koch
. Hess wanted the city to redevelop the stadium to expand its capacity. He also hoped to renegotiate other aspects of the lease—the Jets received no money from ticketholders parking at Shea. Hess's proposals met resistance from Koch. When negotiations reached an impasse, the Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey. On December 10, 1983 the Jets played their final game at Shea and lost to the Steelers 34–7. As fans pillaged the stadium for mementos, the scoreboard read "N.J. Jets" in reference to the Jets's departure to the Meadowlands.
When the Jets joined the Giants at the stadium many Jets fans hoped the name, Giants Stadium, would be changed, however the Giants, who had the authority to approve the change, refused. In an effort to conceal the fact that they played in a stadium built and decorated for another team, the stadium grounds crew was assigned to make the stadium more Jet-friendly during Jets games by putting up green banners and placing the Jets' logo over the Giants'. No change could be made to the blue and red seating bowl. The Jets were featured in the first NFL playoff game in the stadium's history, falling to the Patriots on December 28, 1985.
As the Jets sought to become a stronger franchise and remove themselves from their counterparts' shadow, the team entered into negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
in an attempt to build a stadium
on the west side of Manhattan
, entering a bidding war with TransGas Energy Systems and Cablevision for the rights to the West Side Yard
property—Hess, prior to his death, had been approached by former mayor Rudy Giuliani
about bringing the team to the West Side when their lease at Giants Stadium expired in 2008. Cablevision was fixated against the Jets owning the land as Madison Square Garden
, located only a few blocks away, would be forced to compete with the stadium. Team owners had voted, 31–1, with the Buffalo Bills the only objectors, to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York contingent on the Jets winning the bid and completing construction of the stadium prior to 2010.
The MTA unanimously voted to sell the land to the Jets for approximately $210 million as the committee agreed that having the stadium would be beneficial in the long run. An angry Cablevision, community groups and transportation advocates were determined to derail the Jets' attempts at building the stadium and two lawsuits challenging the construction of the stadium on environmental grounds were filed. Though confident they could secure the stadium, their hopes were dashed when Sheldon Silver
and Joseph L. Bruno, both of whom held veto power over the stadium construction, refused to support the project, alleging it would hurt rather than help the development of the West Side.
Defeated, the Jets agreed to enter a 50–50 partnership with their rival, the Giants, to build a new stadium effectively agreeing to a 99 year lease, which the Giants had signed earlier in the year, to remain in New Jersey. The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, became the first in the history of the NFL to be jointly built by two franchises. The stadium, which is illuminated in different colors depending on which team is hosting a game, opened in April 2010 and saw the Jets and Giants open the stadium together in a preseason exhibition game. The Jets' first regular season home game at the new stadium was held on September 13, 2010 and was shown nationwide on Monday Night Football
. New York lost to the Ravens
10–9. Team owners voted to have the stadium host Super Bowl XLVIII
, to be held in 2014.
, from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in the wild card round; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX
where they were defeated by the Bears
.
The rivalry began to escalate and receive increased media attention in 1997 when a disgruntled Bill Parcells
vacated his head coaching position with New England to accept the same position with New York. The following year, the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin
from the Patriots. After the Jets declined during Parcells' third year, Parcells decided to resign as head coach. His assistant, Bill Belichick
, infamously resigned the next day in order to become the head coach of the Patriots instead.
A critical turning point of the rivalry took place on September 23, 2001 when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis
tackled Drew Bledsoe
, leaving the veteran with internal bleeding
. This provided an opportunity for Tom Brady
to take over as the starting quarterback and during his tenure, Brady successfully guided New England to three Super Bowl titles. In 2006, Eric Mangini
, an assistant under Belichick, left New England to join the Jets as their head coach. Under Mangini, the infamous Spygate incident took place, further escalating tensions between both clubs. When Rex Ryan was hired as the team's head coach, the rivalry further escalated due to an increased war of words between both teams.
New York has maintained a rivalry with the Miami Dolphins
since the Dolphins's inception in 1966. One of the most infamous games in Jets history took place in 1994 when the Dolphins ran the Fake Spike play
, giving them an improbable victory and halting the Jets' momentum that season, serving as a precursor to the Jets' next two infamous years under Rich Kotite. The Jets went on to complete an improbable victory of their own on October 23, 2000 in what is known as The Monday Night Miracle
. The Jets, trailing the Dolphins 30–7 at the end of the third quarter, rallied in the fourth quarter scoring 23 unanswered points, eventually winning in overtime with a 40 yard John Hall
kick.
When Rex Ryan became New York's head coach, there was an increased war of words between the clubs culminating with Ryan flashing an obscene gesture
to heckling Dolphins fans in January 2010. The rivalry continued between both teams when Sal Alosi
, then the strength and conditioning coach of the Jets, tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll
. Carroll was not seriously injured and Alosi resigned nearly two months later.
.
The Jets met the Giants in 1988 during the final game of the regular season. The Jets, with a 7–7–1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished. The Giants, however, were contending for a playoff spot and a victory would have secured their spot and their division title. Although the six point favorites, the Giants were unable to overcome the Jets defense which saw the Jets sack quarterback Phil Simms
eight times. With the Jets' victory and victories by the Rams
and Eagles
, the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention and the Jets gained what many considered respect.
In spite of the big sibling rivalry that has resulted in trash talk between the players, both teams have formed an unexpected and consequently strong partnership sharing Giants Stadium for twenty six years and MetLife Stadium, a venture in which both teams own a fifty percent share of the stadium.
Upon the formation of the American Football League, the Jets developed a heated rivalry with the Oakland Raiders
. Al Davis
had an enlarged photo of Joe Namath
at Oakland's headquarters that depicted the quarterback sprawled out on the ground following a vicious hit from Raider defender Ben Davidson
; the photographed play was said to have broken the quarterback's jaw (though Namath stated he had broken it on a tough piece of steak, and some claim it was Raiders defensive end
Ike Lassiter
who injured Namath). Former Jets linebacker Larry Grantham
believed that the Raiders' defense often took every opportunity to cheap shot Namath.
In 1968, the Jets suffered a stunning loss against the Raiders in the Heidi Game
however New York went on to defeat the Raiders in the AFL Championship to advance to Super Bowl III where the Jets won what would come to be known as the Lombardi Trophy
much to the fury of Raider fans. Following the merger
, the rivalry waned in intensity as meetings between both teams were less frequent. There was a brief period between 2000 and 2003 when the rivalry was renewed due to regular season games each year and playoff meetings that saw the Raiders remove the Jets from contention.
The Jets have maintained a rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts
since 1969 when the Jets and the Colts, known then as the Baltimore Colts, faced off in Super Bowl III
. Though the Jets were viewed as the inferior team, Joe Namath publicly guaranteed New York's victory; his prediction became immortalized as the Jets defeated the Colts 16–7. Following the merger, the Jets and Colts became division rivals in the AFC East. In 2002, the Colts were realigned into the new AFC South division; the Colts went on to lose to the Jets in the wild card round that same year 41–0. Though regular season meetings have been infrequent since then, the teams have met two more times in the playoffs, including in 2009 when the Colts and Jets met in the AFC Championship Game. The Colts, considered the favorites, struggled early in the game as the Jets led at halftime. However, a comeback in the second half saw the Colts down the Jets 30–17. In 2010, the Jets faced the Colts, this time in the wild card round. The Jets exacted revenge on their opponent when they eliminated the Colts in a narrow 17–16 victory that saw Nick Folk
kick the game-winning field goal for New York as time expired.
Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
Record as of November 27, 2011
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; width:98%;"
|-
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Season
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Team
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|League
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Conference
!rowspan="2"|Division
!colspan="4"|Regular season
!rowspan="2" style="width:27%;"|Post Season
Results
!rowspan="2" style="width:30%;"|Awards
|-
!Finish
!Wins
!Losses
!Ties
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2006
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Lost Wild Card Playoffs
(Patriots
) (37–16)
| Chad Pennington
(CPOY)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|2007
| style="text-align:center;"|2007
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|3rd
| style="text-align:center;"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|valign="top"|
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2008
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|3rd
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2009
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bengals
) (24–14)
Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers
) (17–14)
Lost AFC Conference Championship (Colts
) (30–17)
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2010
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|11
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts
) (17–16)
Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots
) (28–21)
Lost AFC Conference Championship (Steelers
) (24–19)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2011
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|T.B.D.
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3" colspan="6"|Total
! style="text-align:center;"|355
! style="text-align:center;"|416
! style="text-align:center;"|8
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes only regular season)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|12
! style="text-align:center;"|13
! style="text-align:center;"|--
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes only playoffs)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|366
! style="text-align:center;"|429
! style="text-align:center;"|8
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes both regular season and playoffs)
|-
.jpg)
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="10" style="; ;"|New York Jets Pro Football Hall of Famers & Retired Numbers
|-
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
|-
| style="background:#dfd;"|12|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Joe Namath
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|QB
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1965–1976|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1985|| style="background:#dfd;"|13|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Don Maynard
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|WR
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1960–1972|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1987
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|44|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|John Riggins
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|RB
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1971–1975|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1992|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|81|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Art Monk
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|WR
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1994|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|2008
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|42|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Ronnie Lott
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|DB
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1993–1994|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|2000|| style="background:#dfd;"|73|||Joe Klecko
|||DL|||1977–1987||| –
|-
| style="background:#dfd;"|Jacket|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Weeb Ewbank|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Coach
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1963–1973|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1978|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|–|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Bulldog Turner
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Coach
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1962|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1966
|-
!colspan="10" style="background:#FFE6BD"|Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#dfd;"|Uniform number officially retired by the team
|}
Ewbank, Maynard, and Namath are recognized based upon their achievements with the Jets, although Ewbank previously coached the Baltimore Colts to NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. Riggins is recognized primarily for his seasons with the Washington Redskins
(1976–79, 81–85), as is Monk (1980–93), who won three Super Bowl championships with Washington. Lott is in the Hall of Fame primarily for his exploits as a member of the San Francisco 49ers
.
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="10" style="; ;"|New York Jets Ring of Honor
|-
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
|-
|12||Joe Namath
||QB
||1965–1976||2010||13||Don Maynard
||WR
||1960–1972||2010
|-
|28||Curtis Martin
||RB
||1998–2005||2010||75||Winston Hill
||OL||1963–1976||2010
|-
|73||Joe Klecko
||DL||1977–1987||2010||—||Weeb Ewbank||Coach
||1963–1973||2010
|-
|60||Larry Grantham
||LB
||1960–1972||2011||81||Gerry Philbin
||DL||1964–1972||2011
|-
|24||Freeman McNeil
||RB
||1981–1992||2011||88||Al Toon
||WR
||1985–1992||2011
|}
on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams were determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#063; color:white;"|First Team
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Joe Namath
(QB) • Don Maynard
(WR) • Gerry Philbin
(DE) • Weeb Ewbank (Coach)
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#063; color:white;"|Second Team
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Winston Hill
(T) • Larry Grantham
(LB) • Jim Turner (PK) • Art Powell
(WR) • Bob Talamini
(G)
|}
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="2" style="; ;"|Offense||colspan="2" style="; ;"|Defense
|-
|Joe Namath
||QB||Mark Gastineau
||DE
|-
|Curtis Martin
||RB||John Abraham||DE
|-
|Matt Snell
||FB||Marty Lyons
||NT
|-
|Don Maynard
||WR||Joe Klecko
||NT
|-
|Al Toon
||WR||Greg Buttle
||LB
|-
|Wesley Walker
||WR||Kyle Clifton
||LB
|-
|Mickey Shuler
||TE||Mo Lewis
||LB
|-
|Kevin Mawae
||C||James Hasty
||CB
|-
|Jason Fabini
||T||Aaron Glenn
||CB
|-
|Marvin Powell
||T||Victor Green
||S
|-
|Winston Hill
||T||Bill Baird||S
|-
|Randy Rasmussen
||G||
|-
|Jim Sweeney
||G
|-
!colspan="4" style="; ;"|Special Teams
|-
|colspan="4"|Bruce Harper
(KR), Pat Leahy (PK), Chuck Ramsey (P)
|}
, as "a guy that came along and broke a lot of the conventions." Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Perhaps one of the most disappointing players in Jets history was running back Blair Thomas
. Thomas, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry at Penn State, was an intriguing prospect the Jets were interested in utilizing to help their cumbersome offense. Confident in their decision, the Jets drafted Thomas with the second overall pick in 1990, expecting him to be a solid player for years to come. Thomas ran for only 620 yards in 1990, and failed to meet the high expectations. By the time Thomas left the team as an unrestricted free agent in 1993, he had rushed for 2,009 yards and only five touchdowns. The 2008 first round pick, defensive lineman Vernon Gholston
led a similar path, failing to record a sack during his three year tenure with the team.
The Jets Junior Flight Crew was established in 2010 offering children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment."
, 1050 ESPN
with Bob Wischusen
, as the play-by-play announcer and former Jet Marty Lyons
of the Sack Exchange
, as the color analyst.
Any preseason games not nationally televised are shown on WCBS-TV
. SportsNet New York
, which serves as the official home of the Jets, airs over 250 hours of "exclusive, in depth" material on the team in high definition
.
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...
team headquartered in Florham Park
Florham Park, New Jersey
Florham Park is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,857, which had grown to 12,389 as of the Bureau's 2008 estimate....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, representing the New York metropolitan area
New York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. The team is a member of the Eastern Division
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
of the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) in the National Football League
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...
(NFL). In a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford, New Jersey
East Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,913. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located west of Midtown Manhattan....
with the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, LLC.
The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of 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...
; later, the franchise joined the NFL in the merger of the AFL and the NFL
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds
Polo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
. Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise was relocated to Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
in 1964 and then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex
Meadowlands Sports Complex
The MetLife Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
in 1984. The Jets advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 1968 and went on to compete in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
where they defeated the Baltimore Colts
1968 Baltimore Colts season
The 1968 Baltimore Colts season was the 16th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1968 season with a record of 13 wins and 1 loss...
, becoming the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in a AFL-NFL World Championship Game
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
. Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs thirteen times, and in the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers
2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season
The 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the team's 78th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League and the eleventh season under the leadership of general manager Kevin Colbert and the fourth under head coach Mike Tomlin...
in 2010.
The team headquarters and training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park. The team currently holds their annual training camp sessions on the campus of the State University of New York at Cortland
State University of New York at Cortland
The State University of New York College at Cortland, also officially called SUNY Cortland or informally known as Cortland State, is a coeducational university located in Cortland, New York...
(SUNY Cortland) in Cortland
Cortland, New York
Cortland is a city in Cortland County, New York, USA. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 18,740. It is the county seat of Cortland County.The City of Cortland, near the west border of the county, is surrounded by the Town of Cortlandville....
, New York while holding occasional sessions at the Florham Park complex.
Franchise history
The first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14, 1959. Harry WismerHarry Wismer
Harry Wismer was a sports broadcaster and charter owner of the New York Titans franchise in the American Football League.-Early years:...
, representing the city of New York at the meeting, proclaimed the state was ready for another professional football team and that he was more than capable of running the daily operations. Wismer was granted the charter franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained, "Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants." He secured the Titans' home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, where the team struggled financially and on the field during its first three years. By 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until season's end.
A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin
Sonny Werblin
David Abraham "Sonny" Werblin was a prominent entertainment industry executive and sports impresario who was an owner of the New York Jets, Chairman of Madison Square Gardens, and who built and managed the Meadowlands Sports Complex.A graduate of Rutgers University, Werblin went to work for Music...
, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, purchasing the lowly Titans for one million dollars. Renamed the Jets, the new owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the general manager and head coach. Ewbank and quarterback Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
led the Jets to prominence in 1969 when New York defeated the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and solidified the AFL's position in the world of professional football.
When the AFL and NFL merged, the team fell into a state of mediocrity along with their star quarterback, Namath, who only had three successful post-merger seasons after injuries hampered much of his career. The Jets continued to spiral downward before enjoying a string of successes in the 1980s which, included an appearance in the 1982 AFC Championship Game.
The early 1990s saw New York struggling. After firing coach Bruce Coslet
Bruce Coslet
Bruce Coslet is a former American college and professional football player and professional football coach. A tight end, he played for the University of the Pacific and in 1969 debuted with the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals...
, owner Leon Hess
Leon Hess
Leon Hess was the founder of the Hess Corporation and the owner of the New York Jets.-Biography:Hess was born on March 13, 1914. His father was a Russian immigrant who worked as an oil delivery man in Asbury Park, New Jersey during the Great Depression.He married Norma around 1945 and they had...
hired Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite
Rich Kotite
Richard Edward "Rich" Kotite is a former National Football League player and coach.-Playing career:Kotite was born in Brooklyn, New York. He was a tight end who played collegiately at Wagner College on Staten Island. Kotite was drafted in the 18th round of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Minnesota...
was selected to lead the team to victory; instead he led the Jets to the NFL's worst record for two consecutive years. Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach.
Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
head coach Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
to New York in 1997. Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, falling short of a playoff berth. At the end of the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach deferring control to his assistant, Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
; Belichick immediately resigned and went on to accept the head coaching position with the Patriots.
The franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, though the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three different coaches. The Jets's current head coach, Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan
Rex Ryan is an American football head coach for the New York Jets of the National Football League . After serving as an assistant coach for twenty-two years, Ryan attained his first head coaching job in the NFL with the Jets in 2009...
, was hired in January 2009. Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years.
Wismer
Harry Wismer, a colorful businessman, had been interested in sports for much of his life when he was granted a charter franchise in the American Football League. A three-sport letterman, football, particularly, stuck with Wismer who went on to play for the University of Florida and Michigan State before a knee injury ended his playing career. Undeterred, Wismer began his career as a broadcasterSports commentator
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
originally with Michigan State and become a pioneer of the industry. Later, as the Titans owner, Wismer formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally amongst the teams.
Wismer, who had previously had a 25% stake in the Washington Redskins, was interested in the American Football League and was given a franchise to develop in New York. Wismer, whose philosophy was who you knew mattered most, tried to make the team and the league a success. Unfortunately, his efforts began to accrue debt as the Titans' first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year. The franchise was sold for $1 million to a five man syndicate headed by Sonny Werblin of the Gotham Football Club, Inc. in February 1963.
Werblin syndicate
Sonny Werblin graduated from Rutgers University and was employed by the Music Corporation of AmericaMusic Corporation of America
MCA, Inc. was an American talent agency. Initially starting in the music business, they would next become a dominant force in the film business, and later expanded into the television business...
, eventually becoming president of the company's television division. With a vast knowledge of media, Werblin was determined to put the spotlight on the team. His first order of business, after changing the team's name and jerseys, was to sign Joe Namath to an unprecedented contract. Werblin's gamble would later pay off as Namath, who become a public star, led the Jets on to victory in Super Bowl III, though by then Werblin had sold his stake in the team.
Werblin's partners, Townsend B. Martin, Leon Hess, Donald C. Lillis, and Philip H. Iselin
Philip H. Iselin
Philip H. Iselin was a New York City women's apparel manufacturer who was a shareholder and President of the New York Jets football team and Chairman of Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey. He was a member of the original Board of Directors that bought the New York Titans in 1963 and...
, had a falling out with Werblin over the way the team was run—though the franchise had begun to make a profit, Werblin was making all the policies and decisions himself with little or no input from his partners, much to their dismay. Though Werblin initially resisted their ultimatum to dissolve the partnership, Werblin agreed to be bought out in 1968. Werblin remained involved in the sports community and became the first chairman and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is an independent authority established by the State of New Jersey in 1971 to oversee the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Originally consisting of Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack in 1976, Brendan Byrne Arena was added to the complex in...
where he helped to create the Meadowlands Sports Complex, including Giants Stadium.
Hess
Leon Hess became well-known for his Hess CorporationHess Corporation
The Hess Corporation is an integrated oil company based in New York City. The company explores, produces, transports, and refines crude oil and natural gas. Vertically completing the logistical chain, about 1,360 Hess branded filling stations market gasoline to consumers in 16 states along the...
gas stations; however, he also played an instrumental part in the development of the Jets during his tenure as co-owner and eventual sole owner. Hess had often fought for improvements while the team was a tenant at Shea Stadium but generally stayed away from football operations, allowing his coaches and general manager to make football-related decisions.
Becoming the team's majority stockholder in 1973, Hess bought Philip H. Iselin's share upon his death in 1976 after which only two of Hess' partners remained, Townsend Martin and Helen Dillon, who had inherited the stake from her father Donald Lillis, upon his death. Hess began to buyout the remaining partners in 1981 when he bought Martin's 25% stake for $5 million. Hess bought Dillon's stake three years later for another $5 million, acquiring sole control of the team.
Hess had a passion for his team and took losses hard. In 1995, following a mediocre 6–10 season under Pete Carroll, despite generally shying away from football operations, Hess announced "I'm 80 years old, I want results now" during a conference in which Rich Kotite was introduced as the team's new coach. After two unsuccessful years with Kotite, Hess heavily involved himself in hiring Bill Parcells in hopes to see his team again reach the Super Bowl. He did not live to see his dream realized as he died on May 7, 1999.
Woody Johnson
With the team for sale, two potential buyers were found in Cablevision and philanthropist Woody Johnson whose grandfather, Robert Wood Johnson IIRobert Wood Johnson II
Robert Wood "General" Johnson II was an American businessman. He was one of the sons of Robert Wood Johnson I . He turned the family business into one of the world's largest healthcare corporations.- Early life :Johnson was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey...
, expanded Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
. Johnson was unknown amongst the other NFL owners at the time of his $635 million purchase of the franchise. However, Johnson has a passion for sports according to former Knicks
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, prominently known as the Knicks, are a professional basketball team based in New York City. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
general manager Ernie Grunfeld
Ernie Grunfeld
Ernest "Ernie" Grunfeld is the General Manager of the Washington Wizards. He was also once a professional basketball player...
and desired to own his own team. Johnson has been considered to be an enabler who wants the best from his employees.
Much like Hess, Johnson left many of the football related decisions up to his management team and tended to avoid the spotlight however, upon hiring head coach Rex Ryan, Johnson had an increased presence as he molded the Jets into his team.
Stadiums
Owner Harry Wismer sought out a place for the team to play their home games but, was only able to secure the dilapidated Polo GroundsPolo Grounds
The Polo Grounds was the name given to four different stadiums in Upper Manhattan, New York City, used by many professional teams in both baseball and American football from 1880 until 1963...
, without a major tenant since the New York Giants vacated the stadium in 1957. The Titans played their first four seasons at the stadium—in the final season they were renamed the Jets. The Titans shared the stadium with baseball's
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
new expansion team, the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, for two years before both teams moved to Queens in 1964. The Jets hold the distinction of being the final team to host a game at the Polo Grounds, a 19–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
on December 14, 1963.
Wismer hoped the Titans could play, in what would become known as Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
, beginning in 1961. However funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction of the stadium. Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding
Memorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
in late 1961 to secure the Titans' new home. That memorandum recognized that the Mets would have exclusive use of the stadium until they had completed their season. As the team moved to Shea under new ownership, they were, in most years, required to open the season with several road games, a problem made worse in 1969 and 1973 when the Mets had long playoff runs.
Feeling that having to play road games until the Mets were done with the stadium put the Jets at a disadvantage, the team announced in 1977 that they would play two home games a year during the month of September at the Giants's new home in New Jersey, Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium
Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The building itself was 230.5 m long, 180.5 m wide and 44 m high from service level to the top of the seating bowl and 54 m high to...
. Litigation began between New York City and the Jets over the issue, and in the lawsuit's settlement, the city agreed to allow the Jets to play two September home games a season at Shea beginning in 1978 for the remaining six years in the Jets' lease. In 1977, the Jets were to play one September game at Giants Stadium and an October 2 game at Shea.
In spite of these issues, majority owner Leon Hess was interested in renewing the team's lease at Shea, which was due to expire in 1983. Hess negotiated with New York mayor Ed Koch
Ed Koch
Edward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
. Hess wanted the city to redevelop the stadium to expand its capacity. He also hoped to renegotiate other aspects of the lease—the Jets received no money from ticketholders parking at Shea. Hess's proposals met resistance from Koch. When negotiations reached an impasse, the Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey. On December 10, 1983 the Jets played their final game at Shea and lost to the Steelers 34–7. As fans pillaged the stadium for mementos, the scoreboard read "N.J. Jets" in reference to the Jets's departure to the Meadowlands.
When the Jets joined the Giants at the stadium many Jets fans hoped the name, Giants Stadium, would be changed, however the Giants, who had the authority to approve the change, refused. In an effort to conceal the fact that they played in a stadium built and decorated for another team, the stadium grounds crew was assigned to make the stadium more Jet-friendly during Jets games by putting up green banners and placing the Jets' logo over the Giants'. No change could be made to the blue and red seating bowl. The Jets were featured in the first NFL playoff game in the stadium's history, falling to the Patriots on December 28, 1985.
As the Jets sought to become a stronger franchise and remove themselves from their counterparts' shadow, the team entered into negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
in an attempt to build a stadium
West Side Stadium
The West Side Stadium was a proposed football stadium to be built on a platform over the rail yards on the West Side of Manhattan in New York City....
on the west side of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, entering a bidding war with TransGas Energy Systems and Cablevision for the rights to the West Side Yard
West Side Yard
The West Side Yard is a rail yard owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the west side of Manhattan in New York City...
property—Hess, prior to his death, had been approached by former mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
about bringing the team to the West Side when their lease at Giants Stadium expired in 2008. Cablevision was fixated against the Jets owning the land as Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, located only a few blocks away, would be forced to compete with the stadium. Team owners had voted, 31–1, with the Buffalo Bills the only objectors, to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York contingent on the Jets winning the bid and completing construction of the stadium prior to 2010.
The MTA unanimously voted to sell the land to the Jets for approximately $210 million as the committee agreed that having the stadium would be beneficial in the long run. An angry Cablevision, community groups and transportation advocates were determined to derail the Jets' attempts at building the stadium and two lawsuits challenging the construction of the stadium on environmental grounds were filed. Though confident they could secure the stadium, their hopes were dashed when Sheldon Silver
Sheldon Silver
Sheldon "Shelly" Silver is an American lawyer and Democratic politician from New York. He has held the office of Speaker of the New York State Assembly since 1994.- Personal life :...
and Joseph L. Bruno, both of whom held veto power over the stadium construction, refused to support the project, alleging it would hurt rather than help the development of the West Side.
Defeated, the Jets agreed to enter a 50–50 partnership with their rival, the Giants, to build a new stadium effectively agreeing to a 99 year lease, which the Giants had signed earlier in the year, to remain in New Jersey. The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, became the first in the history of the NFL to be jointly built by two franchises. The stadium, which is illuminated in different colors depending on which team is hosting a game, opened in April 2010 and saw the Jets and Giants open the stadium together in a preseason exhibition game. The Jets' first regular season home game at the new stadium was held on September 13, 2010 and was shown nationwide on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
. New York lost to the Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
10–9. Team owners voted to have the stadium host Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII
Super Bowl XLVIII will be the 48th edition of the Super Bowl in American football, and the 44th annual championship game of the modern-era National Football League . It will be held on February 2, 2014 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey...
, to be held in 2014.
Division rivals
Since the inception of the American Football League, the Jets have maintained what is considered to be a marquee rivalry with the New England Patriots. The rivalry was relatively docile in its early years until 1966 when the Jets removed the Patriots, who had hopes of appearing in Super Bowl ISuper Bowl I
The First AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later known as Super Bowl I and referred to in some contemporary reports as the Supergame, was played on January 15, 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.The National Football League ...
, from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in the wild card round; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
where they were defeated by the Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
The rivalry began to escalate and receive increased media attention in 1997 when a disgruntled Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
vacated his head coaching position with New England to accept the same position with New York. The following year, the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
from the Patriots. After the Jets declined during Parcells' third year, Parcells decided to resign as head coach. His assistant, Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
, infamously resigned the next day in order to become the head coach of the Patriots instead.
A critical turning point of the rivalry took place on September 23, 2001 when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis
Mo Lewis
Morris "Mo" C. Lewis is a former American football player who played linebacker for the New York Jets from 1991 until 2003.-Career:...
tackled Drew Bledsoe
Drew Bledsoe
Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise...
, leaving the veteran with internal bleeding
Internal bleeding
Internal bleeding is bleeding occurring inside the body. It can be a serious medical emergency depending on where it occurs , and can potentially cause death and cardiac arrest if proper medical treatment is not received quickly....
. This provided an opportunity for Tom Brady
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,...
to take over as the starting quarterback and during his tenure, Brady successfully guided New England to three Super Bowl titles. In 2006, Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League and current NFL analyst for ESPN.-College:...
, an assistant under Belichick, left New England to join the Jets as their head coach. Under Mangini, the infamous Spygate incident took place, further escalating tensions between both clubs. When Rex Ryan was hired as the team's head coach, the rivalry further escalated due to an increased war of words between both teams.
New York has maintained a rivalry with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
since the Dolphins's inception in 1966. One of the most infamous games in Jets history took place in 1994 when the Dolphins ran the Fake Spike play
The Clock Play
The Clock Play aka The Fake Spike Game refers to a National Football League game that took place on November 27, between the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets that featured one of the most audacious finishes in league history...
, giving them an improbable victory and halting the Jets' momentum that season, serving as a precursor to the Jets' next two infamous years under Rich Kotite. The Jets went on to complete an improbable victory of their own on October 23, 2000 in what is known as The Monday Night Miracle
The Monday Night Miracle (American football)
In the National Football League, "The Monday Night Miracle" refers to a Monday night game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins played at Giants Stadium on October 23, 2000.-Background:...
. The Jets, trailing the Dolphins 30–7 at the end of the third quarter, rallied in the fourth quarter scoring 23 unanswered points, eventually winning in overtime with a 40 yard John Hall
John Hall (American football)
John Hall is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He kicked for Port Charlotte High School and played college football at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. While at Wisconsin, Hall played and won three bowl games...
kick.
When Rex Ryan became New York's head coach, there was an increased war of words between the clubs culminating with Ryan flashing an obscene gesture
Finger (gesture)
In Western culture, the finger , also known as the middle finger, is an obscene hand gesture, often meaning the phrases "fuck off" , "fuck you" or "up yours"...
to heckling Dolphins fans in January 2010. The rivalry continued between both teams when Sal Alosi
Sal Alosi
Sal Alosi is the former head strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets. On December 13, 2010, he was fined $25,000 by the Jets and suspended for the remainder of the season for tripping Miami Dolphins player Nolan Carroll as the latter ran along the sideline...
, then the strength and conditioning coach of the Jets, tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll
Nolan Carroll
Nolan Carroll, Jr. is an American football defensive back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was selected in the 5th round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins from the University of Maryland.-Early life:...
. Carroll was not seriously injured and Alosi resigned nearly two months later.
Historical rivals
The New York Jets previously maintained a high tension rivalry against their in-town counterparts, the New York Giants, that has since diminished due to the infrequency with which the teams meet in the regular season. The pinnacle of the rivalry came on August 17, 1969 when both the Jets and Giants met for the first time, in a preseason game which was viewed as a "turf war" by both opponents. The Giants, considered a mediocre team at the time, were regarded as underdogs and were under much scrutiny by the media and their fans. Ultimately, the Jets bested their rival 37–14, this would result in the firing of Giants coach Allie ShermanAllie Sherman
Alexander "Allie" Sherman is a retired American football National Football League running back and head coach....
.
The Jets met the Giants in 1988 during the final game of the regular season. The Jets, with a 7–7–1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished. The Giants, however, were contending for a playoff spot and a victory would have secured their spot and their division title. Although the six point favorites, the Giants were unable to overcome the Jets defense which saw the Jets sack quarterback Phil Simms
Phil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
eight times. With the Jets' victory and victories by the Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
and Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention and the Jets gained what many considered respect.
In spite of the big sibling rivalry that has resulted in trash talk between the players, both teams have formed an unexpected and consequently strong partnership sharing Giants Stadium for twenty six years and MetLife Stadium, a venture in which both teams own a fifty percent share of the stadium.
Upon the formation of the American Football League, the Jets developed a heated rivalry with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Al Davis
Al Davis
Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
had an enlarged photo of Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
at Oakland's headquarters that depicted the quarterback sprawled out on the ground following a vicious hit from Raider defender Ben Davidson
Ben Davidson
Benjamin Earl Davidson is a former collegiate and professional American football player between 1961 and 1972, most notably in the American Football League with the Oakland Raiders from 1964 through 1969, and for the NFL Raiders from 1970 through 1972. He had also played in the NFL for the league...
; the photographed play was said to have broken the quarterback's jaw (though Namath stated he had broken it on a tough piece of steak, and some claim it was Raiders defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Ike Lassiter
Ike Lassiter
Ike Lassiter is a former American college and professional football defensive lineman. He is an alumnus of St. Augustine's College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in physical education...
who injured Namath). Former Jets linebacker Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player.A member of the "Ole Miss" Athletic Hall of Fame, he was a linebacker of the University of Mississippi who came to the American Football League's New York Titans in the 1960 college draft and helped form the backbone...
believed that the Raiders' defense often took every opportunity to cheap shot Namath.
In 1968, the Jets suffered a stunning loss against the Raiders in the Heidi Game
Heidi Game
The Heidi Game or Heidi Bowl was an American football game played on November 17, 1968. The home team, the Oakland Raiders, defeated the New York Jets, 43–32. The game is remembered for its exciting finish, as Oakland scored two touchdowns in the final minute to overcome a 32–29 New York lead...
however New York went on to defeat the Raiders in the AFL Championship to advance to Super Bowl III where the Jets won what would come to be known as the Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
much to the fury of Raider fans. Following the merger
AFL-NFL Merger
The AFL–NFL merger of 1970 was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League and the American Football League...
, the rivalry waned in intensity as meetings between both teams were less frequent. There was a brief period between 2000 and 2003 when the rivalry was renewed due to regular season games each year and playoff meetings that saw the Raiders remove the Jets from contention.
The Jets have maintained a rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
since 1969 when the Jets and the Colts, known then as the Baltimore Colts, faced off in Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
. Though the Jets were viewed as the inferior team, Joe Namath publicly guaranteed New York's victory; his prediction became immortalized as the Jets defeated the Colts 16–7. Following the merger, the Jets and Colts became division rivals in the AFC East. In 2002, the Colts were realigned into the new AFC South division; the Colts went on to lose to the Jets in the wild card round that same year 41–0. Though regular season meetings have been infrequent since then, the teams have met two more times in the playoffs, including in 2009 when the Colts and Jets met in the AFC Championship Game. The Colts, considered the favorites, struggled early in the game as the Jets led at halftime. However, a comeback in the second half saw the Colts down the Jets 30–17. In 2010, the Jets faced the Colts, this time in the wild card round. The Jets exacted revenge on their opponent when they eliminated the Colts in a narrow 17–16 victory that saw Nick Folk
Nick Folk
Nicholas "Nick" Alexander Folk is an American football kicker who currently plays for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the sixth round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
kick the game-winning field goal for New York as time expired.
Logos and uniforms
The Jets have undergone three significant uniform changes with minor alterations throughout the years. As the Titans of New York, the team wore blue and gold uniforms similar to that of Notre Dame's. The well-known green and white uniforms came about in 1963 when the team was renamed. The franchise introduced Titans of New York throwback uniforms in 2007 to commemorate their heritage.Statistics
This is a partial list of the last six completed seasons by the Jets, and the current season. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of New York Jets seasons.Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.
| Super Bowl Champions (1970–present) | Conference Champions | Division Champions | Wild Card Berth |
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; width:98%;"
|-
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Season
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Team
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|League
!rowspan="2" style="width:5%;"|Conference
!rowspan="2"|Division
!colspan="4"|Regular season
Regular season (NFL)
The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday...
!rowspan="2" style="width:27%;"|Post Season
NFL playoffs
The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
Results
!rowspan="2" style="width:30%;"|Awards
|-
!Finish
!Wins
!Losses
!Ties
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2006
2006 New York Jets season
The 2006 New York Jets season began with the team trying to improve on their 4–12 record in 2005. The season marked the first for rookie head coach Eric Mangini, who replaced Herman Edwards after the latter left the Jets to coach the Kansas City Chiefs...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Lost Wild Card Playoffs
NFL playoffs, 2006-07
The National Football League playoffs for the 2006 season began on January 6, 2007 and led up to Super Bowl XLI on February 4, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.-AFC: Indianapolis Colts 23, Kansas City Chiefs 8:...
(Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
) (37–16)
| Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
(CPOY)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|2007
2007 NFL season
The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30....
| style="text-align:center;"|2007
2007 New York Jets season
The 2007 New York Jets season was the 38th NFL season and 48th overall season for the football team. This season was the second under head coach Eric Mangini. The team attempted to improve upon their 10–6 record from 2006, but finished the season with a 4–12 record.-Free agents heading into the...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|3rd
| style="text-align:center;"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|valign="top"|
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2008
2008 New York Jets season
The 2008 New York Jets season was the 49th season for the club and the 39th season in the National Football League. The team succeeded in improving upon their 4–12 record from 2007, but did not make the playoffs.-Signings:...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|3rd
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2009
2009 New York Jets season
The 2009 New York Jets season was the 50th season for the club and the 40th season in the National Football League and the last season at Giants Stadium. While they did not improve their 9–7 record from 2008, this time the team headed to the playoffs. The Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Won Wild Card Playoffs (Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
) (24–14)
Won Divisional Playoffs (Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
) (17–14)
Lost AFC Conference Championship (Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
) (30–17)
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2010
2010 New York Jets season
The 2010 New York Jets season was the franchise's 41st season in the National Football League, the 51st season overall and the team's first season at New Meadowlands Stadium. The team improved on their 9–7 record from 2009 and reached the playoffs again. The Jets played their first pre-season game...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center; background:#96cdcd;"|2nd
| style="text-align:center;"|11
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|Won Wild Card Playoffs (Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
) (17–16)
Won Divisional Playoffs (Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
) (28–21)
Lost AFC Conference Championship (Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
) (24–19)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|2011
2011 New York Jets season
The 2011 New York Jets season is the franchise's 42nd season in the National Football League , the 52nd season overall and the team's second season at MetLife Stadium...
| style="text-align:center;"|NFL
| style="text-align:center;"|AFC
| style="text-align:center;"|East
| style="text-align:center;"|T.B.D.
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|0
|
|
|
|-
! style="text-align:center;" rowspan="3" colspan="6"|Total
! style="text-align:center;"|355
! style="text-align:center;"|416
! style="text-align:center;"|8
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes only regular season)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|12
! style="text-align:center;"|13
! style="text-align:center;"|
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes only playoffs)
|-
! style="text-align:center;"|366
! style="text-align:center;"|429
! style="text-align:center;"|8
!colSpan="2"|(1960–2011, includes both regular season and playoffs)
|-
Pro Football Hall of Famers and retired numbers
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="10" style="; ;"|New York Jets Pro Football Hall of Famers & Retired Numbers
|-
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
|-
| style="background:#dfd;"|12|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1965–1976|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1985|| style="background:#dfd;"|13|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1960–1972|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1987
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|44|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|John Riggins
John Riggins
Robert John Riggins, nicknamed "The Diesel", is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins. Riggins was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1992....
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1971–1975|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1992|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|81|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Art Monk
Art Monk
James Arthur "Art" Monk is a former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, New York Jets, and the Philadelphia Eagles...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1994|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|2008
|-
| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|42|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Ronnie Lott
Ronnie Lott
Ronald Mandel "Ronnie" Lott is a former American football player who starred as a cornerback, free safety, and strong safety in college football and the NFL. He is most well known for his crushing hits on opposing players...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|DB
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...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1993–1994|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|2000|| style="background:#dfd;"|73|||Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
|||DL|||1977–1987||| –
|-
| style="background:#dfd;"|Jacket|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Weeb Ewbank|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1963–1973|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1978|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|–|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Bulldog Turner
Bulldog Turner
Clyde Douglas Turner was a professional football player for the Chicago Bears.-NFL playing career:...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1962|| style="background:#ffe6bd;"|1966
|-
!colspan="10" style="background:#FFE6BD"|Enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#dfd;"|Uniform number officially retired by the team
|}
Ewbank, Maynard, and Namath are recognized based upon their achievements with the Jets, although Ewbank previously coached the Baltimore Colts to NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. Riggins is recognized primarily for his seasons with the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
(1976–79, 81–85), as is Monk (1980–93), who won three Super Bowl championships with Washington. Lott is in the Hall of Fame primarily for his exploits as a member of the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
.
Ring of Honor
The Jets established a Ring of Honor on July 20, 2010, to commemorate former alumni. Each season, players will be nominated by an internal committee and then inducted into the Ring. There is no specific amount of honorees to be selected each year.{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="10" style="; ;"|New York Jets Ring of Honor
|-
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
!Number
!Name
!Positions
!Seasons
!Year elected
|-
|12||Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
||QB
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
||1965–1976||2010||13||Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
||WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
||1960–1972||2010
|-
|28||Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
||RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
||1998–2005||2010||75||Winston Hill
Winston Hill
Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school...
||OL||1963–1976||2010
|-
|73||Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
||DL||1977–1987||2010||—||Weeb Ewbank||Coach
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
||1963–1973||2010
|-
|60||Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player.A member of the "Ole Miss" Athletic Hall of Fame, he was a linebacker of the University of Mississippi who came to the American Football League's New York Titans in the 1960 college draft and helped form the backbone...
||LB
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
||1960–1972||2011||81||Gerry Philbin
Gerry Philbin
Gerald John Philbin is a former American collegiate football defensive tackle and four year starter from the University at Buffalo where he earned several honors including Second- team All-American, Little All-America, and All-American Academic team...
||DL||1964–1972||2011
|-
|24||Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil
Freeman McNeil is a former professional American football player who was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1981 NFL Draft....
||RB
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
||1981–1992||2011||88||Al Toon
Al Toon
Albert Lee Toon, Jr. is a former professional American football player. He was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1985 NFL Draft...
||WR
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
||1985–1992||2011
|}
American Football League All-Time Team
The following Titans/Jets were selected to the American Football League All-Time TeamAmerican Football League All-Time Team
The American Football League All- Time Team was selected on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams would be determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors: Since the First team included two halfbacks, rather than a halfback and a fullback, Cookie Gilchrist, a...
on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams were determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors:
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#063; color:white;"|First Team
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
(QB) • Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
(WR) • Gerry Philbin
Gerry Philbin
Gerald John Philbin is a former American collegiate football defensive tackle and four year starter from the University at Buffalo where he earned several honors including Second- team All-American, Little All-America, and All-American Academic team...
(DE) • Weeb Ewbank (Coach)
|-
! colspan="10" style="background:#063; color:white;"|Second Team
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|Winston Hill
Winston Hill
Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school...
(T) • Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham
Larry Grantham is a former American collegiate and Professional Football player.A member of the "Ole Miss" Athletic Hall of Fame, he was a linebacker of the University of Mississippi who came to the American Football League's New York Titans in the 1960 college draft and helped form the backbone...
(LB) • Jim Turner (PK) • Art Powell
Art Powell
-Early career:Powell attended and played high school football at San Diego High School and played college football at San José State University.-Professional career:...
(WR) • Bob Talamini
Bob Talamini
Robert Guy "Bob" Talamini , a stout, 6'1", 250 lb lineman, earned third-team All-SEC honors at the University of Kentucky and was drafted by the Houston Oilers of the American Football League...
(G)
|}
All-Time Four Decade Team
New York announced their official All-Time Four Decade team in 2003 which, was determined by fans of the team.{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!colspan="2" style="; ;"|Offense||colspan="2" style="; ;"|Defense
|-
|Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
||QB||Mark Gastineau
Mark Gastineau
Marcus Dell Gastineau is a former American football player who was a leading defensive end for the New York Jets from 1979 to 1988. A five-time Pro Bowler, his 100½ quarterback sacks in only his first 100 starts in the NFL made him one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers of his generation...
||DE
|-
|Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
||RB||John Abraham||DE
|-
|Matt Snell
Matt Snell
Matt Snell was the American Football League's New York Jets owner Sonny Werblin's first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath...
||FB||Marty Lyons
Marty Lyons
Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American Football defensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career from 1979 to 1989 with the New York Jets of the National Football League...
||NT
|-
|Don Maynard
Don Maynard
Donald Rogers Maynard is a former American football player who played collegiately for Texas Western College and professionally with the National Football League's New York Giants and the American Football League's New York Jets and the World Football League's Shreveport Steamer.After having been...
||WR||Joe Klecko
Joe Klecko
Joseph Edward Klecko is a former American football player as a defensive lineman best remembered for his days as a member of the New York Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange."-Temple University Owls:...
||NT
|-
|Al Toon
Al Toon
Albert Lee Toon, Jr. is a former professional American football player. He was selected by the New York Jets in the 1st round of the 1985 NFL Draft...
||WR||Greg Buttle
Greg Buttle
Gregory Ellis Buttle is a retired American football linebacker for the New York Jets. He played college football at Penn State University. He was named a Consensus All-American in 1975. In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.-High school:Buttle grew up in Linwood, New...
||LB
|-
|Wesley Walker
Wesley Walker
Wesley Darcel Walker is a former professional American football wide receiver for the New York Jets in 1977 - 1989....
||WR||Kyle Clifton
Kyle Clifton
Kyle Clifton was a linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets. He led the NFL in tackles with 199 in 1988. His career totals are 1,484 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 12 interceptions,and 37 pass deflections.He was number 59....
||LB
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|Mickey Shuler
Mickey Shuler
Mickey Charles Shuler Sr. , is a former professional American football tight end from 1978 to 1991. He played in 181 games over 14 seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the Philadelphia Eagles...
||TE||Mo Lewis
Mo Lewis
Morris "Mo" C. Lewis is a former American football player who played linebacker for the New York Jets from 1991 until 2003.-Career:...
||LB
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|Kevin Mawae
Kevin Mawae
Kevin James Mawae is a former American National Football League center. During a 16-year football career, he played for the Seattle Seahawks , New York Jets , and the Tennessee Titans . Mawae was a four-year starter for LSU and was selected second-team All-SEC by Associated Press and SEC coaches...
||C||James Hasty
James Hasty
James Edward Hasty is a former professional American football cornerback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Oakland Raiders from 1988 to 2001.-Football career:...
||CB
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|Jason Fabini
Jason Fabini
Jason T. Fabini is an American football offensive lineman who is currently a free agent in the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
||T||Aaron Glenn
Aaron Glenn
Aaron DeVon Glenn is a retired American football cornerback. He last played for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League, although he joined the Houston Texans prior to retirement so he could retire with his former team. He was originally drafted by the New York Jets in the first...
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|Marvin Powell
Marvin Powell
Marvin Powell is a former Offensive Tackle for the New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-College career:Powell was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1994...
||T||Victor Green
Victor Green
Victor Bernard Green is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent in 1993...
||S
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|Winston Hill
Winston Hill
Winston Hill was an American college and professional football player. Hill hails from Joaquin, Texas. His father, the late Garfield Hill, served as principal of Weldon High School in Gladewater, Texas. Winston was a tennis champion in high school...
||T||Bill Baird||S
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|Randy Rasmussen
Randy Rasmussen
Randall Lee Rasmussen was an American football guard for fifteen seasons for the New York Jets, beginning with the 1967 American Football League season...
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|Jim Sweeney
Jim Sweeney (American football)
James Joseph Sweeney is a former American football center and guard who played 16 seasons in the National Football League. He played for the Jets for 11 years, then the Seahawks for 1 year, and finally the Steelers for 4 years....
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!colspan="4" style="; ;"|Special Teams
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|colspan="4"|Bruce Harper
Bruce Harper
Bruce Harper was an American football running back and kick returner for the New York Jets of the NFL. He was signed as an undrafted free agent out of Kutztown by the Jets in 1977. Bruce Harper is the all-time kick returner in New York Jets history with 5407 yards in kickoff returns...
(KR), Pat Leahy (PK), Chuck Ramsey (P)
|}
Notable first-round draft picks
Perhaps the most famous of the Jets' first round picks came in 1965 when they selected Alabama quarterback Joe Namath who boosted the Jets into the national spotlight with his boisterous personality and lifestyle. His physical talents on the field helped improve the Jets' fortunes, leading them to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Though injuries hampered the latter part of Namath's career, he is best remembered, according to former teammate John DockeryJohn Dockery
John Dockery is an American sportscaster and former American football defensive back who played for the New York Jets and later the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1968 to 1973. He was drafted by the Jets out of Harvard...
, as "a guy that came along and broke a lot of the conventions." Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.
Perhaps one of the most disappointing players in Jets history was running back Blair Thomas
Blair Thomas
Blair Lamar Thomas is a former professional American football player and coach. He played running back for six seasons in the National Football League. He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.-High school:Thomas was an all-state football player at Frankford High School...
. Thomas, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry at Penn State, was an intriguing prospect the Jets were interested in utilizing to help their cumbersome offense. Confident in their decision, the Jets drafted Thomas with the second overall pick in 1990, expecting him to be a solid player for years to come. Thomas ran for only 620 yards in 1990, and failed to meet the high expectations. By the time Thomas left the team as an unrestricted free agent in 1993, he had rushed for 2,009 yards and only five touchdowns. The 2008 first round pick, defensive lineman Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston
Vernon Gholston is an American football defensive end who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ohio State and was drafted sixth overall by the New York Jets in the 2008 NFL Draft....
led a similar path, failing to record a sack during his three year tenure with the team.
Cheerleading squad
The team originally established the Jets Flag Crew in 2006 to enhance the overall fan experience. In 2007, the group underwent an expansion and was appropriately renamed the Jets Flight Crew. The squad regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests. Auditions have been held annually since their inception to attract new members.The Jets Junior Flight Crew was established in 2010 offering children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment."
Radio and television
The Jets' current flagship radio station is WEPNWEPN
WEPN is a 24-hour sports talk formatted radio station in New York City featuring national and local sports talk programs and live broadcasts of sports matches. It is the New York affiliate for ESPN Radio...
, 1050 ESPN
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
with Bob Wischusen
Bob Wischusen
Bob Wischusen is an American sports commentator who is currently a college football and basketball voice for ESPN and the radio voice for the New York Jets on WABC and WEPN.-Early life and career:...
, as the play-by-play announcer and former Jet Marty Lyons
Marty Lyons
Martin Anthony Lyons is a former American Football defensive tackle who played his entire eleven year career from 1979 to 1989 with the New York Jets of the National Football League...
of the Sack Exchange
New York Sack Exchange
The New York Sack Exchange is a nickname given to the New York Jets defensive line of the early 1980s, consisting of Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam.-Origins:...
, as the color analyst.
Any preseason games not nationally televised are shown on WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
. SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York
SportsNet New York is a New York City-based regional sports cable network which airs in the New York metro area and all of New York state, and nationwide via satellite. It is owned jointly by the New York Mets, Time Warner Cable, and NBCUniversal...
, which serves as the official home of the Jets, airs over 250 hours of "exclusive, in depth" material on the team in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.