1966 New York Jets Outlook

"The romance between Joe Namath and New York, which had a modest beginning last fall, now looms as the big love story of 1966, as the tycoon quarterback figures to guide the Jets to their first Eastern Division title.
Namath matured as a professional right before your eyes last season. He got set up quickly, learned how and when to call automatics, and he proved his knee could stand up against the murderously onrushing defensive linemen. Lest anybody forget, the Jets have two quarterbacks, a fact constantly pointed out to newsmen by coach Weeb Ewbank; George Taliaferro, a sure and steady performer, is in the wings.
It took a while for Namath and his receivers to get together last year - some of them were guilty of dropping his speedball deliveries - but there should be vast improvement here in '66. Don Maynard, who enjoyed his finest season as a pro, is back at flanker. George Sauer, who won the regular job at split end as a rookie and then had to shift to tight end when Dee Mackey was hurt, will be a better receiver now that he has a season under his belt. Mackey, who fractured a collarbone against Houston, Jim Colclough, whom the Jets got from Boston in a trade for John Huarte, and Gene Heeter give the club good depth at tight end. But the job just may go to Bill Yearby, the Jets' No. 1 draft choice, who was a two-time All-American at Michigan. Yearby earned his rating at defensive tackle, but the Jets are convinced he can make it as a pass catcher.
With Matt Snell, the fourth-leading rusher in the league last year, and Bill Mathis, who ranked tenth, the club is well set in the backfield. Both are excellent blockers on running plays, do a good job in protecting the passer, and can run with the football. Mark Smolinski is a good swing man, and there are two swift rookies moving in - Emerson Boozer, the sixth-round draft choice from Maryland State, and Allen Smith, a future pick from Findley. Boozer led the nation's small colleges in rushing and scoring for two consecutive seasons.
Maybe the Jets' interior line doesn't rate with the best in the league, but it gets the job done. Tackles Sherman Plunkett and Winston Hill, and guards Sam DeLuca and Dave Herman improved their pass blocking enough last year so that Jet quarterbacks were dropped only 17 times for 162 yards, the fewest in the league. With Mike Hudock gone to Miami, the center job is wide open. The top candidates are Jim Waskiewicz, who came from Boston in the Huarte deal, and John Schmitt, who has spent most of the last two seasons on the Jet taxi squad.
The story is a little different along the defensive line. Gerry Philbin, Verlon Biggs, Paul Rochester and Jim Harris are developing into one of the better units in the league. The linebacking corps behind them should be improved this year, with Ralph Baker, Larry Grantham and Al Atkinson returning, and with top rookie Carl McAdams figuring to squeeze his way into the starting job in the middle. McAdams, a two-time All-America at Oklahoma, is regarded as the best linebacker prospect in football. The Jets drafted him in the third round.
The Jets are weakest in the deep secondary, where injuries have hit them hard in recent years. The only ranking performer back there is Dainard Paulson, who made All-Pro safety for the second year in a row in '65. At the other safety spot, it will be a toss-up between Ray Abruzzese and Jim Hudson, who are just adequate. The cornerbacks are Cornell Gordon and Billy Baird, but they'll receive some competition from rookies Jim Gray, a member of last year's taxi squad, Richie Higgins and Sherman Lewis, a 1964 draft choice who spent the last two seasons playing in Canada."

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1966


"Namath is as ready as he'll be. Snell is fit- but the defensive backfield doesn't seem capable of championship play yet."

-Dick Kaplan, Pro Football Almanac 1966


It's Joe Namath's Arm Against Joe Namath's Knee. Can The Strength Of One Overcome The Other's Weakness? Some Sharper Play By The Defensive Backs Would Be A Big Help.
"Unless Joe Namath is cut down by Selective Service (doubtful) or his delicate legs (always possible), coach Weeb Ewbank will open the season with the best quarterback he has had since Unitas. Namath, with the arm and instincts of a great one, almost assures New York of another second-place finish, since top quarterbacks are hard to find, especially in the AFL. But catching Buffalo may be asking too much. The Jets still must shape up in the defensive secondary, at middle linebacker, at offensive center and tight end. Fortunately, spare parts are available in quantity and quality.
Let's start with Namath's receivers. Joe has decent ones, but that's all. Based on his rookie performance, George Sauer Jr. rates ahead of veteran spread end Bake Turner. But both may be displaced by Jim Colclough, obtained from Boston for John Huarte. Colclough isn't big or fast, but he catches the ball. Flanker Don Maynard sometimes doesn't. Maynard aggravated home fans early last year by dropping several touchdown passes. Still, he ranked No. 3 in the league with 68 receptions and tied Lance Alworth for the lead in scoring catches (14). The Jets have two experienced tight ends in Gene Heeter and Dee Mackey, both hurt last year, but may go with an inexperienced one: 6-3, 230-pound first-round draft pick Bill Yearby, who was an All-American tackle at Michigan. Yearby has the good hands of a basketball player, which is what he was as a college sophomore. If Yearby can't make the transition from the interior line, No. 8 choice Pete Lammons, 225, was an outstanding tight end at Texas.
The Jets need a fast halfback to counterpoint fullback Matt Snell's locomotive power. They have two swift rookies in 195-pound Allen Smith and 215-pound Emerson Boozer. Smith averaged 6.3 yards per carry for tiny Findlay College in Ohio and sprints the 100 in 9.8 seconds. Boozer had touchdown runs of 96, 80, 77, 75, 70 and 51 yards for Maryland State. It may boil down to who blocks better. Holdover halfback Bill Mathis, 220, does that superlatively and self-sacrificingly, which compensates for his slow running.
Snell excepts to have a better year. An exhibition game knee injury held him back in '65. He couldn't cut away from tacklers. Even so, he finished fourth among all AFL rushers.
In the line, center Mike Hudock, a five-year starter, was drafted by Miami. That puts it up to 227-pound rookie Jim Waskiewicz, the No. 4 choice from Wichita, and 265-pound veteran John Schmitt. Otherwise, it'll be business as usual: Winston Hill, 275, and Sherman Plunkett, 300, at the tackles; Sam DeLuca, 250, and Dave Herman, 255, at the guards.
The Jet defensive line is beginning to make a name for itself, and the name is good. Gerry Philbin, 245, and Verlon Biggs, 253, are the ends; Jim Harris, 280, and Paul Rochester,250, the tackles. Coach Ewbank would like Harris ten pounds lighter, though. Bert Wilder can swing between both positions, and there are two big rookies- Tulsa's Jim Jones and Seth Cartwright of Prairie View.
Second-year man Al Atkinson is listed as the first-string middle linebacker. He's a savage hitter, like the man he replaced, Miami-bound Wahoo McDaniel, but nimbler against passes. All-American rookie Carl McAdams of Oklahoma could be even better. He's a growing 220-pounder, supposedly the equal of the famous Texas linebacker, Tommy Nobis- maybe not as strong, but faster. All-leaguer Larry Grantham plays one corner linebacker for the Jets, and Ralph Baker, over on the other side, seems to have mastered his pass drops at last.
But the secondary could be sounder. Only safetyman Dainard Paulson fully satisfies, although soph Cornell Gordon should become a fine cornerback. Gordon ranks ahead of veteran Clyde Washington, who has undergone his second leg operation in two years. Billy Baird, the other cornerman is short (5-10) and light (180). He may be beaten out by shorter (5-9) and lighter (165) Sherman Lewis of Michigan State, who comes to the AFL after two years in Canada. If nothing else, Lewis should put life in the moribund Jet kick-return game. Ray Abbruzzese will play strong safety. Cornerback Jim Gray, on the injured reserve list last year, and safety Jim Hudson are the reserves.
The kicking is excellent. Placement specialist Jim Turner kicked 31 for 31 on PATs and 20 for 34 on field goals. Punter Curley Johnson ranked No. 2 in the league with a 45.3-yard average.
New York will go as far as Namath can take the team. If Joe gets hurt, good night. No offense meant to standby quarterback Mike Taliaferro, but no offense."

-Dick Kaplan, Pro Football Almanac 1966


1966 New York Jets Preseason Roster
25 Ray Abbruzzese (DB) Alabama
56 Al Atkinson (LB) Villanova
87 Dave Austin (TE) Georgia Tech
46 Bill Baird (DB) San Francisco State
51 Ralph Baker (LB) Penn State
86 Verlon Biggs (DE) Jackson State
32 Emerson Boozer (HB) Maryland State*
35 Charlie Browning (HB) Washington
45 Kern Carson (HB) San Diego State
77 Seth Cartwright (DT) Prairie View A & M*
40 Earl Christy (HB) Maryland State
18 Jim Colclough (DE-FL) Boston College
54 Paul Crane (LB-C) Alabama
71 Nick DeFelice (T) Southern Connecticut State
65 Sam DeLuca (G) South Carolina
70 Mitch Dudek (G) Xavier*
80 Jim Evans (FL) Texas Western
61 Dan Ficca (G) USC
48 Cornell Gordon (DB) North Carolina A & T
60 Larry Grantham (LB) Mississippi
22 Jim Gray (DB) Toledo*
78 Jim Harris (DT) Utah State
85 Gene Heeter (E) Virginia
67 Dave Herman (G) Michigan State
26 Rich Higgins (DB-FL) Montclair State
75 Winston Hill (C) Texas Southern
73 Ken Hollister (DE) Indiana*
44 Jim Hudson (DB) Texas
32 Cosmo Iacavazzi (FB) Princeton
33 Curley Johnson (HB) Houston
82 Jimmy Jones (DE-OT) Omaha*
30  Mike Katz (FB) Southern Connecticut State
87 Pete Lammons (TE-LB) Texas*
89 Dee Mackey (E) East Texas State
61 Bob Mallendick (OT-OG) Hillsdale
31 Bill Mathis (HB) Clemson
63  John Matlock (OT-C) Miami
13 Don Maynard (FL) Texas Western
50 Carl McAdams (LB) Oklahoma*
43 Jerry Mosher (DB-E) California*
12 Joe Namath (QB) Alabama
63 Jim O'Mahoney (LB) Miami
40 Dainard Paulson (DB) Oregon State
64 Pete Perreault (G) Boston University
81 Gerry Philbin (DE) Buffalo
89 Gary Plumlee (DE) New Mexico*
79 Sherman Plunkett (T) Maryland State
23 Bill Rademacher (FL) Northern Michigan
42 Eddie Robinson (DB) Grambling
72 Paul Rochester (DT) Michigan State
83 George Sauer (E) Texas
57 John Schmitt (C) Hofstra
20 Bob Schweikert (FL-DB) Virginia Tech
76 Arnie Simkus (DT-DE) Michigan
28 Allen Smith (HB) Findlay
30 Mark Slominski (FB) Wyoming
41 Matt Snell (FB) Ohio State
85 Bill Starr (TE) Hofstra
17 Mike Taliaferro (QB) Illinois
29 Bake Turner (E) Texas Tech
11 Jim Turner (K-QB) Utah State
74 Bob Walton (DT) Auburn*
42 Clyde Washington (DB) Purdue
52 Jim Waskiewicz (C-LB) Wichita State*
84 Sammy Weir (E) Arkansas State
62 Bob Werl (G-DE) Miami
82 Bert Wilder (DT-DE) North Carolina State
88 Bill Yearby (TE) Michigan*

* rookie

-Pro Football 1966


1966 New York Jets Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Mike Taliaferro (Illinois) 17
HB -Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, Emerson Boozer (Maryland State)* 32
FB- Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Mark Smolinski (Wyoming) 30
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29, Jim Colclough (Boston College) 18
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Nick DeFelice (Southern Connecticut State) 71
G - Sam DeLuca (South Carolina) 65
C - Jim Waskiewicz (Wichita State)* 52, John Schmitt (Hofstra) 57
G -  Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Dan Ficca (USC) 61
T - Sherman Plunkett (Maryland State) 79
TE - Gene Heeter (Virginia) 85, Dee Mackey (East Texas State) 89, Bill Yearby (Michigan)* 88
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13

DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72
DT - Jim Harris (Utah State) 78
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Pete Lammons (Texas)* 87
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 56, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma)* 50
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
CB - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
S - Dainard Paulson (Oregon State) 40, Bob Schweikert (Virginia Tech) 20
S - Ray Abbruzzese (Alabama) 25, Jim Hudson (Texas) 44
CB - Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, Clyde Washington (Purdue) 42

* rookie

-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1966

OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Mike Taliaferro (Illinois) 17, Bob Schweikert (Virginia Tech) 20
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland Eastern Shore)*, Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, Allen Smith (Findlay)*
FB- Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Mark Smolinski (Wyoming) 30
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Nick DeFelice (Southern Connecticut) 71
G - Sam DeLuca (South Carolina) 65, Dan Ficca (USC) 61
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Jim Waskiewicz (Wichita State)*
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
T - Sherman Plunkett (Maryland State) 79, Mitch Dudek (Xavier)*
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas)*, Bill Yearby (Michigan)*, Dee Mackey (East Texas State) 89, Gene Heeter (West Virginia) 85
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Jim Evans (Texas Western) 80

DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72, Seth Cartwright (Prairie View A & M)*
DT - Jim Harris (Utah State) 78
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Bert Wilder (North Carolina State) 82
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama)*
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma)*, Jim O'Mahoney (Miami) 63 
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Jim Waskiewicz (Wichita State)*
CB - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46, Sherman Lewis (Michigan State)*
S - Ray Abbruzzese (Alabama) 25, Jim Hudson (Texas) 22
S - Dainard Paulson (Oregon State) 40, Bill Rademacher (Northern Michigan) 23
CB - Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, Clyde Washington (Purdue) 42

SPECIALISTS
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Curley Johnson (Houston) 33
KR - Emerson Boozer (Maryland Eastern Shore)*, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29, Sherman Lewis (Michigan State)*

* rookie


1966 New York Jets Profile Summary
Head Coach - Weeb Ewbank

QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12
HB - Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31
FB- Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13
SE - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83
TE - Dee Mackey (East Texas State) 89
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52
G - Sam DeLuca (South Carolina) 65
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67
T - Sherman Plunkett (Maryland State) 79
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75

DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72
DT - Jim Harris (Utah State) 78
DT - Henry Schmidt (USC) 74
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62
MLB - Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51
CB - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
CB - Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24
S - Dainard Paulson (Oregon State) 40
S - Bill Rademacher (Northern Michigan) 23

K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Curley Johnson (Houston) 33
KR - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29