Halfback
No. 32
Maryland State
"Talk to linemen around the NFL this season and when you mention Emerson Boozer, they say much the same thing: 'Strong, strong.' At 5-11 and 207 pounds, Emerson isn't the biggest back in the world, but he blasts his way by tackles with a bouncy, high-knee style of running.
Last season was his best: he rushed for 604 yards and was tenth in the league. He showed he had come back all the way from the knee injury in 1967 that threatened his career. Against Cincinnati he pounded out 129 yards on 15 carries for a career high, and he finished the season averaging 4.6 yards a carry, not far behind the co-leaders, Boston's Carl Garrett and Denver's Floyd Little.
A superb blocker who often leads the way for Matt Snell on inside thrusts, Emerson is also a pass catching threat. He caught 20 for a whopping 222 yards last season and, if that isn't enough, he is an excellent after-dinner speaker on the postseason banquet tour."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"Praised for his superb blocking against the Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl, Emerson scored the winning touchdown in a comeback 23-20 win over San Diego in the 1968 season opener. He had a brilliant sophomore year in 1967 and was on his way to breaking pro records for scoring when he suffered a knee injury. Emerson gives the Jets a solid threat to score from anywhere.
Emerson is a fine banquet speaker."
-1970 Topps No. 128
Friday, October 31, 2014
Thursday, October 30, 2014
1970 Profile: Don Maynard
Flanker
No. 13
Texas Western
"At 33, the 6-1, 175-pound Maynard still ranks as one of pro football's greatest pass catchers. In 1969 he showed no sign that he'd lost any of the grass-burning speed that has made him so dangerous on the long pass. Though he missed the last three regular-season games because of a fractured right foot, Don caught 47 passes, tying him for fifth in the AFL with Oakland's Warren Wells.
He was the only receiver in the league to top 200 yards in one game, catching seven for 212 yards and two touchdowns against Houston. Against Miami he caught four passes for 121 yards, two of them for touchdowns, which placed him first among AFL receivers in touchdown passes.
The skinny Texan, once rejected by the New York Giants, enters his 14th pro season. His 551 catches put him behind only Lionel Taylor (567) in the AFL and Raymond Berry (631) in the NFL in total lifetime receptions."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"One of the original Titans, Maynard enters his 13th year in pro football. He is the all-time pro receiving leader and in 1969 was the AFL's only receiver to top 200 yards in one game when he caught seven passes for 212 yards against Houston on October 20.
Don was an offensive standout for Texas Western. He played in the Blue-Gray Game and the Sun Bowl.
Don works for a sporting goods firm in the off-season."
-1970 Topps No. 254
No. 13
Texas Western
"At 33, the 6-1, 175-pound Maynard still ranks as one of pro football's greatest pass catchers. In 1969 he showed no sign that he'd lost any of the grass-burning speed that has made him so dangerous on the long pass. Though he missed the last three regular-season games because of a fractured right foot, Don caught 47 passes, tying him for fifth in the AFL with Oakland's Warren Wells.
He was the only receiver in the league to top 200 yards in one game, catching seven for 212 yards and two touchdowns against Houston. Against Miami he caught four passes for 121 yards, two of them for touchdowns, which placed him first among AFL receivers in touchdown passes.
The skinny Texan, once rejected by the New York Giants, enters his 14th pro season. His 551 catches put him behind only Lionel Taylor (567) in the AFL and Raymond Berry (631) in the NFL in total lifetime receptions."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"One of the original Titans, Maynard enters his 13th year in pro football. He is the all-time pro receiving leader and in 1969 was the AFL's only receiver to top 200 yards in one game when he caught seven passes for 212 yards against Houston on October 20.
Don was an offensive standout for Texas Western. He played in the Blue-Gray Game and the Sun Bowl.
Don works for a sporting goods firm in the off-season."
-1970 Topps No. 254
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
1970 Jets Linebacker Profiles
AL ATKINSON
Middle Linebacker
No. 62
Villanova
"Al came to the Jets from the Buffalo Bills for a $100 fee after being released by the Bills, which tells you something about how underrated he is. Now he is the Jet team captain on defense and was a second team All-AFL player in 1968.
In 1969 he had to sit out four games with knee and rib injuries but he still is ranked by AFL players among the league's most underrated. Being the 'Mike' or middle linebacker, he's kept busy calling defensive signals.
'The middle linebacker,' says Al, 27 and a six-year veteran, 'can see the entire offense better than anyone else, being back from the line of scrimmage and standing up. And he can see what's going on both on the left and right.' He thinks the toughest runner he had to bring down last season was Miami's Jim Kiick. His toughest job? 'Breaking up the screen pass. You have to get inside the screen before it forms and this is really hard.'"
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
LARRY GRANTHAM
Linebacker
No. 60
Mississippi
"Steady and reliable, Larry is one of the outstanding linebackers in pro football. He has played in six AFL All-Star Games. He calls the defensive signals expertly and has great savvy and fine knowledge of the game.
Larry was one of the original New York Titans. He had fine performances against Oakland and Baltimore in the Jets' championship season.
Larry likes to spend his free time bowling."
-1970 Topps No. 82
RALPH BAKER
Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
Whatever play the quarterback calls, Ralph is likely to meet it head-on. With a knack of anticipation, he pursues with little regard for blockers.
A full recovery from injuries by Ralph should do much to restore the Jet defense to what it was in the championship year of 1968. This could advance New York further in the playoffs to Miami in January, with the Jets once again wearing their white jerseys under a blue sky in the Orange Bowl.
Middle Linebacker
No. 62
Villanova
"Al came to the Jets from the Buffalo Bills for a $100 fee after being released by the Bills, which tells you something about how underrated he is. Now he is the Jet team captain on defense and was a second team All-AFL player in 1968.
In 1969 he had to sit out four games with knee and rib injuries but he still is ranked by AFL players among the league's most underrated. Being the 'Mike' or middle linebacker, he's kept busy calling defensive signals.
'The middle linebacker,' says Al, 27 and a six-year veteran, 'can see the entire offense better than anyone else, being back from the line of scrimmage and standing up. And he can see what's going on both on the left and right.' He thinks the toughest runner he had to bring down last season was Miami's Jim Kiick. His toughest job? 'Breaking up the screen pass. You have to get inside the screen before it forms and this is really hard.'"
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
LARRY GRANTHAM
Linebacker
No. 60
Mississippi
"Steady and reliable, Larry is one of the outstanding linebackers in pro football. He has played in six AFL All-Star Games. He calls the defensive signals expertly and has great savvy and fine knowledge of the game.
Larry was one of the original New York Titans. He had fine performances against Oakland and Baltimore in the Jets' championship season.
Larry likes to spend his free time bowling."
-1970 Topps No. 82
RALPH BAKER
Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
Whatever play the quarterback calls, Ralph is likely to meet it head-on. With a knack of anticipation, he pursues with little regard for blockers.
A full recovery from injuries by Ralph should do much to restore the Jet defense to what it was in the championship year of 1968. This could advance New York further in the playoffs to Miami in January, with the Jets once again wearing their white jerseys under a blue sky in the Orange Bowl.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
1970 Profile: George Sauer
Split End
No. 83
Texas
"Weeb Ewbank coached one of the greatest of all-time receivers, Raymond Berry, when he was at Baltimore. Weeb calls George 'a fast Ray Berry,' a high compliment indeed, for what Weeb means is that George has the elusive moves of the great Berry and more speed.
In 1969 George latched onto eight touchdown passes, the most of his career, and he was ranked seventh in the league in pass catching. He started off badly, being shut out in the opening game at Buffalo. It was the first time in 54 straight games that he had failed to catch a pass.
When the Jet coaches call for blocking practice, they smile when they see the skinny 6-2, 180-pound George throw himself at a dummy. But George is a good blocker who once filled in for the Jets at tight end. He showed his versatility in the AFL All-Star Game when he punted for the first time since high school. He boomed out eight good ones for a healthy 37.5 average.
In the off-seasons George, a scholarly type who majored in math at Texas, is writing a novel."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"An offensive end for Texas for two varsity seasons, George starred in the 1965 Orange Bowl, scoring on a 69-yard pass from fellow-Jet Jim Hudson as the Longhorns beat Joe Namath and Alabama. With the Jets, George broke into the starting lineup as a rookie and teams up well with quarterback Namath, who uses George's elusive qualities to the fullest.
George would like to become an author."
-1970 Topps No. 176
No. 83
Texas
"Weeb Ewbank coached one of the greatest of all-time receivers, Raymond Berry, when he was at Baltimore. Weeb calls George 'a fast Ray Berry,' a high compliment indeed, for what Weeb means is that George has the elusive moves of the great Berry and more speed.
In 1969 George latched onto eight touchdown passes, the most of his career, and he was ranked seventh in the league in pass catching. He started off badly, being shut out in the opening game at Buffalo. It was the first time in 54 straight games that he had failed to catch a pass.
When the Jet coaches call for blocking practice, they smile when they see the skinny 6-2, 180-pound George throw himself at a dummy. But George is a good blocker who once filled in for the Jets at tight end. He showed his versatility in the AFL All-Star Game when he punted for the first time since high school. He boomed out eight good ones for a healthy 37.5 average.
In the off-seasons George, a scholarly type who majored in math at Texas, is writing a novel."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"An offensive end for Texas for two varsity seasons, George starred in the 1965 Orange Bowl, scoring on a 69-yard pass from fellow-Jet Jim Hudson as the Longhorns beat Joe Namath and Alabama. With the Jets, George broke into the starting lineup as a rookie and teams up well with quarterback Namath, who uses George's elusive qualities to the fullest.
George would like to become an author."
-1970 Topps No. 176
Monday, October 27, 2014
1970 Profiles: Jim Turner and Steve O'Neal
JIM TURNER
Place Kicker-Quarterback
No. 11
Utah State
"The 29-year-old Californian confesses to mixed feelings about his job as place kicker.
'It's soft physically,' says Jim Turner, the AFL's leading scorer last season, 'but mentally it's about the toughest job on any team. I think it's much harder to go out there all alone and execute perfectly when you know there is no way you can recover if any move is slightly off.' Last year Jim kicked 32 field goals, the most in the league, missing only 15. He kicked 33 extra points for 129 total points. Right now Jim ranks 16th among the all-time leading scorers and he is fifth among scorers who have got all their points by kicking.
Last season he kicked a 50-yarder against Cincinnati, tying his best ever. His success rate has shot up since Babe Parilli joined the team and began holding for him.
'He's had 16 years of experience at it,' Jim says, 'and he has tremendously quick hands to turn the laces while the ball is still in the air.' Jim goes into the 1970 season with a string of 89 straight extra points without a miss."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"Jim led the AFL in scoring once again in 1969. In 1968 he set a pro record for field goals with 34 and established a pro record for most points scored purely by kicking with 145.
He has led the Jets in scoring for the six years since he joined the team and now owns the club career scoring mark. Jim once kicked 92 straight extra points.
Besides his kicking, Jim is a fine quarterback."
-1970 Topps No. 104
STEVE O'NEAL
Punter
No. 20
Texas A & M
Steve set a pro football record with a 98-yard punt last September 21 at Mile High Stadium in Denver. For the season, his 54 punts were eighth in the AFL, as were his 2,393 punting yards, and his 44.3 average was good for fourth in the circuit.
Along with Jim Turner, Steve gives the Jets an impressive tandem of record-setting kickers.
Place Kicker-Quarterback
No. 11
Utah State
"The 29-year-old Californian confesses to mixed feelings about his job as place kicker.
'It's soft physically,' says Jim Turner, the AFL's leading scorer last season, 'but mentally it's about the toughest job on any team. I think it's much harder to go out there all alone and execute perfectly when you know there is no way you can recover if any move is slightly off.' Last year Jim kicked 32 field goals, the most in the league, missing only 15. He kicked 33 extra points for 129 total points. Right now Jim ranks 16th among the all-time leading scorers and he is fifth among scorers who have got all their points by kicking.
Last season he kicked a 50-yarder against Cincinnati, tying his best ever. His success rate has shot up since Babe Parilli joined the team and began holding for him.
'He's had 16 years of experience at it,' Jim says, 'and he has tremendously quick hands to turn the laces while the ball is still in the air.' Jim goes into the 1970 season with a string of 89 straight extra points without a miss."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"Jim led the AFL in scoring once again in 1969. In 1968 he set a pro record for field goals with 34 and established a pro record for most points scored purely by kicking with 145.
He has led the Jets in scoring for the six years since he joined the team and now owns the club career scoring mark. Jim once kicked 92 straight extra points.
Besides his kicking, Jim is a fine quarterback."
-1970 Topps No. 104
STEVE O'NEAL
Punter
No. 20
Texas A & M
Steve set a pro football record with a 98-yard punt last September 21 at Mile High Stadium in Denver. For the season, his 54 punts were eighth in the AFL, as were his 2,393 punting yards, and his 44.3 average was good for fourth in the circuit.
Along with Jim Turner, Steve gives the Jets an impressive tandem of record-setting kickers.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
1970 Profile: Joe Namath
Quarterback
No. 12
Alabama
"Broadway Joe has gone on being the most talked-about player in pro football today even without the benefit of Super Bowl glory. He and Mickey Mantle combined to set up Namath-Mantle employment agencies and Mickey's crack seemed a fitting one: 'I'll take care of getting jobs for the guys and Joe will get them for the girls.' Apart from making money, Joe was busy during the off-season making television appearances and a movie with Ann-Margret, and speaking to high school kids.
'Right now the primary thing is to stay in school and study,' he told them. 'That's no jive.' Namath passed the ball less often last season, but his 51.2 completion percentage was the second best of his career. He ranked second in the AFL behind Greg Cook in passing. He threw 361 passes and completed 185, the lowest since his rookie year, but he threw 19 for touchdowns, second-best of his career.
For the second year in a row he was named to the coaches' NFL and AFL All-Pro team."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"Joe gained almost every honor possible in 1968 en route to leading the Jets to the World Championship. He was named winner or the Hickok Belt awarded to the Athlete of the Year, named to the combined AFL-NFL All-Pro team, named All-AFL in every poll, selected MVP of the Jets by his teammates, chosen MVP of the AFL, Super Bowl MVP and winner of the first George Halas Award as Most Courageous Pro Player.
Joe has appeared on television and in the movies."
-1970 Topps No. 150
No. 12
Alabama
"Broadway Joe has gone on being the most talked-about player in pro football today even without the benefit of Super Bowl glory. He and Mickey Mantle combined to set up Namath-Mantle employment agencies and Mickey's crack seemed a fitting one: 'I'll take care of getting jobs for the guys and Joe will get them for the girls.' Apart from making money, Joe was busy during the off-season making television appearances and a movie with Ann-Margret, and speaking to high school kids.
'Right now the primary thing is to stay in school and study,' he told them. 'That's no jive.' Namath passed the ball less often last season, but his 51.2 completion percentage was the second best of his career. He ranked second in the AFL behind Greg Cook in passing. He threw 361 passes and completed 185, the lowest since his rookie year, but he threw 19 for touchdowns, second-best of his career.
For the second year in a row he was named to the coaches' NFL and AFL All-Pro team."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"Joe gained almost every honor possible in 1968 en route to leading the Jets to the World Championship. He was named winner or the Hickok Belt awarded to the Athlete of the Year, named to the combined AFL-NFL All-Pro team, named All-AFL in every poll, selected MVP of the Jets by his teammates, chosen MVP of the AFL, Super Bowl MVP and winner of the first George Halas Award as Most Courageous Pro Player.
Joe has appeared on television and in the movies."
-1970 Topps No. 150
Saturday, October 25, 2014
1970 Profile: Weeb Ewbank
Head Coach
"The coach and general manager of the Jets is a stump of a man who always has the look, even when he's talking, of someone sucking on a lemon. This winter he had reason to look sour. There was talk in New York of a conglomerate moving in to buy the Jets. Among the people representing the conglomerate was Allie Sherman, formerly of the Giants. If the conglomerate did buy the Jets, people wondered, who would be the coach: Allie or Weeb? The conglomerate, though, broke off the talks (the price of $15 to $20 million may have been too high) and Weeb will go on wearing two hats: GM and head coach.
A decade or so ago he was an assistant coach under Paul Brown in Cleveland and he tells this story: "We were on the other team's 13, third down. I was up in the booth. Paul got on the phone and asked me what play I'd call. I said a flare pass. He sent in the play as he always did. On a trap, Marion Motley went all the way for a touchdown. Paul came back on the phone. 'That's the way to call a play,' he said.' But after some 40 years of coaching - from his alma mater Miami of Ohio, to the world champion Colts and Jets - Weeb is well able to call his own plays."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
"The coach and general manager of the Jets is a stump of a man who always has the look, even when he's talking, of someone sucking on a lemon. This winter he had reason to look sour. There was talk in New York of a conglomerate moving in to buy the Jets. Among the people representing the conglomerate was Allie Sherman, formerly of the Giants. If the conglomerate did buy the Jets, people wondered, who would be the coach: Allie or Weeb? The conglomerate, though, broke off the talks (the price of $15 to $20 million may have been too high) and Weeb will go on wearing two hats: GM and head coach.
A decade or so ago he was an assistant coach under Paul Brown in Cleveland and he tells this story: "We were on the other team's 13, third down. I was up in the booth. Paul got on the phone and asked me what play I'd call. I said a flare pass. He sent in the play as he always did. On a trap, Marion Motley went all the way for a touchdown. Paul came back on the phone. 'That's the way to call a play,' he said.' But after some 40 years of coaching - from his alma mater Miami of Ohio, to the world champion Colts and Jets - Weeb is well able to call his own plays."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
Thursday, October 23, 2014
1970 New York Jets Outlook
"The New York Jets' schedule is, very likely, the toughest in the conference.
'They're trying to keep us from being champions,' said Jets' coach and general manager Weeb Ewbank. 'They really stuck us the first year.'
Indeed they did. The Jets drew four 1969 divisional champions - the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams, the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders. Moreover, they'll play two games against the Baltimore Colts, their number one rival in the Eastern Division of the AFC, and the Colts are aching to avenge that Super Bowl loss to the Jets.
All told, the Jets will play four teams that won at least ten games last season. By comparison, the Colts will play only one ten-game winner, the world champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets' other rivals in the East will be Miami, Boston and Buffalo, who don't figure as contenders. It's possible, even likely, that the Eastern title may be decided in the Jets' final game of the season when they clash on December 19 with the Colts.
Ewbank says he knows what must be done to improve the Jets' 1969 record of 10-4. The Jets won in the old Eastern Division of the old AFL but were beaten by Kansas City in the AFL playoffs. All in all, it was an honorable way of losing their world championship, for they were knocked out of the running by the team that went on to win the title.
'We were hurt badly in our defensive backfield last year,' Weeb says. 'We need to improve our defensive secondary. Defense is what wins for you and that is where we directed our attention in the draft.' There was a jagged hole in the defensive backfield after the loss of strong safety Jim Hudson, a hard-nosed Texan and a holler guy who gave the secondary its verve and poise. He hurt his knee, came back and hurt his other knee, playing only two full games before he was out for the season. The linebacking contingent was similarly shattered by injuries: the three linebackers, Larry Grantham, Ralph Baker and Al Atkinson, played together for only three of the 14 regular-season games.
Those losses showed up in the statistics. In their Super Bowl season the Jets led the AFL in overall defense and rushing defense, finishing second in pass defense. Last season the Jets were fourth in overall defense and way down to eighth in pass defense. It was no surprise, therefore, when the Jets' number one draft pick was a defensive back, Florida's Steve Tannen, a Sporting News All-America.
'He will be a starter for us,' Weeb says. 'He can play at corner or at either safety.' The Jets' number three choice was Dennis Onkotz, a linebacker and safety out of Penn State, a UPI and Football Writers' All-America. He and John Ebersole, a defensive end and linebacker and the Jets' fourth choice, anchored a Penn State defense that was second best in the nation last season. Ebersole made four All-Americas.
Onkotz and Ebersole will challenge Baker, Atkinson and the aging Grantham for linebacking jobs. If Jim Hudson returns with two good knees, he'll be the strong safety; otherwise Jim Richards, a three-year man, will fight Tannen for the job. Little Bill Baird is the other safety. At one corner is the improving John Dockery, but there is room for a strong, experienced cornerback on the other side.
Up front on defense, the Jets are strong. Gerry Philbin, Steve Thompson, John Elliott and Verlon Biggs rank with the fiercest of all foursomes. Philbin and Elliott were All-AFL.
On offense, of course, there is the perennial question: the state of Joe Namath's knees. The knees hurt last year and Joe talked of quitting. In 1969 he attempted the fewest passes in the club's history (394), calling more for a running attack that was third best in the league. The Jets saw a lot of double coverage of their two fine receivers, George Sauer and Don Maynard, and resorted to the run. Their two bull-like backs, Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell, were among the AFL's top ten rushers. Winston Hill and Roger Finnie at the tackles, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards, and John Schmitt at center opened up holes and also protected Joe's knees on the pass rush. Dave Foley, injured in the opening game, will be back to test Finnie for the right tackle post.
So far, all well and good. But history tells us that passing teams go to Super Bowls (as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Len Dawson have shown in recent years) while running teams stay home (Remember how seldom Cleveland with Jim Brown won in the NFL?). If Joe comes back and is sound of knee, the Jets will challenge the Colts in the East. But, one suspects, to win, Joe must reassert the Jets' passing attack, once the most feared in the old AFL. And the defensive secondary must stop making those 'uh-oh-there-goes-six' mistakes. Especially against the schedule the Jets face."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
IN BRIEF
Probable 1970 Finish: 2nd (AFC Eastern)
Strengths: Namath's arm, slick receivers, tough defensive line, and Jim Turner's kicking.
Biggest Needs: good health all around, especially with Namath and the linebackers; better team speed, depth at running back, and help in the secondary.
1969 finish: 1st (Eastern, 10-4-0)
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
" 'We're Number One' said the sign on the bulletin board in the Jets dressing room. And on the fingers of most of the players who suited up for the opening game of 1969 were the diamond rings commemorating the world championship they'd won in January. Each and every one of them thought they had a very good shot at another ring last season. After all, they seemed to have a better team than the one which won the Super Bowl, even though two starters in that game were gone. Guard Bob Talamini had retired and cornerback Johnny Sample had been retired by Jet management, which felt that play at his position had to be upgraded. Veteran Cornell Gordon would replace Sample. Even without Talamini, the Jets still had two excellent guards in Dave Herman and Randy Rasmussen. Both of them were Super Bowl starters, too, even if Herman played tackle in place of then-rookie Sam Walton. If Walton's performance did not improve, there were a pair of promising rookies who appeared capable of stepping in: number one draft choice Dave Foley of Ohio State and Roger Finnie from Florida A&M. Finnie particularly showed a lot of ability during the exhibition season. The Jets, taking a good look at newcomers in the preseason games, split their six. But they won the 'big' ones from the College All-Stars and the Giants.
They opened the season without middle linebacker Al Atkinson and left linebacker Ralph Baker, both of whom were temporarily disabled. Their substitutes held up well. John Neidert in the middle made an important fumble recovery against Buffalo and Paul Crane on the outside intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble. The second interception Crane returned 23 yards for a touchdown to sew up the Jet victory, 33-19. The Jets had to settle for three Jim Turner field goals early in this game, then quarterback Joe Namath hit flanker Don Maynard for a 60-yard touchdown and handed off to fullback Matt Snell on an 11-yard scoring run. Unfortunately, in a preview of injuries to come, Dave Foley had to have a knee operation after the game and was lost for the season.
For the first time since 1966, the Jets then lost two games in a row, to Denver, 21-19, and San Diego, 34-27. In the Bronco game tackle Sam Walton was again overmatched against Rich Jackson, who continually harassed Namath. In the Charger game Matt Snell, weakened by a virus, carried the ball only five times and two regular defensive backs were sidelined by injuries. Strongside safety Jim Hudson was capably replaced by Jim Richards and rookie Cecil Leonard went in for Randy Beverly on the right corner and matched his inconsistency.
The following week the Jet secondary lost its third regular when cornerback Cornell Gordon pulled a groin muscle. John Dockery filled in well as the defense limited Boston to 203 yards on offense. Namath hit on 15 of 21 passes, including a touchdown to tight end Pete Lammons, and ran four yards for one himself. Jim Turner added three field goals in the 23-14 victory. The following week halfback Emerson Boozer had his best rushing day ever- 129 yards- as New York beat Cincinnati, 21-7. Free safety Billy Baird was again the lone regular in the secondary, but it held up well. Namath passed to wide receiver George Sauer for a touchdown and ran for one himself, and linebacker Crane scored his second touchdown of the season when he ran in a blocked punt 12 yards. Roger Finnie replaced Sam Walton in this game and, as it turned out, for good. 'Our record (3-2) is the same as it was after five games a year ago,' said coach Weeb Ewbank. 'I think we're ready to go now.'
The Jets went against Houston next. Although Namath was intercepted three times, he passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns (to Don Maynard). And Turner kicked four field goals, including 45- and 48-yarders as New York won, 26-17. Turner kicked three more field goals in a 23-17 win over Boston the next week, then kicked a 36-yarder in the closing minutes to beat Miami, 34-31. Defensive tackle John Elliott blocked a Dolphin punt to set up the winning kick.
The defense was sensational against the Bills a week later, stopping Buffalo eight of ten times in third-down situations. The Jet offense was lethargic, but Turner was right on target with three more field goals as New York won, 16-6. The Jets and Chiefs were both going for the seventh consecutive win the following Sunday, but the Jets quickly fell behind 10-0 and were never really in the game after tying it 10-10. K.C. ran off 24 points and won, 34-16. Though Namath hit on 25 of 41 passes for 333 yards, he was under great pressure from the Chief rush line all afternoon and gave up three interceptions.
Defensive coach Walt Michaels used four linebackers (no strong side safety) almost 60 per cent of the time to choke off the Bengals' end runs and quick flat passes in the next game. And the Jet offense exploded for 40 points. Turner's four field goals (including a 50-yarder) alone topped Cincinnati's seven points. The Jets played in one of the roughest games of the season next, against Oakland, when 241 yards in penalties were called. The porosity of New York's secondary was again revealed by a good quarterback on a good team. Daryle Lamonica passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns as Oakland won, 27-14. Namath hit on 10 of 30 passes.
The Jets won their last two regular-season games, 34-26 over Houston and 27-9 over Miami. In the latter game John Dockery, who had emerged as the team's best all-around cornerback, dislocated his shoulder. It was the 16th serious injury Jet players had suffered, and they went into the playoffs against the Chiefs without Dockery; with their best defensive end, Gerry Philbin, playing with a dislocated shoulder; with guard Randy Rasmussen trying to move bodies on an injured ankle, and with Don Maynard reduced to substituting because of a broken bone in his foot. Still, the Chiefs were happy to settle for a 13-6 win. Namath, who admitted he just couldn't throw the ball in the whipping winds at Shea Stadium, slumped in front of his locker afterward as linebacker Larry Grantham said, 'We still we have a championship club.'
In the hopes of producing another one, Ewbank has strengthened the team's biggest weakness by picking cornerback Steve Tannen of Florida ('perhaps the outstanding defensive back in the country,' said Weeb) in the first round of the draft, and he traded a fifth-round choice to Houston for W.K. Hicks. An all-star cornerback a few years ago, Hicks also played free safety. Dennis Onkontz, a 6-2, 220-pound Penn State linebacker, could become the strong safety this season. Of course, two or three new men in a secondary could result in some indecision, too. Which is not at all a good thing when you have a team that passes as well as the Baltimore Colts in your division this season."
-Berry Stainback, Pro Football Forecast for 1970
BROADWAY JOE MAKES 'EM GO ... JUST BRING BACK THE ADRENALINE
"After the euphoria of their 1969 Super Bowl victory, which underlined the old American Football League's coming of age, it was a distinct letdown to the New York Jets to be relatively shunted into the background last season.
But, in retrospect, things really weren't as bad as they seemed at the time for Coach Weeb Ewbank's darlings of Big Shea and Long Island's North Shore. Considering their various misfortunes, in the form of various and nagging injuries to key personnel, defensive backfield problems and increased pressure from aroused opposition, they didn't do badly in winning the AFL Eastern title hands down with a 10-4 record and giving Kansas City's Chiefs, their ultimate successor as pro football's supreme champion, a stern 13-6 go in the AFL's semifinal showdown for the Super Bowl assignment.
Aside from their injury problems and hampering personnel deficiencies on secondary defense, the Jets had one serious shortcoming in 1969. Emotion played a big part in their win-it-all season of 1968. The adrenalin didn't flow anywhere near as seriously in 1969. Perhaps because they knew, just as all licensed experts did, that they were a lead pipe cinch to take the Eastern title again, they gave a lot of their games what impressed many critical observers as the ho-hum treatment. Result: They were not able to get themselves as high as the year before for the tests that really counted.
Be that as it may, the Big Green still has the basically solid virtues that raised it to the top of pro football's heap in 1968- and, hopefully, it has been augmented by draft and trade additions, reactivated injured players, etc. Beyond dispute, the Jets must be rated one of pro football's sound and solid teams.
Their prospects of regaining the summit revolve, as they have for the past five seasons, around Joe Namath, their colorful, imaginative and talented but fragile-kneed quarterback.
Dire predictions that Namath had had it, because of his weak knees and off-the-field financial success in a wide assortment of ancillary enterprises, seem pretty well to have gone up the flue.
Namath, a truly great athlete who seems to thrive on physical misery, as his business partner, Mickey Mantle, did, and who also has the rare ability to rise above it, no longer talks seriously- if he ever did- of calling it quits. And, it might be added, on the field, he's one of the most rugged invalids in sports. He picks himself off the turf deck in pain but with surprising spryness after taking the dead-aiming best shots of opposing rush-liners supercharged with hostile intent and, when the situation dictates, he can't be written off as a ball-carrying threat.
But Broadway Joe's biggest value to the Jets is as an inspirational force and as a tactician. He's not a figure man and seldom leads the passers in any statistical department- about which he couldn't care less. But he has a fine instinctive grasp of football, which increases as he gains experience, and a flair for making the big play and throwing the bomb. For backup, Namath has aged Babe Parilli and rising Al Woodall but heaven help the Jets if anything serious happens to Joe.
Additionally, Namath has able abettors in his wide receivers, Don Maynard and George Sauer, as gifted a pair as pro football has to offer. Both these fellows have the breakaway knack- particularly Maynard- and can catch the ball in a crowd and Namath, after a fast look at the defense, uncannily throws just when and how to spring them. Bake Turner is a seasoned, talented relief man for Maynard and Sauer, and up for inspection is a touted No. 2 draft choice, 6-foot 5-inch, 222-pound Richard Caster of Jackson State.
The other Jet receivers, tight end Pete Lammons and his relief, 6-foot 7-inch Wayne Stewart, and Matt Snell, Emerson Boozer and Bill Mathis of the backfield, are not as showy but they are better than fair, too.
New York's offensive line, so-so a few years ago, has solidified and now rates as one of the best. With Dave Foley, the No. 1 draft choice of 1969, reactivated for tackle after knee surgery; Roger Finnie, presumably improved after rookie service at tackle, and a hot new tight end-tackle prospect in Gary Arthur it presumably will be even better.
Barring unforeseen developments, the Jet line again will present underrated John Schmitt at center, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards and Winston Hill and Finnie or Foley at the tackles, with Pete Perreault and Paul Seiler as the principal spares. This group protects Namath with fierce dedication.
It also blocks with impact on running plays for Snell, Boozer, Mathis and Lee White, big, strong running backs who, except for Boozer, don't have much breakaway flair, but run earnestly and make the hard yards. They also block well for Namath and each other.
Any enumeration of the Jets' offensive virtues must include Jim Turner, pro football's Mister Place Kicker of the current era, and Steve O'Neal, the young punter who signed on last year. Turner led the AFL in scoring for the last two years and is a deadly place-kicker within 40 yards and a threat up to 50. O'Neal, the first time around, finished fourth among the AFL punters and got off a 98-yard record-breaker. He gets the ball off fast and almost unreturnably high.
On defense, the Jets are almost equally sound, with reservations about the deep secondary, which let them down last year, partly because of injuries. At this stage, though, the outlook seems improved. To the returnees from last year they have added Steve Tannen, a highly rated No. 1 draft choice from Florida, and W.K. Hicks, a seasoned pro obtained from the Houston Oilers. Also, Jim Hudson, their all-league strong safety and the holler guy of the rear echelon, will be back in action after being felled by a knee operation.
The starters will be picked from among these three, rising John Dockery and Jim Richards, Cornell Gordon and steady, if not brilliant Bill Baird. Could be, though, that Ewbank will feel impelled to make even more moves in this department.
The Jets have no worries about their defensive line. It's agile, mobile, hostile and still young. The basic Front Four presents Gerry Philbin, Steve Thompson, John Elliott and Verlon Biggs, from left to right, with Carl McAdams as the No. 1 inside and outside reserve, and other effectives on call.
When healthy, the Big Green's linebackers are a superior unit, too. The top hands are Ralph Baker, Al Atkinson and aging but still vigorous Larry Grantham. In support are light but tigerish Paul Crane, seasoned Jim Carroll and a well-recommended rookie, Dennis Onkotz of Penn State.
Under the reshuffled deck of the now fully-implemented AFL-NFL merger, the Jets face a formidable new divisional foe in the Baltimore Colts. But, in fairness to all, you have to rate the Broadway Joes as the team to beat in their group, at least."
-Joe Sheehan, Illustrated Digest of Pro Football, 1970 Edition
1970 New York Jets Preseason Roster
Bob Anderson (K) Iowa
* Gary Arthur (TE-T) Miami (Ohio)
62 Al Atkinson (LB) Villanova
51 Ralph Baker (LB) Penn State
40 Mike Battle (S) USC
* Tom Bayless (DT-G) Purdue
* Dick Beard (RB) Kentucky
* Ed Bell (WR) Idaho State
86 Verlon Biggs (DE) Jackson State
32 Emerson Boozer (RB) Maryland State
* Richard Caster (WR) Jackson State
56 Paul Crane (LB-C) Alabama
* Cleve Dickerson (RB) Miami (Ohio)
43 John Dockery (CB) Harvard
* John Ebersole (DE-LB) Penn State
80 John Elliott (DT) Texas
61 Roger Finnie (T) Florida A & M
Dave Foley (T) Ohio State
48 Cornell Gordon (CB) North Carolina A & T
60 Larry Grantham (LB) Mississippi
* Walter Groth (DT-OT) Baylor
73 Ray Hayes (DT) Toledo
* Claude Herard (DT) Mississippi
67 Dave Herman (G) Michigan State
33 W.K. Hicks (CB-S) Texas Southern
75 Winston Hill (T) Texas Southern
22 Jim Hudson (S) Texas
* Dick Janes (S)
65 Jimmie Jones (DE) Wichita State
87 Pete Lammons (TE) Texas
28 Cecil Leonard (CB) Tuskegee
* John Little (LB-DE) Oklahoma State
* Mark Lomas (DE) Northern Arizona
31 Bill Mathis (RB) Clemson
13 Don Maynard (WR) Texas Western
50 Carl McAdams (DT) Oklahoma
* Clifford McClain (RB) South Carolina State
12 Joe Namath (QB) Alabama
37 George Nock (RB) Morgan State
20 Steve O'Neal (P-WR) Texas A & M
* Dennis Onkotz (LB-S) Penn State
Harvey Palmore (G) Morgan State
15 Babe Parilli (QB) Kentucky
64 Pete Perreault (G) Boston University
81 Gerry Philbin (DE) Buffalo
* Bill Pierson (C-G-T) San Diego State
Jack Porter (G-T) Oklahoma
66 Randy Rasmussen (OG) Kearney State
26 Jim Richards (S) Virginia Tech
83 George Sauer (WR) Texas
52 John Schmitt (C) Hofstra
79 Paul Seiler (T-C) Notre Dame
41 Matt Snell (RB) Ohio State
* Terry Stewart (DB) Arkansas
89 Wayne Stewart (TE) California
* Steve Tannen (DB) Florida
17 Harry Theofiledes (QB) Waynesburg
* Earlie Thomas (DB) Colorado State
85 Steve Thompson (DT) Washington
Richard Trapp (WR) Florida
29 Bake Turner (WR) Texas Tech
11 Jim Turner (K-QB) Utah State
34 Lee White (RB) Weber State
* James Williams (DB) Virginia State
18 Al Woodall (QB) Duke
68 Gordon Wright (G) Delaware State
* rookie
-Pro Football 1970
1970 New York Jets Basic Roster
OFFENSE
WR Dick Caster (Jackson State)*
WR Don Maynard (Texas Western)
WR George Sauer (Texas)
WR Richard Trapp (Florida)
WR Bake Turner (Texas Tech)
TE Pete Lammons (Texas)
TE Wayne Stewart (California)
T-G Roger Finnie (Florida A & M)
T Dave Foley (Ohio State)*
T Winston Hill (Texas Southern)
T-C Paul Seiler (Notre Dame)
G Dave Herman (Michigan State)
G Pete Perreault (Boston University)
G Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State)
C John Schmitt (Hofstra)
QB Joe Namath (Alabama)
QB Al Woodall (Duke)
RB Emerson Boozer (Maryland State)
RB Bill Mathis (Clemson)
RB Matt Snell (Ohio State)
RB Lee White (Weber State)
K Jim Turner (Utah State)
P Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M)
DEFENSE
E Verlon Biggs (Jackson State)
E Jimmie Jones (Wichita State)
E-T Carl McAdams (Oklahoma)
E Gerry Philbin (Buffalo)
DT John Elliott (Texas)
DT Steve Thompson (Washington)
LB Al Atkinson (Villanova)
LB Ralph Baker (Penn State)
LB Jim Carroll (Notre Dame)
LB Paul Crane (Alabama)
LB Larry Grantham (Mississippi)
HB John Dockery (Harvard)
HB Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T)
HB Steve Tannen (Florida)*
S Bill Baird (San Francisco State)
S Jim Hudson (Texas)
S Jim Richards (Virginia Tech)
* rookie
-Pro Football 1970, Dell Publishing Co.
1970 New York Jets Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Al Woodall (Duke) 18, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11, Harry Theofiledes (Waynesburg) 17
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, George Nock (Morgan State) 37, Clifford McClain (South Carolina State)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Lee White (Weber State) 34, Dick Beard (Kentucky)*, Cleve Dickerson (Miami-Ohio)*
E - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29, Ed Bell (Idaho State)*, Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Jack Porter (Oklahoma), Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
G - Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State) 66, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64, Harvey Palmore (Morgan State), Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Seiler (Notre Dame) 79, Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Gordon Wright (Delaware State) 68, Tom Bayless (Purdue)*
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Dave Foley (Ohio State), Walter Groth (Baylor)*, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
E - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California) 89, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Richard Trapp (Florida), Richard Caster (Jackson State)*
DEFENSE
E - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50, John Little (Oklahoma State)*
T - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50, Claude Herard (Mississippi)*
T - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73, Tom Bayless (Purdue)*
E - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State) 65, Mark Lomas (Northern Arizona)*
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Dennis Onkotz (Penn State)*
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee) 28
S - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Jim Richards (Virginia Tech) 26, Mike Battle (USC) 40, Steve Tannen (Florida)*
S - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33, Dick Janes*, Terry Stewart (Arkansas)*
CB - Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, Steve Tannen (Florida)*, James Williams (Virginia State)*
* rookie
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Al Woodall (Duke) 18, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, George Nock (Morgan State) 37, Cliff McClain (South Carolina State)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Lee White (Weber State) 34
WR - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Richard Caster (Jackson State)*, Richard Trapp (Florida) 27, Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Paul Seiler (Notre Dame) 79
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Gordon Wright (Delaware State) 68
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Dave Foley (Ohio State) 70
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California) 89, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
WR - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Eddie Bell (Idaho State)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State) 65
DT - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85, John Little (Oklahoma State)*
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Mark Lomas (Northern Arizona)*
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Dennis Onkotz (Penn State)*
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43, Earlie Thomas (Colorado State)*
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Jim Richards (VPI) 26, Gus Hollomon (Houston) 48
FS - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33, Mike Battle (USC) 40
CB - Steve Tannen (Florida)*, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee) 28
SPECIALISTS
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
KR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
PR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
* rookie
1970 New York Jets Profile Summary
Head Coach - Weeb Ewbank
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12
QB - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41
WR - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13
WR - George Sauer (Texas) 83
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80
DT - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43
CB - Steve Tannen (Florida) 21
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22
FS - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33
S - Mike Battle (USC) 40
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
KR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
PR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
'They're trying to keep us from being champions,' said Jets' coach and general manager Weeb Ewbank. 'They really stuck us the first year.'
Indeed they did. The Jets drew four 1969 divisional champions - the Minnesota Vikings, the Los Angeles Rams, the Cleveland Browns and the Oakland Raiders. Moreover, they'll play two games against the Baltimore Colts, their number one rival in the Eastern Division of the AFC, and the Colts are aching to avenge that Super Bowl loss to the Jets.
All told, the Jets will play four teams that won at least ten games last season. By comparison, the Colts will play only one ten-game winner, the world champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets' other rivals in the East will be Miami, Boston and Buffalo, who don't figure as contenders. It's possible, even likely, that the Eastern title may be decided in the Jets' final game of the season when they clash on December 19 with the Colts.
Ewbank says he knows what must be done to improve the Jets' 1969 record of 10-4. The Jets won in the old Eastern Division of the old AFL but were beaten by Kansas City in the AFL playoffs. All in all, it was an honorable way of losing their world championship, for they were knocked out of the running by the team that went on to win the title.
'We were hurt badly in our defensive backfield last year,' Weeb says. 'We need to improve our defensive secondary. Defense is what wins for you and that is where we directed our attention in the draft.' There was a jagged hole in the defensive backfield after the loss of strong safety Jim Hudson, a hard-nosed Texan and a holler guy who gave the secondary its verve and poise. He hurt his knee, came back and hurt his other knee, playing only two full games before he was out for the season. The linebacking contingent was similarly shattered by injuries: the three linebackers, Larry Grantham, Ralph Baker and Al Atkinson, played together for only three of the 14 regular-season games.
Those losses showed up in the statistics. In their Super Bowl season the Jets led the AFL in overall defense and rushing defense, finishing second in pass defense. Last season the Jets were fourth in overall defense and way down to eighth in pass defense. It was no surprise, therefore, when the Jets' number one draft pick was a defensive back, Florida's Steve Tannen, a Sporting News All-America.
'He will be a starter for us,' Weeb says. 'He can play at corner or at either safety.' The Jets' number three choice was Dennis Onkotz, a linebacker and safety out of Penn State, a UPI and Football Writers' All-America. He and John Ebersole, a defensive end and linebacker and the Jets' fourth choice, anchored a Penn State defense that was second best in the nation last season. Ebersole made four All-Americas.
Onkotz and Ebersole will challenge Baker, Atkinson and the aging Grantham for linebacking jobs. If Jim Hudson returns with two good knees, he'll be the strong safety; otherwise Jim Richards, a three-year man, will fight Tannen for the job. Little Bill Baird is the other safety. At one corner is the improving John Dockery, but there is room for a strong, experienced cornerback on the other side.
Up front on defense, the Jets are strong. Gerry Philbin, Steve Thompson, John Elliott and Verlon Biggs rank with the fiercest of all foursomes. Philbin and Elliott were All-AFL.
On offense, of course, there is the perennial question: the state of Joe Namath's knees. The knees hurt last year and Joe talked of quitting. In 1969 he attempted the fewest passes in the club's history (394), calling more for a running attack that was third best in the league. The Jets saw a lot of double coverage of their two fine receivers, George Sauer and Don Maynard, and resorted to the run. Their two bull-like backs, Emerson Boozer and Matt Snell, were among the AFL's top ten rushers. Winston Hill and Roger Finnie at the tackles, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards, and John Schmitt at center opened up holes and also protected Joe's knees on the pass rush. Dave Foley, injured in the opening game, will be back to test Finnie for the right tackle post.
So far, all well and good. But history tells us that passing teams go to Super Bowls (as Bart Starr, Joe Namath and Len Dawson have shown in recent years) while running teams stay home (Remember how seldom Cleveland with Jim Brown won in the NFL?). If Joe comes back and is sound of knee, the Jets will challenge the Colts in the East. But, one suspects, to win, Joe must reassert the Jets' passing attack, once the most feared in the old AFL. And the defensive secondary must stop making those 'uh-oh-there-goes-six' mistakes. Especially against the schedule the Jets face."
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
IN BRIEF
Probable 1970 Finish: 2nd (AFC Eastern)
Strengths: Namath's arm, slick receivers, tough defensive line, and Jim Turner's kicking.
Biggest Needs: good health all around, especially with Namath and the linebackers; better team speed, depth at running back, and help in the secondary.
1969 finish: 1st (Eastern, 10-4-0)
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
" 'We're Number One' said the sign on the bulletin board in the Jets dressing room. And on the fingers of most of the players who suited up for the opening game of 1969 were the diamond rings commemorating the world championship they'd won in January. Each and every one of them thought they had a very good shot at another ring last season. After all, they seemed to have a better team than the one which won the Super Bowl, even though two starters in that game were gone. Guard Bob Talamini had retired and cornerback Johnny Sample had been retired by Jet management, which felt that play at his position had to be upgraded. Veteran Cornell Gordon would replace Sample. Even without Talamini, the Jets still had two excellent guards in Dave Herman and Randy Rasmussen. Both of them were Super Bowl starters, too, even if Herman played tackle in place of then-rookie Sam Walton. If Walton's performance did not improve, there were a pair of promising rookies who appeared capable of stepping in: number one draft choice Dave Foley of Ohio State and Roger Finnie from Florida A&M. Finnie particularly showed a lot of ability during the exhibition season. The Jets, taking a good look at newcomers in the preseason games, split their six. But they won the 'big' ones from the College All-Stars and the Giants.
They opened the season without middle linebacker Al Atkinson and left linebacker Ralph Baker, both of whom were temporarily disabled. Their substitutes held up well. John Neidert in the middle made an important fumble recovery against Buffalo and Paul Crane on the outside intercepted two passes and recovered a fumble. The second interception Crane returned 23 yards for a touchdown to sew up the Jet victory, 33-19. The Jets had to settle for three Jim Turner field goals early in this game, then quarterback Joe Namath hit flanker Don Maynard for a 60-yard touchdown and handed off to fullback Matt Snell on an 11-yard scoring run. Unfortunately, in a preview of injuries to come, Dave Foley had to have a knee operation after the game and was lost for the season.
For the first time since 1966, the Jets then lost two games in a row, to Denver, 21-19, and San Diego, 34-27. In the Bronco game tackle Sam Walton was again overmatched against Rich Jackson, who continually harassed Namath. In the Charger game Matt Snell, weakened by a virus, carried the ball only five times and two regular defensive backs were sidelined by injuries. Strongside safety Jim Hudson was capably replaced by Jim Richards and rookie Cecil Leonard went in for Randy Beverly on the right corner and matched his inconsistency.
The following week the Jet secondary lost its third regular when cornerback Cornell Gordon pulled a groin muscle. John Dockery filled in well as the defense limited Boston to 203 yards on offense. Namath hit on 15 of 21 passes, including a touchdown to tight end Pete Lammons, and ran four yards for one himself. Jim Turner added three field goals in the 23-14 victory. The following week halfback Emerson Boozer had his best rushing day ever- 129 yards- as New York beat Cincinnati, 21-7. Free safety Billy Baird was again the lone regular in the secondary, but it held up well. Namath passed to wide receiver George Sauer for a touchdown and ran for one himself, and linebacker Crane scored his second touchdown of the season when he ran in a blocked punt 12 yards. Roger Finnie replaced Sam Walton in this game and, as it turned out, for good. 'Our record (3-2) is the same as it was after five games a year ago,' said coach Weeb Ewbank. 'I think we're ready to go now.'
The Jets went against Houston next. Although Namath was intercepted three times, he passed for 306 yards and two touchdowns (to Don Maynard). And Turner kicked four field goals, including 45- and 48-yarders as New York won, 26-17. Turner kicked three more field goals in a 23-17 win over Boston the next week, then kicked a 36-yarder in the closing minutes to beat Miami, 34-31. Defensive tackle John Elliott blocked a Dolphin punt to set up the winning kick.
The defense was sensational against the Bills a week later, stopping Buffalo eight of ten times in third-down situations. The Jet offense was lethargic, but Turner was right on target with three more field goals as New York won, 16-6. The Jets and Chiefs were both going for the seventh consecutive win the following Sunday, but the Jets quickly fell behind 10-0 and were never really in the game after tying it 10-10. K.C. ran off 24 points and won, 34-16. Though Namath hit on 25 of 41 passes for 333 yards, he was under great pressure from the Chief rush line all afternoon and gave up three interceptions.
Defensive coach Walt Michaels used four linebackers (no strong side safety) almost 60 per cent of the time to choke off the Bengals' end runs and quick flat passes in the next game. And the Jet offense exploded for 40 points. Turner's four field goals (including a 50-yarder) alone topped Cincinnati's seven points. The Jets played in one of the roughest games of the season next, against Oakland, when 241 yards in penalties were called. The porosity of New York's secondary was again revealed by a good quarterback on a good team. Daryle Lamonica passed for 333 yards and two touchdowns as Oakland won, 27-14. Namath hit on 10 of 30 passes.
The Jets won their last two regular-season games, 34-26 over Houston and 27-9 over Miami. In the latter game John Dockery, who had emerged as the team's best all-around cornerback, dislocated his shoulder. It was the 16th serious injury Jet players had suffered, and they went into the playoffs against the Chiefs without Dockery; with their best defensive end, Gerry Philbin, playing with a dislocated shoulder; with guard Randy Rasmussen trying to move bodies on an injured ankle, and with Don Maynard reduced to substituting because of a broken bone in his foot. Still, the Chiefs were happy to settle for a 13-6 win. Namath, who admitted he just couldn't throw the ball in the whipping winds at Shea Stadium, slumped in front of his locker afterward as linebacker Larry Grantham said, 'We still we have a championship club.'
In the hopes of producing another one, Ewbank has strengthened the team's biggest weakness by picking cornerback Steve Tannen of Florida ('perhaps the outstanding defensive back in the country,' said Weeb) in the first round of the draft, and he traded a fifth-round choice to Houston for W.K. Hicks. An all-star cornerback a few years ago, Hicks also played free safety. Dennis Onkontz, a 6-2, 220-pound Penn State linebacker, could become the strong safety this season. Of course, two or three new men in a secondary could result in some indecision, too. Which is not at all a good thing when you have a team that passes as well as the Baltimore Colts in your division this season."
-Berry Stainback, Pro Football Forecast for 1970
BROADWAY JOE MAKES 'EM GO ... JUST BRING BACK THE ADRENALINE
"After the euphoria of their 1969 Super Bowl victory, which underlined the old American Football League's coming of age, it was a distinct letdown to the New York Jets to be relatively shunted into the background last season.
But, in retrospect, things really weren't as bad as they seemed at the time for Coach Weeb Ewbank's darlings of Big Shea and Long Island's North Shore. Considering their various misfortunes, in the form of various and nagging injuries to key personnel, defensive backfield problems and increased pressure from aroused opposition, they didn't do badly in winning the AFL Eastern title hands down with a 10-4 record and giving Kansas City's Chiefs, their ultimate successor as pro football's supreme champion, a stern 13-6 go in the AFL's semifinal showdown for the Super Bowl assignment.
Aside from their injury problems and hampering personnel deficiencies on secondary defense, the Jets had one serious shortcoming in 1969. Emotion played a big part in their win-it-all season of 1968. The adrenalin didn't flow anywhere near as seriously in 1969. Perhaps because they knew, just as all licensed experts did, that they were a lead pipe cinch to take the Eastern title again, they gave a lot of their games what impressed many critical observers as the ho-hum treatment. Result: They were not able to get themselves as high as the year before for the tests that really counted.
Be that as it may, the Big Green still has the basically solid virtues that raised it to the top of pro football's heap in 1968- and, hopefully, it has been augmented by draft and trade additions, reactivated injured players, etc. Beyond dispute, the Jets must be rated one of pro football's sound and solid teams.
Their prospects of regaining the summit revolve, as they have for the past five seasons, around Joe Namath, their colorful, imaginative and talented but fragile-kneed quarterback.
Dire predictions that Namath had had it, because of his weak knees and off-the-field financial success in a wide assortment of ancillary enterprises, seem pretty well to have gone up the flue.
Namath, a truly great athlete who seems to thrive on physical misery, as his business partner, Mickey Mantle, did, and who also has the rare ability to rise above it, no longer talks seriously- if he ever did- of calling it quits. And, it might be added, on the field, he's one of the most rugged invalids in sports. He picks himself off the turf deck in pain but with surprising spryness after taking the dead-aiming best shots of opposing rush-liners supercharged with hostile intent and, when the situation dictates, he can't be written off as a ball-carrying threat.
But Broadway Joe's biggest value to the Jets is as an inspirational force and as a tactician. He's not a figure man and seldom leads the passers in any statistical department- about which he couldn't care less. But he has a fine instinctive grasp of football, which increases as he gains experience, and a flair for making the big play and throwing the bomb. For backup, Namath has aged Babe Parilli and rising Al Woodall but heaven help the Jets if anything serious happens to Joe.
Additionally, Namath has able abettors in his wide receivers, Don Maynard and George Sauer, as gifted a pair as pro football has to offer. Both these fellows have the breakaway knack- particularly Maynard- and can catch the ball in a crowd and Namath, after a fast look at the defense, uncannily throws just when and how to spring them. Bake Turner is a seasoned, talented relief man for Maynard and Sauer, and up for inspection is a touted No. 2 draft choice, 6-foot 5-inch, 222-pound Richard Caster of Jackson State.
The other Jet receivers, tight end Pete Lammons and his relief, 6-foot 7-inch Wayne Stewart, and Matt Snell, Emerson Boozer and Bill Mathis of the backfield, are not as showy but they are better than fair, too.
New York's offensive line, so-so a few years ago, has solidified and now rates as one of the best. With Dave Foley, the No. 1 draft choice of 1969, reactivated for tackle after knee surgery; Roger Finnie, presumably improved after rookie service at tackle, and a hot new tight end-tackle prospect in Gary Arthur it presumably will be even better.
Barring unforeseen developments, the Jet line again will present underrated John Schmitt at center, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards and Winston Hill and Finnie or Foley at the tackles, with Pete Perreault and Paul Seiler as the principal spares. This group protects Namath with fierce dedication.
It also blocks with impact on running plays for Snell, Boozer, Mathis and Lee White, big, strong running backs who, except for Boozer, don't have much breakaway flair, but run earnestly and make the hard yards. They also block well for Namath and each other.
Any enumeration of the Jets' offensive virtues must include Jim Turner, pro football's Mister Place Kicker of the current era, and Steve O'Neal, the young punter who signed on last year. Turner led the AFL in scoring for the last two years and is a deadly place-kicker within 40 yards and a threat up to 50. O'Neal, the first time around, finished fourth among the AFL punters and got off a 98-yard record-breaker. He gets the ball off fast and almost unreturnably high.
On defense, the Jets are almost equally sound, with reservations about the deep secondary, which let them down last year, partly because of injuries. At this stage, though, the outlook seems improved. To the returnees from last year they have added Steve Tannen, a highly rated No. 1 draft choice from Florida, and W.K. Hicks, a seasoned pro obtained from the Houston Oilers. Also, Jim Hudson, their all-league strong safety and the holler guy of the rear echelon, will be back in action after being felled by a knee operation.
The starters will be picked from among these three, rising John Dockery and Jim Richards, Cornell Gordon and steady, if not brilliant Bill Baird. Could be, though, that Ewbank will feel impelled to make even more moves in this department.
The Jets have no worries about their defensive line. It's agile, mobile, hostile and still young. The basic Front Four presents Gerry Philbin, Steve Thompson, John Elliott and Verlon Biggs, from left to right, with Carl McAdams as the No. 1 inside and outside reserve, and other effectives on call.
When healthy, the Big Green's linebackers are a superior unit, too. The top hands are Ralph Baker, Al Atkinson and aging but still vigorous Larry Grantham. In support are light but tigerish Paul Crane, seasoned Jim Carroll and a well-recommended rookie, Dennis Onkotz of Penn State.
Under the reshuffled deck of the now fully-implemented AFL-NFL merger, the Jets face a formidable new divisional foe in the Baltimore Colts. But, in fairness to all, you have to rate the Broadway Joes as the team to beat in their group, at least."
-Joe Sheehan, Illustrated Digest of Pro Football, 1970 Edition
1970 New York Jets Preseason Roster
Bob Anderson (K) Iowa
* Gary Arthur (TE-T) Miami (Ohio)
62 Al Atkinson (LB) Villanova
51 Ralph Baker (LB) Penn State
40 Mike Battle (S) USC
* Tom Bayless (DT-G) Purdue
* Dick Beard (RB) Kentucky
* Ed Bell (WR) Idaho State
86 Verlon Biggs (DE) Jackson State
32 Emerson Boozer (RB) Maryland State
* Richard Caster (WR) Jackson State
56 Paul Crane (LB-C) Alabama
* Cleve Dickerson (RB) Miami (Ohio)
43 John Dockery (CB) Harvard
* John Ebersole (DE-LB) Penn State
80 John Elliott (DT) Texas
61 Roger Finnie (T) Florida A & M
Dave Foley (T) Ohio State
48 Cornell Gordon (CB) North Carolina A & T
60 Larry Grantham (LB) Mississippi
* Walter Groth (DT-OT) Baylor
73 Ray Hayes (DT) Toledo
* Claude Herard (DT) Mississippi
67 Dave Herman (G) Michigan State
33 W.K. Hicks (CB-S) Texas Southern
75 Winston Hill (T) Texas Southern
22 Jim Hudson (S) Texas
* Dick Janes (S)
65 Jimmie Jones (DE) Wichita State
87 Pete Lammons (TE) Texas
28 Cecil Leonard (CB) Tuskegee
* John Little (LB-DE) Oklahoma State
* Mark Lomas (DE) Northern Arizona
31 Bill Mathis (RB) Clemson
13 Don Maynard (WR) Texas Western
50 Carl McAdams (DT) Oklahoma
* Clifford McClain (RB) South Carolina State
12 Joe Namath (QB) Alabama
37 George Nock (RB) Morgan State
20 Steve O'Neal (P-WR) Texas A & M
* Dennis Onkotz (LB-S) Penn State
Harvey Palmore (G) Morgan State
15 Babe Parilli (QB) Kentucky
64 Pete Perreault (G) Boston University
81 Gerry Philbin (DE) Buffalo
* Bill Pierson (C-G-T) San Diego State
Jack Porter (G-T) Oklahoma
66 Randy Rasmussen (OG) Kearney State
26 Jim Richards (S) Virginia Tech
83 George Sauer (WR) Texas
52 John Schmitt (C) Hofstra
79 Paul Seiler (T-C) Notre Dame
41 Matt Snell (RB) Ohio State
* Terry Stewart (DB) Arkansas
89 Wayne Stewart (TE) California
* Steve Tannen (DB) Florida
17 Harry Theofiledes (QB) Waynesburg
* Earlie Thomas (DB) Colorado State
85 Steve Thompson (DT) Washington
Richard Trapp (WR) Florida
29 Bake Turner (WR) Texas Tech
11 Jim Turner (K-QB) Utah State
34 Lee White (RB) Weber State
* James Williams (DB) Virginia State
18 Al Woodall (QB) Duke
68 Gordon Wright (G) Delaware State
* rookie
-Pro Football 1970
1970 New York Jets Basic Roster
OFFENSE
WR Dick Caster (Jackson State)*
WR Don Maynard (Texas Western)
WR George Sauer (Texas)
WR Richard Trapp (Florida)
WR Bake Turner (Texas Tech)
TE Pete Lammons (Texas)
TE Wayne Stewart (California)
T-G Roger Finnie (Florida A & M)
T Dave Foley (Ohio State)*
T Winston Hill (Texas Southern)
T-C Paul Seiler (Notre Dame)
G Dave Herman (Michigan State)
G Pete Perreault (Boston University)
G Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State)
C John Schmitt (Hofstra)
QB Joe Namath (Alabama)
QB Al Woodall (Duke)
RB Emerson Boozer (Maryland State)
RB Bill Mathis (Clemson)
RB Matt Snell (Ohio State)
RB Lee White (Weber State)
K Jim Turner (Utah State)
P Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M)
DEFENSE
E Verlon Biggs (Jackson State)
E Jimmie Jones (Wichita State)
E-T Carl McAdams (Oklahoma)
E Gerry Philbin (Buffalo)
DT John Elliott (Texas)
DT Steve Thompson (Washington)
LB Al Atkinson (Villanova)
LB Ralph Baker (Penn State)
LB Jim Carroll (Notre Dame)
LB Paul Crane (Alabama)
LB Larry Grantham (Mississippi)
HB John Dockery (Harvard)
HB Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T)
HB Steve Tannen (Florida)*
S Bill Baird (San Francisco State)
S Jim Hudson (Texas)
S Jim Richards (Virginia Tech)
* rookie
-Pro Football 1970, Dell Publishing Co.
1970 New York Jets Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Al Woodall (Duke) 18, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11, Harry Theofiledes (Waynesburg) 17
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, George Nock (Morgan State) 37, Clifford McClain (South Carolina State)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Lee White (Weber State) 34, Dick Beard (Kentucky)*, Cleve Dickerson (Miami-Ohio)*
E - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29, Ed Bell (Idaho State)*, Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Jack Porter (Oklahoma), Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
G - Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State) 66, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64, Harvey Palmore (Morgan State), Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Seiler (Notre Dame) 79, Bill Pierson (San Diego State)*
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Gordon Wright (Delaware State) 68, Tom Bayless (Purdue)*
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Dave Foley (Ohio State), Walter Groth (Baylor)*, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
E - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California) 89, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Richard Trapp (Florida), Richard Caster (Jackson State)*
DEFENSE
E - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50, John Little (Oklahoma State)*
T - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50, Claude Herard (Mississippi)*
T - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73, Tom Bayless (Purdue)*
E - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State) 65, Mark Lomas (Northern Arizona)*
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Dennis Onkotz (Penn State)*
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee) 28
S - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Jim Richards (Virginia Tech) 26, Mike Battle (USC) 40, Steve Tannen (Florida)*
S - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33, Dick Janes*, Terry Stewart (Arkansas)*
CB - Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, Steve Tannen (Florida)*, James Williams (Virginia State)*
* rookie
-Brenda and Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1970
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Al Woodall (Duke) 18, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, George Nock (Morgan State) 37, Cliff McClain (South Carolina State)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Lee White (Weber State) 34
WR - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Richard Caster (Jackson State)*, Richard Trapp (Florida) 27, Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Paul Seiler (Notre Dame) 79
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Gordon Wright (Delaware State) 68
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61, Dave Foley (Ohio State) 70
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California) 89, Gary Arthur (Miami-Ohio)*
WR - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Eddie Bell (Idaho State)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State) 65
DT - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85, John Little (Oklahoma State)*
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Mark Lomas (Northern Arizona)*
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, John Ebersole (Penn State)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Dennis Onkotz (Penn State)*
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43, Earlie Thomas (Colorado State)*
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Jim Richards (VPI) 26, Gus Hollomon (Houston) 48
FS - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33, Mike Battle (USC) 40
CB - Steve Tannen (Florida)*, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee) 28
SPECIALISTS
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
KR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
PR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
* rookie
1970 New York Jets Profile Summary
Head Coach - Weeb Ewbank
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12
QB - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41
WR - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13
WR - George Sauer (Texas) 83
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75
T - Roger Finnie (Florida A & M) 61
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80
DT - Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
CB - John Dockery (Harvard) 43
CB - Steve Tannen (Florida) 21
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22
FS - W.K. Hicks (Texas Southern) 33
S - Mike Battle (USC) 40
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
KR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
PR - Mike Battle (USC) 40
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
1969 Profiles: Pete Lammons and Bake Turner
PETE LAMMONS
Tight End
No. 87
Texas
"It is third-and-six and Joe Namath calls for a pass play. Sitting back in his pocket he sees Don Maynard, his primary receiver, is double-covered; on the other side, his secondary target George Sauer is being guarded too carefully. So he pump-fakes once, looks for Pete Lammons, and drills home a first down pass.
Serving as an emergency receiver has served Lammons well. He's ranked among the better tight ends in the league, and one of the most productive ones. Last season he collected 32 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. In 1967 he led everyone at his position with 45 receptions for 515 yards. At 6-3 and 255 pounds, he throws his weight around on running plays.
Now in his fourth pro season, Pete played his college ball at Texas."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
BAKE TURNER
Split End-Kick Returner-Punter
No. 29
Texas Tech
Bake does most of the kick returning for New York. In 1965 he was seventh in the AFL in kick returns (18) and eighth in both kick return yards (402) and kick return average (22.3). Bake was an AFL All-Star when he joined the Jets as an end in 1963, finishing third in the league in receptions (71) and fifth in receiving yards (1,009). He's still useful to the club as a spare receiver.
Tight End
No. 87
Texas
"It is third-and-six and Joe Namath calls for a pass play. Sitting back in his pocket he sees Don Maynard, his primary receiver, is double-covered; on the other side, his secondary target George Sauer is being guarded too carefully. So he pump-fakes once, looks for Pete Lammons, and drills home a first down pass.
Serving as an emergency receiver has served Lammons well. He's ranked among the better tight ends in the league, and one of the most productive ones. Last season he collected 32 passes for 400 yards and three touchdowns. In 1967 he led everyone at his position with 45 receptions for 515 yards. At 6-3 and 255 pounds, he throws his weight around on running plays.
Now in his fourth pro season, Pete played his college ball at Texas."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
BAKE TURNER
Split End-Kick Returner-Punter
No. 29
Texas Tech
Bake does most of the kick returning for New York. In 1965 he was seventh in the AFL in kick returns (18) and eighth in both kick return yards (402) and kick return average (22.3). Bake was an AFL All-Star when he joined the Jets as an end in 1963, finishing third in the league in receptions (71) and fifth in receiving yards (1,009). He's still useful to the club as a spare receiver.
1969 Profile: Emerson Boozer
Halfback
No. 32
Maryland State
"When he's not sore-footed from bunion trouble, or recovering from knee surgery, Emerson Boozer ideally complements Matt Snell in the Jet backfield.
Built along the lines of Mike Garrett, only bigger and stronger, Boozer has developed into a fine pro runner who was good enough to rank tenth in the league as a rookie in 1966, with 455 yards on 97 carries for a 4.7 average and four touchdowns. The following year he was on his way to a possible scoring title with 13 touchdowns after seven games, when he suddenly wrecked his knees in a game against Kansas City and was through for the year. Last season, he started off slowly, testing the knee more each week, picking up momentum and finishing at full speed, as he gained 441 yards on 143 carries for a 3.1 average and five touchdowns.
In his three years in the league, he has turned into a better-than-average blocker and a fine pass receiver."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
No. 32
Maryland State
"When he's not sore-footed from bunion trouble, or recovering from knee surgery, Emerson Boozer ideally complements Matt Snell in the Jet backfield.
Built along the lines of Mike Garrett, only bigger and stronger, Boozer has developed into a fine pro runner who was good enough to rank tenth in the league as a rookie in 1966, with 455 yards on 97 carries for a 4.7 average and four touchdowns. The following year he was on his way to a possible scoring title with 13 touchdowns after seven games, when he suddenly wrecked his knees in a game against Kansas City and was through for the year. Last season, he started off slowly, testing the knee more each week, picking up momentum and finishing at full speed, as he gained 441 yards on 143 carries for a 3.1 average and five touchdowns.
In his three years in the league, he has turned into a better-than-average blocker and a fine pass receiver."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
Monday, October 20, 2014
1969 Jets Defensive Back Profiles
JOHNNY SAMPLE
Cornerback
No. 24
Maryland State
"If Johnny Sample doesn't take the ball away from a potential pass receiver, he can always talk it away from him. Easily the most gifted conversationalist among defensive backs, he is also one of the best in the business at reading quarterbacks. Only his slowed-down legs prevent Johnny from really ripping, now that he has acquired all of that experience and know-how. Still, he led the Jets in interceptions last season with seven to rank third in the league.
The Jets were able to acquire him in 1966 after he had been dropped by the Washington Redskins. Previously, he had spent his eight years in the NFL with such clubs as the Steelers and Colts, where he played on two championship clubs under Weeb Ewbank."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
RANDY BEVERLY
Cornerback
No. 42
Colorado State
Randy truly rose to the occasion with two interceptions in Super Bowl III. With the Colts threatening on the Jet 10-yard line in the first half, he intercepted an Earl Morrall pass in the end zone. When Unitas led Baltimore all the way to the Jet 25 in the second half, Randy intercepted Johnny's pass in the end zone.
In a September game against Boston, Randy's 68-yard interception for a touchdown was the AFL's fourth-longest interception return of 1968.
JIM HUDSON
Strong Safety
No. 22
Texas
"For some reason, strong-side safeties don't get too much publicity - except, of course, when they get beaten by a tight end for a touchdown. It's a tough position to play, with little of the glamor of the other defensive backfield positions, and frankly, there aren't too many good ones around. But the Jets have a coming star in Jim Hudson, who takes to the duties of tight safety as though he were born to the job.
For one thing, he has the beef and bulk to match shots with the strongest tight ends, the finesse and reflexes a good defender must have, and the speed and tackling ability to come up fast and stop the sweep.
Last year, Jim's fourth in the league, he came up with five interceptions to rank in the top ten in the AFL. And of course, it was Jim who made a key interception of an Earl Morrall pass in the Super Bowl.
He played his college football at Texas and was signed by the Jets as a free agent."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
BILL BAIRD
Free Safety-Punt Returner
No. 46
San Francisco State
Returning punts for the Jets in Super Bowl III was the climax of just another fine season for Bill. His total of 18 regular season punt returns was good for eighth in the AFL as was his 6.2 average. Bill's five returns for 33 yards in the early November game against Buffalo were part of a 25-21 Jet win.
Cornerback
No. 24
Maryland State
"If Johnny Sample doesn't take the ball away from a potential pass receiver, he can always talk it away from him. Easily the most gifted conversationalist among defensive backs, he is also one of the best in the business at reading quarterbacks. Only his slowed-down legs prevent Johnny from really ripping, now that he has acquired all of that experience and know-how. Still, he led the Jets in interceptions last season with seven to rank third in the league.
The Jets were able to acquire him in 1966 after he had been dropped by the Washington Redskins. Previously, he had spent his eight years in the NFL with such clubs as the Steelers and Colts, where he played on two championship clubs under Weeb Ewbank."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
RANDY BEVERLY
Cornerback
No. 42
Colorado State
Randy truly rose to the occasion with two interceptions in Super Bowl III. With the Colts threatening on the Jet 10-yard line in the first half, he intercepted an Earl Morrall pass in the end zone. When Unitas led Baltimore all the way to the Jet 25 in the second half, Randy intercepted Johnny's pass in the end zone.
In a September game against Boston, Randy's 68-yard interception for a touchdown was the AFL's fourth-longest interception return of 1968.
JIM HUDSON
Strong Safety
No. 22
Texas
"For some reason, strong-side safeties don't get too much publicity - except, of course, when they get beaten by a tight end for a touchdown. It's a tough position to play, with little of the glamor of the other defensive backfield positions, and frankly, there aren't too many good ones around. But the Jets have a coming star in Jim Hudson, who takes to the duties of tight safety as though he were born to the job.
For one thing, he has the beef and bulk to match shots with the strongest tight ends, the finesse and reflexes a good defender must have, and the speed and tackling ability to come up fast and stop the sweep.
Last year, Jim's fourth in the league, he came up with five interceptions to rank in the top ten in the AFL. And of course, it was Jim who made a key interception of an Earl Morrall pass in the Super Bowl.
He played his college football at Texas and was signed by the Jets as a free agent."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
BILL BAIRD
Free Safety-Punt Returner
No. 46
San Francisco State
Returning punts for the Jets in Super Bowl III was the climax of just another fine season for Bill. His total of 18 regular season punt returns was good for eighth in the AFL as was his 6.2 average. Bill's five returns for 33 yards in the early November game against Buffalo were part of a 25-21 Jet win.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
1969 Jets Offensive Line Profiles
JOHN SCHMITT
Center
No. 52
Hofstra
Starting all 14 games for the third straight season, John's deadly precision in picking off blitzing pass-rushers and ability to pry open the middle of a defensive line upon snapping to Namath was invaluable in the Jets' thrilling run to Super Bowl glory. Along with the appreciation of knowledgeable Jet fans, John received acclaim as a second-team All-Pro by both UPI and the AP.
DAVE HERMAN
Guard
No. 67
Michigan State
"The biggest helmet on the Jets belongs to Dave Herman. He must own the biggest heart, too, for Dave, a rising offensive guard, was willing last season to move over to tackle for the Super Bowl game, where he would be playing opposite massive Bubba Smith. For a guy of Dave's size - he's 6-1, 255 - it was asking a lot, but then this a guy whose worth you don't measure in numbers. Dave did a superb job on Smith, though he would prefer not being asked to do it again.
A future draft choice of both the Jets and the Giants, he spent most of his 1964 rookie year on special teams, but the following year took over as a regular. He played his college football at Michigan State, and was a senior the year Bubba Smith broke in at the same school."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
RANDY RASMUSSEN
Guard
No. 66
Nebraska-Kearney
Whether in tandem with Dave Herman during the regular season or with Bob Talamini during the Jets' historic postseason when Herman was pressed into duty at offensive tackle, Randy met the most well-known requirement for any New York offensive lineman- the ability to always provide pass protection for Joe Namath. Yet the Kearney Stater proved just as helpful to the ball-carrying heroics of Snell and Boozer.
BOB TALAMINI
Guard
No. 61
Kentucky
"Acquired from the Houston Oilers, Bob has been influential in molding the New York Jets' fine offensive line. He's a fine pass protector and excellent at leading the way on end sweeps. Bob is a tough, hard-driving pro and has played in six American Football League All-Star games."
-1969 Topps No. 162
PETE PERREAULT
Guard
No. 64
Boston University
"This big guard signed his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1962. The following year he was playing with the New York Jets and had his best season in 1964 when he appeared in 14 ball games.
Pete has suffered numerous injuries and when he is healthy he figures to perform very well."
-1969 Topps No. 181
WINSTON HILL
Offensive Tackle
No. 75
Texas Southern
Winston has been a virtually impenetrable pass blocking stalwart for the Jets since his rookie season. Though an AFL All-Star in 1964, '67 and '68, his greatest glory came in historic Super Bowl III. Joe Namath's masterful deployment of the Jet running backs was helped immeasurable by Winston spending the entire game overpowering Colt defensive end Ordell Braase. This was an offensive lineman's performance that was admired by knowledgeable football fans everywhere.
DAVE FOLEY
Offensive Tackle
1st Round
Ohio State
Dave comes to New York as the offensive tackle needed to continue the success of the explosive Jet offense. This 6-5, 255-pound first-rounder clearly has the size and strength needed to assure adequate protection for Namath's passing. This consensus Ohio State All-American also proved his run-blocking prowess as part of the Buckeye squad that won the Rose Bowl.
Center
No. 52
Hofstra
Starting all 14 games for the third straight season, John's deadly precision in picking off blitzing pass-rushers and ability to pry open the middle of a defensive line upon snapping to Namath was invaluable in the Jets' thrilling run to Super Bowl glory. Along with the appreciation of knowledgeable Jet fans, John received acclaim as a second-team All-Pro by both UPI and the AP.
DAVE HERMAN
Guard
No. 67
Michigan State
"The biggest helmet on the Jets belongs to Dave Herman. He must own the biggest heart, too, for Dave, a rising offensive guard, was willing last season to move over to tackle for the Super Bowl game, where he would be playing opposite massive Bubba Smith. For a guy of Dave's size - he's 6-1, 255 - it was asking a lot, but then this a guy whose worth you don't measure in numbers. Dave did a superb job on Smith, though he would prefer not being asked to do it again.
A future draft choice of both the Jets and the Giants, he spent most of his 1964 rookie year on special teams, but the following year took over as a regular. He played his college football at Michigan State, and was a senior the year Bubba Smith broke in at the same school."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
RANDY RASMUSSEN
Guard
No. 66
Nebraska-Kearney
Whether in tandem with Dave Herman during the regular season or with Bob Talamini during the Jets' historic postseason when Herman was pressed into duty at offensive tackle, Randy met the most well-known requirement for any New York offensive lineman- the ability to always provide pass protection for Joe Namath. Yet the Kearney Stater proved just as helpful to the ball-carrying heroics of Snell and Boozer.
BOB TALAMINI
Guard
No. 61
Kentucky
"Acquired from the Houston Oilers, Bob has been influential in molding the New York Jets' fine offensive line. He's a fine pass protector and excellent at leading the way on end sweeps. Bob is a tough, hard-driving pro and has played in six American Football League All-Star games."
-1969 Topps No. 162
PETE PERREAULT
Guard
No. 64
Boston University
"This big guard signed his first pro contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1962. The following year he was playing with the New York Jets and had his best season in 1964 when he appeared in 14 ball games.
Pete has suffered numerous injuries and when he is healthy he figures to perform very well."
-1969 Topps No. 181
WINSTON HILL
Offensive Tackle
No. 75
Texas Southern
Winston has been a virtually impenetrable pass blocking stalwart for the Jets since his rookie season. Though an AFL All-Star in 1964, '67 and '68, his greatest glory came in historic Super Bowl III. Joe Namath's masterful deployment of the Jet running backs was helped immeasurable by Winston spending the entire game overpowering Colt defensive end Ordell Braase. This was an offensive lineman's performance that was admired by knowledgeable football fans everywhere.
DAVE FOLEY
Offensive Tackle
1st Round
Ohio State
Dave comes to New York as the offensive tackle needed to continue the success of the explosive Jet offense. This 6-5, 255-pound first-rounder clearly has the size and strength needed to assure adequate protection for Namath's passing. This consensus Ohio State All-American also proved his run-blocking prowess as part of the Buckeye squad that won the Rose Bowl.
Friday, October 17, 2014
1969 Profiles: Jim Turner and Steve O'Neal
JIM TURNER
Place Kicker-Quarterback
No. 11
Utah State
"Whenever he runs onto the field to try a field goal, Jim Turner gets an earful from Babe Parilli, the man who holds the ball for him.
'Babe will tell me that he can kick better than I can and that he certainly wouldn't miss this easy one,' Turner says. But in a crucial game against the Bills last season, with the Jets trailing 21-19 with three minutes left, Parilli was silent and so was the rest of the huddle. Turner knew how important this 35-yarder was, that he'd have to boot it into a stiff crosswind in the rain, and before a howling crowd of 61,000 at Shea Stadium. But when the ball was spotted by Parilli, Turner booted it true through the uprights and the Jets won the game.
That was one of six field goals he booted that day, tying an AFL record. He added 28 more of them, plus 34 extra points, to win the league's scoring title last year with 145 points. It was his first scoring title, though Jim has led the Jets in scoring all four years he has been with the club. He joined the Jets as a free agent in 1964 out of Utah State.
Jim has another duty on the club which doesn't keep him very busy: he's a backup quarterback behind Joe Namath."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"For the fifth consecutive year, Jim led the New York Jets in scoring. Not only is he an accurate kicker but he can split the uprights from as far as 50 yards out. Jim led the AFL in scoring (145) in 1968. Additionally, he can play at quarterback or as a running back in an emergency."
-1969 Topps No. 29
STEVE O'NEAL
Punter
13th Round
Texas A & M
Steve arrives in New York from Texas A & M to replace Curley Johnson as the Jet punter. Along with New York scouts, head coach Weeb Ewbank has already expressed optimism about this young man's long distance booting.
Place Kicker-Quarterback
No. 11
Utah State
"Whenever he runs onto the field to try a field goal, Jim Turner gets an earful from Babe Parilli, the man who holds the ball for him.
'Babe will tell me that he can kick better than I can and that he certainly wouldn't miss this easy one,' Turner says. But in a crucial game against the Bills last season, with the Jets trailing 21-19 with three minutes left, Parilli was silent and so was the rest of the huddle. Turner knew how important this 35-yarder was, that he'd have to boot it into a stiff crosswind in the rain, and before a howling crowd of 61,000 at Shea Stadium. But when the ball was spotted by Parilli, Turner booted it true through the uprights and the Jets won the game.
That was one of six field goals he booted that day, tying an AFL record. He added 28 more of them, plus 34 extra points, to win the league's scoring title last year with 145 points. It was his first scoring title, though Jim has led the Jets in scoring all four years he has been with the club. He joined the Jets as a free agent in 1964 out of Utah State.
Jim has another duty on the club which doesn't keep him very busy: he's a backup quarterback behind Joe Namath."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"For the fifth consecutive year, Jim led the New York Jets in scoring. Not only is he an accurate kicker but he can split the uprights from as far as 50 yards out. Jim led the AFL in scoring (145) in 1968. Additionally, he can play at quarterback or as a running back in an emergency."
-1969 Topps No. 29
STEVE O'NEAL
Punter
13th Round
Texas A & M
Steve arrives in New York from Texas A & M to replace Curley Johnson as the Jet punter. Along with New York scouts, head coach Weeb Ewbank has already expressed optimism about this young man's long distance booting.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
1969 Profile: George Sauer
Split End
No. 83
Texas
"In contrast to his wing-mate Don Maynard, George Sauer is a classic receiver. He has the right physique at 6-2 and 195 pounds, the dazzling array of moves, and the supple hands. Perhaps the one thing he lacks is great straightaway speed, but he's fast enough, and there have been other top-caliber receivers, like Raymond Berry, who didn't run that fast.
George also comes up with the good figures every season, as he did last year when he finished a close second behind Lance Alworth for the league's receiving title. He caught 66 passes for 1,141 yards and three touchdowns. Actually, it was turnabout time in '68, for Sauer edged Alworth for the same title in 1967 when he caught 75 passes for 1,189 yards.
Now in his fifth AFL year, he came to the Jets as their future draft pick in 1965 after an outstanding career at Texas."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"In 1966, George's teammates voted him the club's most valuable player. In '67, he set a Jets club record, and led the American Football League, when he hauled down 75 passes.
He is powerfully built, sure-handed and makes moves like a cat."
-1969 Topps No. 231
No. 83
Texas
"In contrast to his wing-mate Don Maynard, George Sauer is a classic receiver. He has the right physique at 6-2 and 195 pounds, the dazzling array of moves, and the supple hands. Perhaps the one thing he lacks is great straightaway speed, but he's fast enough, and there have been other top-caliber receivers, like Raymond Berry, who didn't run that fast.
George also comes up with the good figures every season, as he did last year when he finished a close second behind Lance Alworth for the league's receiving title. He caught 66 passes for 1,141 yards and three touchdowns. Actually, it was turnabout time in '68, for Sauer edged Alworth for the same title in 1967 when he caught 75 passes for 1,189 yards.
Now in his fifth AFL year, he came to the Jets as their future draft pick in 1965 after an outstanding career at Texas."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"In 1966, George's teammates voted him the club's most valuable player. In '67, he set a Jets club record, and led the American Football League, when he hauled down 75 passes.
He is powerfully built, sure-handed and makes moves like a cat."
-1969 Topps No. 231
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
1969 Jets Linebacker Profiles
AL ATKINSON
Middle Linebacker
No. 62
Villanova
In 1968 Al led the now feared Jet defense with 144 tackles. An AFL All-Star last season, he also registered two interceptions, including one returned 22 yards.
Al was drafted in 1965 as an offensive guard by the Buffalo Bills, but it was with the Jets that he quickly established himself that year- Al made five unassisted tackles on kickoffs in one game against Denver.
LARRY GRANTHAM
Linebacker
No. 60
Mississippi
Larry was a first team All-Pro from 1960-64, including the lean years of the Titans. Still going strong as an AP second team All-Pro in 1968, he was still around to savor the Jet Super Bowl victory.
In his college days on offense at Ole Miss, Larry led the SEC with five receiving touchdowns in 1958 and was in the conference's top ten in receiving yards in '58 and '59.
RALPH BAKER
Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
Ralph has been a hard working stalwart of the New York linebacking corps since his arrival from Penn State in 1964. No one hits the opposition harder, whether against the run or the pass. Early in the third quarter of Super Bowl III, Ralph recovered a Tom Matte fumble, leading to a 32-yard Jim Turner field goal giving the Jets a 10-0 lead over the Colts.
JIM CARROLL
Linebacker
No. 55
Notre Dame
1966
Playing every game last year, the rookie out of Notre Dame showed great promise as one of the youngsters in the revamped Giant linebacking corps. Jim moves to the middle linebacking spot this coming season. Giant coaches love his hard-hitting aggressiveness.
Middle Linebacker
No. 62
Villanova
In 1968 Al led the now feared Jet defense with 144 tackles. An AFL All-Star last season, he also registered two interceptions, including one returned 22 yards.
Al was drafted in 1965 as an offensive guard by the Buffalo Bills, but it was with the Jets that he quickly established himself that year- Al made five unassisted tackles on kickoffs in one game against Denver.
LARRY GRANTHAM
Linebacker
No. 60
Mississippi
Larry was a first team All-Pro from 1960-64, including the lean years of the Titans. Still going strong as an AP second team All-Pro in 1968, he was still around to savor the Jet Super Bowl victory.
In his college days on offense at Ole Miss, Larry led the SEC with five receiving touchdowns in 1958 and was in the conference's top ten in receiving yards in '58 and '59.
RALPH BAKER
Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
Ralph has been a hard working stalwart of the New York linebacking corps since his arrival from Penn State in 1964. No one hits the opposition harder, whether against the run or the pass. Early in the third quarter of Super Bowl III, Ralph recovered a Tom Matte fumble, leading to a 32-yard Jim Turner field goal giving the Jets a 10-0 lead over the Colts.
JIM CARROLL
Linebacker
No. 55
Notre Dame
1966
Playing every game last year, the rookie out of Notre Dame showed great promise as one of the youngsters in the revamped Giant linebacking corps. Jim moves to the middle linebacking spot this coming season. Giant coaches love his hard-hitting aggressiveness.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
1969 Profile: Matt Snell
Fullback
No. 41
Ohio State
"The AFL championship game and the Super Bowl served as a national showcase of the kind of work Matt Snell had been doing all season long in 1968. So completely had he integrated himself into the Jet pattern that Matt's work went largely overlooked in precincts outside of New York.
But Matt's always been that type of player - a team man who blocked like blazes for Joe Namath and would carry the ball through a brick wall when called upon. The only trouble was that Matt was plagued with knee problems during the 1967 season and was slowed down. But off-season surgery restored the knee and Matt ran with his old vigor week after week last year, winding up sixth in the rushing charts with 747 yards on 179 carries for a 4.2 average and six touchdowns.
It was Matt's best season since his Rookie of the Year performance in 1964, when he gained 948 yards."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"Battling back from knee surgery, Matt played one of the greatest games of his career against the Colts in the 1968 Super Bowl. He scored the first touchdown in the game to give New York a 7-0 lead. The speedy back repeatedly ran around and through the Baltimore defense."
-1969 Topps No. 193
No. 41
Ohio State
"The AFL championship game and the Super Bowl served as a national showcase of the kind of work Matt Snell had been doing all season long in 1968. So completely had he integrated himself into the Jet pattern that Matt's work went largely overlooked in precincts outside of New York.
But Matt's always been that type of player - a team man who blocked like blazes for Joe Namath and would carry the ball through a brick wall when called upon. The only trouble was that Matt was plagued with knee problems during the 1967 season and was slowed down. But off-season surgery restored the knee and Matt ran with his old vigor week after week last year, winding up sixth in the rushing charts with 747 yards on 179 carries for a 4.2 average and six touchdowns.
It was Matt's best season since his Rookie of the Year performance in 1964, when he gained 948 yards."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"Battling back from knee surgery, Matt played one of the greatest games of his career against the Colts in the 1968 Super Bowl. He scored the first touchdown in the game to give New York a 7-0 lead. The speedy back repeatedly ran around and through the Baltimore defense."
-1969 Topps No. 193
Monday, October 13, 2014
1969 Jets Defensive Line Profiles
JOHN ELLIOTT
Defensive Tackle
No. 80
Texas
In New York's championship season of 1968, their defensive line proved as punishing as their renowned linebacking corps. One reason was the emergence of John Elliott as an AFL All-Star and both an AP and UPI second team All-Pro. John proved extremely tough against running plays.
PAUL ROCHESTER
Defensive Tackle
No. 72
Michigan State
Paul's veteran presence spearheaded a line charge that harassed opposing quarterbacks and often shut down high powered ground attacks. An AFL All-Star for the Dallas Texans in 1961, his arrival in New York was a major step in the building of the defense of a playoff team.
An All-American who played in the 1957 Rose Bowl, Paul considers the Dallas Texans' double-overtime win in 1962 his greatest thrill.
GERRY PHILBIN
Defensive End
No. 81
Buffalo
"The number 81 on Gerry Philbin's jersey is one of the more familiar sights seen in enemy backfields. That's because Gerry is one of the most accomplished pass rushers in the league.
Besides being tough and aggressive, he's a studious type who is constantly working at improving his technique. He can feint to the inside, then circle around the other way and still get in on the quarterback fast enough to make the tackle.
An All-AFL choice last season, Gerry joined the Jets in 1964 after playing his college football at the University of Buffalo."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"One of the best defensive ends in the league, Gerry is the anchoring force of the Jets' rough and tough front four. He has good range, speed and is an aggressive and hard hitting player. A top pass rusher, Gerry was voted the team's top lineman for the last three years."
-1969 Topps No. 262
VERLON BIGGS
Defensive End
No. 86
Jackson State
Verlon's perennial intimidation of opposing quarterbacks finally paid off with a Jet Super Bowl victory last year. An All-Star for the third year in a row, he made the UPI All-AFL team in 1966 and was one of five Jets to start the 1967 AFL All-Star Game.
Defensive Tackle
No. 80
Texas
In New York's championship season of 1968, their defensive line proved as punishing as their renowned linebacking corps. One reason was the emergence of John Elliott as an AFL All-Star and both an AP and UPI second team All-Pro. John proved extremely tough against running plays.
PAUL ROCHESTER
Defensive Tackle
No. 72
Michigan State
Paul's veteran presence spearheaded a line charge that harassed opposing quarterbacks and often shut down high powered ground attacks. An AFL All-Star for the Dallas Texans in 1961, his arrival in New York was a major step in the building of the defense of a playoff team.
An All-American who played in the 1957 Rose Bowl, Paul considers the Dallas Texans' double-overtime win in 1962 his greatest thrill.
GERRY PHILBIN
Defensive End
No. 81
Buffalo
"The number 81 on Gerry Philbin's jersey is one of the more familiar sights seen in enemy backfields. That's because Gerry is one of the most accomplished pass rushers in the league.
Besides being tough and aggressive, he's a studious type who is constantly working at improving his technique. He can feint to the inside, then circle around the other way and still get in on the quarterback fast enough to make the tackle.
An All-AFL choice last season, Gerry joined the Jets in 1964 after playing his college football at the University of Buffalo."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"One of the best defensive ends in the league, Gerry is the anchoring force of the Jets' rough and tough front four. He has good range, speed and is an aggressive and hard hitting player. A top pass rusher, Gerry was voted the team's top lineman for the last three years."
-1969 Topps No. 262
VERLON BIGGS
Defensive End
No. 86
Jackson State
Verlon's perennial intimidation of opposing quarterbacks finally paid off with a Jet Super Bowl victory last year. An All-Star for the third year in a row, he made the UPI All-AFL team in 1966 and was one of five Jets to start the 1967 AFL All-Star Game.
Sunday, October 12, 2014
1969 Profile: Don Maynard
Flanker
No. 13
Texas Western
"Known as a pattern-breaker throughout his pro career, Don Maynard turned record-breaker last year. The bony 6-1, 179-pound flanker with the flapping jersey established a new mark for yardage on receptions with a lifetime total of 9,435, wiping out Raymond Berry's former high of 9,275.
Maynard did it in his eleventh season as a pro (two were spent with the New York Giants) by catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards, a 22.8 average, and 10 touchdowns; he also finished fifth in the league in receptions. He had his biggest game of the year against Oakland when he caught 10 passes for 228 yards, another AFL record. In 1967, Don finished second among receivers with 71 catches for 1,434 yards.
His success is attributed more to his ability to find an opening than to his habit of breaking patterns."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"In 1967, Don was voted the club's Most Valuable Player as he led the American Football League in yards gained (1,434) and in average gain per catch (20.2). Last year, he led the AFL with a 22.8 average gain per reception.
He has speed to spare and can catch anything within reach."
-1969 Topps No. 60
No. 13
Texas Western
"Known as a pattern-breaker throughout his pro career, Don Maynard turned record-breaker last year. The bony 6-1, 179-pound flanker with the flapping jersey established a new mark for yardage on receptions with a lifetime total of 9,435, wiping out Raymond Berry's former high of 9,275.
Maynard did it in his eleventh season as a pro (two were spent with the New York Giants) by catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards, a 22.8 average, and 10 touchdowns; he also finished fifth in the league in receptions. He had his biggest game of the year against Oakland when he caught 10 passes for 228 yards, another AFL record. In 1967, Don finished second among receivers with 71 catches for 1,434 yards.
His success is attributed more to his ability to find an opening than to his habit of breaking patterns."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"In 1967, Don was voted the club's Most Valuable Player as he led the American Football League in yards gained (1,434) and in average gain per catch (20.2). Last year, he led the AFL with a 22.8 average gain per reception.
He has speed to spare and can catch anything within reach."
-1969 Topps No. 60
Saturday, October 11, 2014
1969 Profile: Joe Namath
Quarterback
No. 12
Alabama
"His accomplishments through the Super Bowl notwithstanding, Joe Namath can't do everything. What he can't do is own a restaurant and play professional football. Such was the edict handed down by Commissioner Pete Rozelle back in June, and it was presumed even then that all parties would be able to work things out before the start of the 1969 training season.
But Joe can do everything else, and he proved it last season when he directed the Jets to the AFL championship and then pulled off the biggest upset in pro football history by beating the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl - just the way he had boasted he would do. But he backed up his boasts with deeds.
Joe finished third in the league in passing with 187 completions out of 380 attempts for 3,147 yards, a 49.2 percentage, and 15 touchdowns. He wasn't up to his 1967 performance when he accounted for a record 4,007 yards passing, but he was an infinitely better quarterback. In one six-game stretch he didn't throw a single touchdown pass, but the Jets won five of those games.
At season's end, Joe won virtually every honor, from All-League, to the AFL's Most Valuable Player award, to Sport Magazine's sports car awarded as hero of the Super Bowl."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
FOOTBALL'S NEW GOLDEN BOY
"Life, whether it be the manicured greensward of a football field, the broken sidewalks of Second and Third Avenue in New York or the tailored causeways of Miami Beach, has been a series of automatics for Joe Namath.
The rebellious, non-conformist from Beaver Falls, Pa., a steel town some 26 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, has been battling the rigged defenses- real or imagined- most of his adult 26 years and it was culminated last January when the New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in the Super Bowl for the World Championship.
That was it for Joe Willie ... the Establishment had been met and it was his. This, too, was it for the nine-year-old American Football League- termed the Mickey Mouse League by the purists- reached maturity by tumbling the 49-year-old National Football League and a new star, Joe Willie Namath, joined Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr in the galaxy.
Namath, of course, by press-agent standards reached stardom years ago- in fact, five years ago- when Jets' co-owner Sonny Werblin signed him out of Alabama for a bonus of $387,000 and a Lincoln convertible. The publicity conscious Werblin got Namath ink, triggered an internecine War of the Raises for talent and ultimately brought the two leagues together for next season.
Most of the established stars court fame and fortune by running for daylight but Joe Willie ran for the lights- the fashionable clubs of the East Side. Namath was certainly a cut above a journeyman quarterback but it was his off-the-field exploits that constantly made the papers, and last year was no exception.
The cool, calculating Namath piloted the Jets to the Eastern Division title and then held them together in a come-from-behind triumph over the Oakland Raiders for his personal moment of truth with the Colts and NFL.
Figuring that the best defense was the best offense, Joe Willie started throwing verbal passes at the Colts even before the Jets started prepping in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the date in the Super Bowl. The Colts were generally conceded to be one of the best defensive teams in the history of the NFL- limiting the opposition to 144 points in 14 games. Still, Namath refused to believe the figures and, although he was in a minority, he spoke his peace- a prophetic piece.
'When the Colts lost to the Browns in mid-season they didn't get beat by any powerhouse,' Namath pointed out. 'I'm not going to take what I read about their defense ... I'm going to go with what the one-eyed monster shows me. The one-eyed monster (a projector that flashed films of an opponent's games) doesn't lie. He shows it like it is.'
Having reduced the vaunted Colt's defense to papier-mache, Joe Willie had a word for a rival quarterback, Earl Morrall, the NFL Player of the Year.
'When we won the title,' Namath added, 'I said that Daryle Lamonica of the Raiders was a better quarterback than Earl Morrall, and now that's supposed to fire up the Colts. I said it and I meant it. Lamonica is better. If the Colts use newspaper clippings to get up for a game ... they're in trouble. And if they're football players they know Lamonica can throw better than Morrall. I watch quarterbacks. I watch what they can do.
'You put Babe Parilli (Namath's back-up man) with Baltimore and Baltimore might have been better. Babe throws better than Morrall. There are more teams in the NFL, they should have more good teams, but you put their good teams and our good teams together, or their bad teams and our bad teams together, and it's 50-50. Flip a coin. And we've got better quarterbacks in our league ... John Hadl, Lamonica, Bob Griese and myself.'
Throwing another verbal dart- this one a down-and-in pattern- Namath added: 'I read where some NFL people joked about Lamonica and me throwing 100 passes. We threw 97, but what's so terrible about that? How many NFL teams have a quarterback who could complete that many passes to their wide receivers? In our league, we throw much more to our wide receivers. I completed 49 percent of my passes this season, but I could have completed 80 percent if I dropped the ball off to my backs like they do in their league.'
Finally, leaving no Colt standing, Namath praised his receivers and downgraded Baltimore's in the same sentence.
'For wide receivers, the Jets have the best,' he continued. 'George Sauer has the best moves, nobody can cover him one on one, and Don Maynard (an NFL castoff) is the smartest.'
Ignoring Morrall and Unitas and such other standout passers as Don Meredith, John Brodie, Roman Gabriel and Fran Tarkenton, Namath declared: 'The best thrower in the NFL is Sonny Jurgensen of the Redskins. I've said that if Jurgensen had been with the Packers or Colts or Rams the last few years, he would have won the championship for any of them. But if you put any other pro quarterback on our team, only a few would not be on the third string.'
Most observers at the time thought Joe Willie was on an emotional tirade but it proved to be an overall incisive analysis.
'That's my opinion, and I don't care how they value my opinion,' Namath concluded. 'But I value it very highly, especially when I'm talking about football.'
The Colts, to be sure, read Namath's remarks- particularly placekicker and reserve defense end Lou Michaels. The two met by chance in a restaurant but, unlike the paths of glory that lead but to a grave, their path was almost to a parking lot and a fight.
At the time of the incident, Michaels was the more vocal and explained the chance meeting as he and some fellow Colts ran into Namath and his teammate, safetyman Jim Hudson.
'I said hello,' Michaels declared, 'and his first remarks were that the Jets were going to kick the (censored) out of our team.'
Reconstructing the dialogue as best as he could recall, Michaels said one word just led to another.
Michaels: 'Haven't you ever heard of the word modesty, Joseph?'
Namath: 'We're going to beat you and pick you apart.'
Michaels: 'If you (the Jets) do, Joseph, I believe you are the man to do it. It's kind of hard, though, throwing out of a well and finding receivers.'
Namath: 'Don't worry about that. My blockers will give me time.'
Michaels: 'I never heard of John Unitas or Bobby Layne talking that way. I guess I hold him that Ordell Braase, Fred Miller, Billy Ray Smith and Bubba Smith (the Colts' Front Four) would be out to get your ribs, but I've told them not to touch your teeth. I want to get them.'
A cooler head prevailed as Colts' guard Dan Sullivan calmed down Michaels, who had invited Joe Willie outside to the parking lot 'to knock his head off.'
Michaels admitted he cooled off after thinking of his wife, two sons, his mother and his brother Walt, a Jets' defensive coach.
'I know I didn't want to cause any trouble,' Michaels said. 'I told myself this is football and it's not life itself.
'I knew that Walt would be mad if I knocked the head off the only guy who had any chance at all of beating us.
After a few rounds, Michaels and Joe Willie were buddy-buddy and Namath threw a bomb- a $100 bill- and picked up the tab.
'I don't know what he tips ... I didn't see that,' Michaels said. 'But I know he's a gentleman and not the kind of guy you figure him to be. When all was said and done, I was ready to take back the things I had said when we first met. If you meet Namath, it's better to hear him out first. He strikes you as being cocky but I went away thinking he's a gentleman. Underneath this guy, there's a lot of good.'
When asked about the incident, Namath just grinned and said: 'It was all in fun ... good fun.'
The time for fun and games was over and Coach Ewbank really honed Namath and the Jets for the confrontation with the Colts. The Jets were an 18-point underdog but Namath played down the spread and repeatedly said: 'We'll win. We'll win.'
Few, if any, with the exception of his teammates believed him. Namath was confident but not cocky along with Ewbank who led these same Colts to back-to-back World Championships in 1958-59.
The Colts, however, broke like quarterhorses- hitting for first downs on the first two plays from scrimmage. John Mackey was bowling over would-be tacklers, Morrall was on target and Tom Matte was twisting and grinding out the yardage as the Colts rolled for 42 yards in five plays.
Suddenly, the Jets' forward wall starting getting to the ball carriers and the drive stalled and Michaels missed a field goal.
Now it was the Jets' turn and Namath was quick to establish his running game. Matt Snell was the bellwether, hitting inside and out and finally going over for the lone touchdown in the second period.
Meanwhile, Namath continued to pick the Colts apart- hitting for a Super Bowl record of 17 completions on 29 passes. He showed restraint, disdaining the pass and setting Jim Turner for three field goals.
Coach Don Shula of the Colts knew of the Jets' passing game but voiced surprise at their running.
'They have good running,' Shula declared woefully. 'Snell is a real good back. They ran better against us than any other team the entire season.'
Asked if Namath measured up to expectations, Shula added: 'He moved the club. He has a strong, quick arm. He beat our blitz more often than we beat him. He beat it about three or four times ... we beat him only once. He did everything. He knows what's happening and mixes his plays and running very well. He does everything.'
Namath stood out like a chunk of coal on a snow-covered Pennsylvania hill but he had a pro cast, too. Like Snell handling the running game, Sauer, Pete Lammons and Maynard running endless pass patterns, defensive end Gerry Philbin, linebackers Al Atkinson and Larry Grantham and the ball-hawking secondary of Johnny Sample, Randy Beverly and Hudson.
Proud in victory, Namath summed it up for his teammates and said: 'Congratulations to the American Football League.'
Then, in an aside, to some newspaper critics in some NFL cities- New York included- Namath laughingly added: 'I hope they eat their pencils and pads.'
Ewbank, the roly-poly mentor who became the first coach to win AFL and NFL championships said: 'This is the start of a new era.'
Actually, it could be the Joe Namath Era. Right now, Joe Willie is the toast of the town .. any town because he's a winner.
Also, he's called Broadway Joe- a tribute to his after-hour activities. His on the field efforts, however, earned him AFL Player of the Year and Pro Athlete honors last season ... a season of peaks and dark-deep valleys.
In his fourth year, Joe Willie exhibited the poise of a Unitas in the season's opener, too. The Jets were clinging to a one-point lead against the Chiefs at Kansas City but Namath preserved it with six minutes of brilliant ball control.
Joe Willie had arrived for sure, everyone chorused, but he suddenly did an about face- throwing five interceptions against [both] the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. The cheers turned to jeers ... it was a trip from Broadway to the Bowery but, in a moment of humble self-effacement, he realized his shortcomings.
'After those games with the five interceptions,' he points out, 'I disciplined myself as to throwing the ball. I was overcautious at times but I remembered an old rule: The only way to win is to keep from losing.'
Well, Joe Willie was intercepted but seven times the rest of the season but his critics, and there are many, quickly pointed out he hadn't thrown a touchdown pass in six straight games.
'What the hell difference does it make if I don't throw a touchdown pass,' he angrily told reporters. 'We're winning aren't we?'
The Jets continued to win and annexed the Eastern title to set up a replay of the famed 'Heidi Game' with the Raiders, who tallied two touchdowns within nine seconds to pull it out as most of the nation watched that Swiss moppet, secure that the Jets had won. NBC preempted the last half-minute for the classic and it turned out to be the classical error of the year.
The Jets-Raiders rematch was a bona fide vendetta, Joe Namath & Company against Ben Davidson and Ike Lassiter, the crushing rushmen. The Raiders had the championship within their grasp via a Namath interception but Joe Willie took the Jets 68 yards in 55 seconds for the winning touchdown.
'After that interception,' Namath told a jam-packed dressing room full of reporters, 'I just told myself 'you got eight minutes and you got to score.' That's all.'
The long, interminable season was over ... the Jets were the Super Bowl champs. Still, Namath continued to get his share of headlines sometimes, perhaps, to the embarrassment of the organization.
Namath, what with his long sideburns and Fu Manche mustache is controversial- you either idolize him or loathe him off the field. But on field, despite two badly battered knees, Joe Willie is all business and he does it automatically.
That's a star with box office appeal- and Joe Namath has the talent to be the Jets' automatic pilot for years and years and years."
-Joe O'Day, Sports Desk, The New York Daily News (Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969)
AS WE GO TO PRESS, NAMATH QUITS?
"The trials and tribulations of Joe Namath are bound to come to an end. He simply has too much talent to waste it all throwing footballs in the movies. And it's difficult to imagine him staying out those football togs any length of time, whatever the reason. He has the best wishes of football fans everywhere, all plugging for him to overcome the obstacles which block his way to becoming one of the truly great football players of all time. If and when he should actually quit the football field, it would have to be for a damn good reason ... one much better than his cocktail lounge."
Herber M. Furlow, Editor, Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969
"Pulling off one of the greatest upsets in professional football, Joe methodically picked apart the Baltimore Colts defense to give the AFL their first Super Bowl championship team.
He was MVP of the AFL All-Star game in both 1965 and 1968. In 1967, Joe set a passing mark for yards gained (4,007) in a single season."
-1969 Topps No. 100
No. 12
Alabama
"His accomplishments through the Super Bowl notwithstanding, Joe Namath can't do everything. What he can't do is own a restaurant and play professional football. Such was the edict handed down by Commissioner Pete Rozelle back in June, and it was presumed even then that all parties would be able to work things out before the start of the 1969 training season.
But Joe can do everything else, and he proved it last season when he directed the Jets to the AFL championship and then pulled off the biggest upset in pro football history by beating the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl - just the way he had boasted he would do. But he backed up his boasts with deeds.
Joe finished third in the league in passing with 187 completions out of 380 attempts for 3,147 yards, a 49.2 percentage, and 15 touchdowns. He wasn't up to his 1967 performance when he accounted for a record 4,007 yards passing, but he was an infinitely better quarterback. In one six-game stretch he didn't throw a single touchdown pass, but the Jets won five of those games.
At season's end, Joe won virtually every honor, from All-League, to the AFL's Most Valuable Player award, to Sport Magazine's sports car awarded as hero of the Super Bowl."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
FOOTBALL'S NEW GOLDEN BOY
"Life, whether it be the manicured greensward of a football field, the broken sidewalks of Second and Third Avenue in New York or the tailored causeways of Miami Beach, has been a series of automatics for Joe Namath.
The rebellious, non-conformist from Beaver Falls, Pa., a steel town some 26 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, has been battling the rigged defenses- real or imagined- most of his adult 26 years and it was culminated last January when the New York Jets upset the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in the Super Bowl for the World Championship.
That was it for Joe Willie ... the Establishment had been met and it was his. This, too, was it for the nine-year-old American Football League- termed the Mickey Mouse League by the purists- reached maturity by tumbling the 49-year-old National Football League and a new star, Joe Willie Namath, joined Johnny Unitas and Bart Starr in the galaxy.
Namath, of course, by press-agent standards reached stardom years ago- in fact, five years ago- when Jets' co-owner Sonny Werblin signed him out of Alabama for a bonus of $387,000 and a Lincoln convertible. The publicity conscious Werblin got Namath ink, triggered an internecine War of the Raises for talent and ultimately brought the two leagues together for next season.
Most of the established stars court fame and fortune by running for daylight but Joe Willie ran for the lights- the fashionable clubs of the East Side. Namath was certainly a cut above a journeyman quarterback but it was his off-the-field exploits that constantly made the papers, and last year was no exception.
The cool, calculating Namath piloted the Jets to the Eastern Division title and then held them together in a come-from-behind triumph over the Oakland Raiders for his personal moment of truth with the Colts and NFL.
Figuring that the best defense was the best offense, Joe Willie started throwing verbal passes at the Colts even before the Jets started prepping in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for the date in the Super Bowl. The Colts were generally conceded to be one of the best defensive teams in the history of the NFL- limiting the opposition to 144 points in 14 games. Still, Namath refused to believe the figures and, although he was in a minority, he spoke his peace- a prophetic piece.
'When the Colts lost to the Browns in mid-season they didn't get beat by any powerhouse,' Namath pointed out. 'I'm not going to take what I read about their defense ... I'm going to go with what the one-eyed monster shows me. The one-eyed monster (a projector that flashed films of an opponent's games) doesn't lie. He shows it like it is.'
Having reduced the vaunted Colt's defense to papier-mache, Joe Willie had a word for a rival quarterback, Earl Morrall, the NFL Player of the Year.
'When we won the title,' Namath added, 'I said that Daryle Lamonica of the Raiders was a better quarterback than Earl Morrall, and now that's supposed to fire up the Colts. I said it and I meant it. Lamonica is better. If the Colts use newspaper clippings to get up for a game ... they're in trouble. And if they're football players they know Lamonica can throw better than Morrall. I watch quarterbacks. I watch what they can do.
'You put Babe Parilli (Namath's back-up man) with Baltimore and Baltimore might have been better. Babe throws better than Morrall. There are more teams in the NFL, they should have more good teams, but you put their good teams and our good teams together, or their bad teams and our bad teams together, and it's 50-50. Flip a coin. And we've got better quarterbacks in our league ... John Hadl, Lamonica, Bob Griese and myself.'
Throwing another verbal dart- this one a down-and-in pattern- Namath added: 'I read where some NFL people joked about Lamonica and me throwing 100 passes. We threw 97, but what's so terrible about that? How many NFL teams have a quarterback who could complete that many passes to their wide receivers? In our league, we throw much more to our wide receivers. I completed 49 percent of my passes this season, but I could have completed 80 percent if I dropped the ball off to my backs like they do in their league.'
Finally, leaving no Colt standing, Namath praised his receivers and downgraded Baltimore's in the same sentence.
'For wide receivers, the Jets have the best,' he continued. 'George Sauer has the best moves, nobody can cover him one on one, and Don Maynard (an NFL castoff) is the smartest.'
Ignoring Morrall and Unitas and such other standout passers as Don Meredith, John Brodie, Roman Gabriel and Fran Tarkenton, Namath declared: 'The best thrower in the NFL is Sonny Jurgensen of the Redskins. I've said that if Jurgensen had been with the Packers or Colts or Rams the last few years, he would have won the championship for any of them. But if you put any other pro quarterback on our team, only a few would not be on the third string.'
Most observers at the time thought Joe Willie was on an emotional tirade but it proved to be an overall incisive analysis.
'That's my opinion, and I don't care how they value my opinion,' Namath concluded. 'But I value it very highly, especially when I'm talking about football.'
The Colts, to be sure, read Namath's remarks- particularly placekicker and reserve defense end Lou Michaels. The two met by chance in a restaurant but, unlike the paths of glory that lead but to a grave, their path was almost to a parking lot and a fight.
At the time of the incident, Michaels was the more vocal and explained the chance meeting as he and some fellow Colts ran into Namath and his teammate, safetyman Jim Hudson.
'I said hello,' Michaels declared, 'and his first remarks were that the Jets were going to kick the (censored) out of our team.'
Reconstructing the dialogue as best as he could recall, Michaels said one word just led to another.
Michaels: 'Haven't you ever heard of the word modesty, Joseph?'
Namath: 'We're going to beat you and pick you apart.'
Michaels: 'If you (the Jets) do, Joseph, I believe you are the man to do it. It's kind of hard, though, throwing out of a well and finding receivers.'
Namath: 'Don't worry about that. My blockers will give me time.'
Michaels: 'I never heard of John Unitas or Bobby Layne talking that way. I guess I hold him that Ordell Braase, Fred Miller, Billy Ray Smith and Bubba Smith (the Colts' Front Four) would be out to get your ribs, but I've told them not to touch your teeth. I want to get them.'
A cooler head prevailed as Colts' guard Dan Sullivan calmed down Michaels, who had invited Joe Willie outside to the parking lot 'to knock his head off.'
Michaels admitted he cooled off after thinking of his wife, two sons, his mother and his brother Walt, a Jets' defensive coach.
'I know I didn't want to cause any trouble,' Michaels said. 'I told myself this is football and it's not life itself.
'I knew that Walt would be mad if I knocked the head off the only guy who had any chance at all of beating us.
After a few rounds, Michaels and Joe Willie were buddy-buddy and Namath threw a bomb- a $100 bill- and picked up the tab.
'I don't know what he tips ... I didn't see that,' Michaels said. 'But I know he's a gentleman and not the kind of guy you figure him to be. When all was said and done, I was ready to take back the things I had said when we first met. If you meet Namath, it's better to hear him out first. He strikes you as being cocky but I went away thinking he's a gentleman. Underneath this guy, there's a lot of good.'
When asked about the incident, Namath just grinned and said: 'It was all in fun ... good fun.'
The time for fun and games was over and Coach Ewbank really honed Namath and the Jets for the confrontation with the Colts. The Jets were an 18-point underdog but Namath played down the spread and repeatedly said: 'We'll win. We'll win.'
Few, if any, with the exception of his teammates believed him. Namath was confident but not cocky along with Ewbank who led these same Colts to back-to-back World Championships in 1958-59.
The Colts, however, broke like quarterhorses- hitting for first downs on the first two plays from scrimmage. John Mackey was bowling over would-be tacklers, Morrall was on target and Tom Matte was twisting and grinding out the yardage as the Colts rolled for 42 yards in five plays.
Suddenly, the Jets' forward wall starting getting to the ball carriers and the drive stalled and Michaels missed a field goal.
Now it was the Jets' turn and Namath was quick to establish his running game. Matt Snell was the bellwether, hitting inside and out and finally going over for the lone touchdown in the second period.
Meanwhile, Namath continued to pick the Colts apart- hitting for a Super Bowl record of 17 completions on 29 passes. He showed restraint, disdaining the pass and setting Jim Turner for three field goals.
Coach Don Shula of the Colts knew of the Jets' passing game but voiced surprise at their running.
'They have good running,' Shula declared woefully. 'Snell is a real good back. They ran better against us than any other team the entire season.'
Asked if Namath measured up to expectations, Shula added: 'He moved the club. He has a strong, quick arm. He beat our blitz more often than we beat him. He beat it about three or four times ... we beat him only once. He did everything. He knows what's happening and mixes his plays and running very well. He does everything.'
Namath stood out like a chunk of coal on a snow-covered Pennsylvania hill but he had a pro cast, too. Like Snell handling the running game, Sauer, Pete Lammons and Maynard running endless pass patterns, defensive end Gerry Philbin, linebackers Al Atkinson and Larry Grantham and the ball-hawking secondary of Johnny Sample, Randy Beverly and Hudson.
Proud in victory, Namath summed it up for his teammates and said: 'Congratulations to the American Football League.'
Then, in an aside, to some newspaper critics in some NFL cities- New York included- Namath laughingly added: 'I hope they eat their pencils and pads.'
Ewbank, the roly-poly mentor who became the first coach to win AFL and NFL championships said: 'This is the start of a new era.'
Actually, it could be the Joe Namath Era. Right now, Joe Willie is the toast of the town .. any town because he's a winner.
Also, he's called Broadway Joe- a tribute to his after-hour activities. His on the field efforts, however, earned him AFL Player of the Year and Pro Athlete honors last season ... a season of peaks and dark-deep valleys.
In his fourth year, Joe Willie exhibited the poise of a Unitas in the season's opener, too. The Jets were clinging to a one-point lead against the Chiefs at Kansas City but Namath preserved it with six minutes of brilliant ball control.
Joe Willie had arrived for sure, everyone chorused, but he suddenly did an about face- throwing five interceptions against [both] the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. The cheers turned to jeers ... it was a trip from Broadway to the Bowery but, in a moment of humble self-effacement, he realized his shortcomings.
'After those games with the five interceptions,' he points out, 'I disciplined myself as to throwing the ball. I was overcautious at times but I remembered an old rule: The only way to win is to keep from losing.'
Well, Joe Willie was intercepted but seven times the rest of the season but his critics, and there are many, quickly pointed out he hadn't thrown a touchdown pass in six straight games.
'What the hell difference does it make if I don't throw a touchdown pass,' he angrily told reporters. 'We're winning aren't we?'
The Jets continued to win and annexed the Eastern title to set up a replay of the famed 'Heidi Game' with the Raiders, who tallied two touchdowns within nine seconds to pull it out as most of the nation watched that Swiss moppet, secure that the Jets had won. NBC preempted the last half-minute for the classic and it turned out to be the classical error of the year.
The Jets-Raiders rematch was a bona fide vendetta, Joe Namath & Company against Ben Davidson and Ike Lassiter, the crushing rushmen. The Raiders had the championship within their grasp via a Namath interception but Joe Willie took the Jets 68 yards in 55 seconds for the winning touchdown.
'After that interception,' Namath told a jam-packed dressing room full of reporters, 'I just told myself 'you got eight minutes and you got to score.' That's all.'
The long, interminable season was over ... the Jets were the Super Bowl champs. Still, Namath continued to get his share of headlines sometimes, perhaps, to the embarrassment of the organization.
Namath, what with his long sideburns and Fu Manche mustache is controversial- you either idolize him or loathe him off the field. But on field, despite two badly battered knees, Joe Willie is all business and he does it automatically.
That's a star with box office appeal- and Joe Namath has the talent to be the Jets' automatic pilot for years and years and years."
-Joe O'Day, Sports Desk, The New York Daily News (Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969)
AS WE GO TO PRESS, NAMATH QUITS?
"The trials and tribulations of Joe Namath are bound to come to an end. He simply has too much talent to waste it all throwing footballs in the movies. And it's difficult to imagine him staying out those football togs any length of time, whatever the reason. He has the best wishes of football fans everywhere, all plugging for him to overcome the obstacles which block his way to becoming one of the truly great football players of all time. If and when he should actually quit the football field, it would have to be for a damn good reason ... one much better than his cocktail lounge."
Herber M. Furlow, Editor, Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969
"Pulling off one of the greatest upsets in professional football, Joe methodically picked apart the Baltimore Colts defense to give the AFL their first Super Bowl championship team.
He was MVP of the AFL All-Star game in both 1965 and 1968. In 1967, Joe set a passing mark for yards gained (4,007) in a single season."
-1969 Topps No. 100
Friday, October 10, 2014
1969 Profile: Weeb Ewbank
Head Coach
"It was an incongruous setting, but there was Weeb Ewbank sitting at the head table at last winter's New York Baseball Writers' dinner. Comedian Phil Foster got up to make a few cracks, and spotting Ewbank on the dais, got off his best shot of the night when he said, 'Last year nobody knew you. You wouldn't even have been invited here.' It broke up the entire room, and nobody laughed harder than Ewbank did. He could afford to laugh. There he was, the head coach of the Super Bowl winning New York Jets, the first AFL team to beat the NFL for the professional football championship.
He is also the first coach to have won a championship in both the NFL and AFL (Weeb did it with the Colts back in 1958 and '59). But funnyman Foster had a point. A year earlier, Weeb had been an object of some sympathy and humor. He'd never really been able to handle his star quarterback, Joe Namath, and there were rumors that he might turn over the coaching reins to someone else. But he survived the rumors and a front office shakeup to enjoy what was his most rewarding season ever as a coach.
His coaching dossier goes back to his alma mater, Miami of Ohio, where he spent 14 years as an assistant. He later served under Paul Brown at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, then, after a few more college stints, rejoined Brown when he started the Cleveland Browns in the old All-America Conference. Weeb stayed on through the transitional years into the NFL, then in 1954 got his first head coaching job in the pros when he was asked to take over the foundering Baltimore Colts. He thought those years were his most rewarding ones.
But then, how could he anticipate Joe Namath coming into his life?"
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"It was an incongruous setting, but there was Weeb Ewbank sitting at the head table at last winter's New York Baseball Writers' dinner. Comedian Phil Foster got up to make a few cracks, and spotting Ewbank on the dais, got off his best shot of the night when he said, 'Last year nobody knew you. You wouldn't even have been invited here.' It broke up the entire room, and nobody laughed harder than Ewbank did. He could afford to laugh. There he was, the head coach of the Super Bowl winning New York Jets, the first AFL team to beat the NFL for the professional football championship.
He is also the first coach to have won a championship in both the NFL and AFL (Weeb did it with the Colts back in 1958 and '59). But funnyman Foster had a point. A year earlier, Weeb had been an object of some sympathy and humor. He'd never really been able to handle his star quarterback, Joe Namath, and there were rumors that he might turn over the coaching reins to someone else. But he survived the rumors and a front office shakeup to enjoy what was his most rewarding season ever as a coach.
His coaching dossier goes back to his alma mater, Miami of Ohio, where he spent 14 years as an assistant. He later served under Paul Brown at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center, then, after a few more college stints, rejoined Brown when he started the Cleveland Browns in the old All-America Conference. Weeb stayed on through the transitional years into the NFL, then in 1954 got his first head coaching job in the pros when he was asked to take over the foundering Baltimore Colts. He thought those years were his most rewarding ones.
But then, how could he anticipate Joe Namath coming into his life?"
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
1969 New York Jets Outlook
"After spending their first three years as Titans, the Jets finally became the Titans of pro football last season. Unless you have a very short memory or were out of the country at the time, that was when they captured the Eastern Division and AFL titles, then pulled the upset of upsets by defeating the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl. Now when you dial the Jets on the telephone, a voice comes on saying, 'World Champions.' There's a good chance they'll be using that line again this year unless the man who made them World Champions, Joe Namath, sticks to his resolve to stay in the restaurant business.
Indeed, any repeat performance by the Jets as Eastern champs hinges on Namath's returning to quarterback. Which there was every likelihood of his doing when the summer training camps began opening up. But before Joe could put on his green football jersey and white shoes again, he had the fundamental business of settling his affairs with Commissioner Pete Rozelle who, in effect, gave Joe an ultimatum; he was to sell his one-third interest in Bachelors III, an East Side Manhattan bistro where unsavory characters were said to be hanging out. In a characteristic display of emotion, Joe called a hasty press conference at which he tearfully said he'd sooner quit than bow to such an edict.
But personal problems and his chronically bad knees aside, Joe was expected back, if only for the reason that football is what makes him what he is, and it's what he does best. As he proved last year, he is now at the peak of his game. He threw for less yardage and fewer touchdowns in 1968 (and fewer interceptions, too) than he did in 1967, when he set a professional football record by gaining more than 4,000 yards in the air. But the Jets still didn't win in '67; they did win last year as Joe rallied the Jets from behind in several games and led an attack that produced 419 points. Were the Jets to lose Namath for any reason, they would be restored to the rest of the pack and resemble an ordinary football team. They would have to fall back on the veteran Babe Parilli, a fine quarterback in his day, who now holds the ball for place kicker Jim Turner, the third string quarterback. Behind them is a rookie from Duke named Al Woodall, so you see the spot the Jets would be in without Joe.
Lining up as a unit for the fourth year in a row as Namath's receivers are George Sauer, Don Maynard and Pete Lammons, who are regarded widely as the best three starters on any club in the league. Last year they caught 155 passes among them for a total of 2,838 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Lammons adds spice to his performance by being a hard-nosed blocker. In reserve, the Jets have seasoned pass catchers in Bake Turner and Bill Rademacher, and they will have such rookies and taxi squaders as Harvey Nairn, Jerry Zawadzkas, Tommy Burnett and Wayne Stewart for any extra jobs available.
As Namath demonstrated last season, he is perfectly willing - and able - to dispense with the pass and rely on running plays to move the ball. And he has two excellent movers in fullback Matt Snell, who came back strong in 1968, and halfback Emerson Boozer, who was running at full speed again at the end of the season after returning from knee surgery. The backfield is endowed with depth, following the retirement of Bill Mathis and Mark Smolinski. Competing for jobs will surgical cases Billy Joe and Lee White; the rookies are number five draft choice Chris Gilbert, who became the third leading rusher in NCAA history at Texas, and the aptly named George Nock from Maryland State.
For years the New York line was assailed for being strictly a pass protection unit, designed to give Namath maximum protection, but highly immobile on running plays. The way the line blocked against the Baltimore defense in the Super Bowl may have dispelled that notion, for while no one was looking, it underwent some changes. The Jets are getting good two-way blocking up front from Winston Hill and Sam Walton at the tackles, Bob Talamini, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards, and John Schmitt at center. The veteran Talamini and the youthful Rasmussen shared the left guard post last season, then when Walton got a case of rookie-itis before the Super Bowl, Herman moved into his spot and Rasmussen played right guard. The other relief men will come among third-year pro Jeff Richardson, who backs up Hill, top draft choice Dave Foley, a 6-5, 255-pound All-America from Ohio State who will battle Walton for right tackle, Gary Roberts, Frank Peters and Ezell Jones, who will also get a look at defensive tackle.
On defense, the Jets have what Weeb Ewbank likes to call a front five, instead of a front four. Either way, he only plays four of them at a time, and they were good enough last season to hold the opposition to an average of 85 yards rushing a game. They normally line up with Gerry Philbin and Verlon Biggs at the ends, and Paul Rochester and John Elliott at the tackles. (Elliott, incidentally, had an outstanding rookie year in 1968 and could develop into a star.) But alternating with Rochester is Carl McAdams, the prize draft choice of a couple seasons back when he joined the Jets as a linebacker. Rochester is bigger and slower, but wins points on his ability to hang in there on runs; McAdams is quicker and more active, and he has excellent pursuit. Behind them are ample replacements in young vets Steve Thompson, Ray Hayes and Karl Henke, and rookies Ezell Jones, Cliff Larson, Roger Finnie and Fred Zirkle.
As the Colts found out in Miami, the Jets have good linebacking, too. Returning intact this year is the unit comprising Larry Grantham and Ralph Baker at the corners, and Al Atkinson in the middle. Mike Stromberg, Paul Crane and John Niedert are the experienced subs, while the rookie candidates are Gary Magner, Mike Hall and Jimmy Jones.
Once the weakest line of the Jet defense, the deep secondary is an aggressive and savvy platoon that came up with 23 interceptions last year and finished second in pass defense. The starters figure to be chatty Johnny Sample and quick-hitting Randy Beverly, who's already getting a hatchet man reputation after only two years in the league, at the corners, with the steady Jim Hudson and Bill Baird at the safeties. Cornell Gordon, who lost his cornerback job though injury a couple seasons ago, is good enough to challenge any of the starters. Behind them are Mike D'Amato, Jimmy Richards and John Dockery among the holdovers, and fledglings Mike Battle, the All-American from USC, and Cecil Leonard from Tuskegee."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
IN BRIEF
Probable 1969 Finish: 1st (East)
Strengths: Namath's aerial circus balanced with a strong running attack, and an aggressive, grudging defense.
Biggest Needs: some depth at tight end, linebacker and in the deep secondary.
1968 finish: 1st (11-3-0)
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"None of us who sat in the faded, rusted anachronism known as the Polo Grounds in 1960 and watched the New York Titans- a team made up mostly of mad dogs, misfits and missing persons who drew their plays on the field in huddles- could have conceived that this club would in eight years be world champions. There were few of us there in that first season of the American Football League- despite the attendance figures personally announced by Titan owner Harry Wismer. Harry's numbers would reverberate over the public address system and we'd look around in disbelief, wondering what he was counting. New York News columnist Dick Young decided Harry was counting not bodies but eyes. George Vecsey, then of Newsday, thought it was arms and legs.
If there were few of us who had much hope for the AFL's New York team in '60, though, there weren't a whole lot of people with great faith in the Jets as recently as five games into the '68 season. Quarterback Joe Namath threw touchdown passes almost at will in the first two games as the Jets beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Boston Patriots. Then a strange thing happened when the Jets, 19-point favorites, journeyed to Buffalo for game number three. Namath started throwing the ball to the other guys. The Bills picked off five of his passes and upset New York, 37-35.
The next week, back home at Shea Stadium, the Jets barely beat a solid San Diego Charger team, 23-20. The following Sunday the Jets were again 19-point favorites, over the Denver Broncos, and again Namath had trouble distinguishing the right color jerseys to throw to. The Broncos caught five of his passes ... and won, 21-13. Afterward, Namath was found sitting in front of his dressing cubicle with his head down. 'Fellas,' he said to the newspapermen who gathered to question him, 'I've always been willing to talk to you before, but this time give me a break. Just say I stink.'
The fact was that not all of the interceptions were Namath's fault, and in both losses he was under great pressure from the left defensive ends, Ron McDole of Buffalo and Rich Jackson of Denver. New York was going with a rookie right tackle, Sam Walton, who simply broke down in those games. As the Jets prepared for their upcoming game against the Houston Oilers, coach Weeb Ewbank made one all-important decision. From then on Walton would have blocking help until he proved he could do the job alone. Fullback Matt Snell, one of the game's most underrated ballplayers, was the man who usually helped out Walton.
Ewbank made one other move in this game that allowed him to bench Walton in the AFL championship game and in the Super Bowl game. He started veteran All-League guard Bob Talamini. The former Oiler had been obtained just before the start of the season and his unfamiliarity with the Jet system coupled with some nagging physical problems caused Ewbank to take his time in using Bob. The fact that the Jets already had two excellent guards in Dave Herman and Randy Rasmussen gave Ewbank the time. But Weeb felt Talamini, who had no love for OIler management when he left Houston, would be a good man to have in the lineup against his former teammates. And this game turned out to be a key to the Jets' success in '68.
Namath was plain awful in the first half, missing his first ten passes and completing only three of 15. Still, he did not make his earlier mistake of forcing his throws into areas where obviously the chances were excellent there would be an interception. Instead of jamming the ball in there, he purposely overthrew or ate the football. So he wasn't intercepted. And his three completions came on one drive that took the Jets to the one-yard line. Namath carried it in and Babe Parilli, holding for the PAT, passed to Bill Mathis for a two-point conversion. A safety and a Jim Turner field goal gave the Jets a 13-0 lead going into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the New York defense had been superb, having dropped quarterback Bob Davis five times for losses. The last one sent him staggering to the sideline, which was not such a good thing. Don Trull came in and quickly passed for two touchdowns to give Houston a 14-13 lead.
Namath took over at his own 20-yard line with four minutes remaining on the Astrodome clock. Joe hit split end George Sauer on a slant-in for 14 yards. When the running game stalled, he came back to Sauer on square outs for nine- and 14-yard gains. Halfback Emerson Boozer was responsible for the fourth straight completion, stretching for a pass off the grass, then cutting [down] field for a 27-yard gain. After Boozer picked up 12 yards [on] two carries, Snell drove to the two. Then Matt smashed between the blocks of Rasmussen and tackle Winston Hill to score. It was 20-14 Jets with 48 seconds left. Ewbank put Gerry Philbin, one of the finest defensive ends in pro football and the inspirational leader of the Jet defense, in on the kickoff team. He raced downfield, jarred the football loose from return man Zeke Moore and Bill Rademacher recovered for New York.
That was the ball game and the beginning of the new Jets, the ones who would end up Super Bowl champs. As Namath later admitted, 'I began to do some things differently in that game. ' The Jets lost only one game- the famous Heidi game to Oakland- the rest of the season. After the Oiler victory they beat Boston, Buffalo and Houston again. Namath didn't throw a single touchdown pass in this streak. He didn't throw a single interception, either.
One reason Namath stopped forcing passes was that he began to have tremendous confidence in his own defense. 'I'll throw the ball away rather than risk an interception because I know our defense can hold'em and get the ball back for us,' he said before the Super Bowl.
The Jet defense became the best all-around unit in the AFL. The key here was the switch of John Elliott, a reserve end and linebacker as a rookie in '67, to a regular job at right tackle. An amazingly quick 6'2", 250-pounder, Elliott is already a very fine pass rusher and he's still learning. His partner on the right side, 6'4", 268-pounder Verlon Biggs, can play football on any team when he wants to. He's not always as motivated as he should be, but last season he came to play more than he came to watch, fortunately for the Jets. Left tackle Paul Rochester is a steady, consistent ballplayer who doesn't penetrate a whole lot but, like Hawg Hanner in his heyday at Green Bay, Paul's an invaluable asset to a front four. He sits there, knocking down everything that comes through the middle, and he makes virtually no mistakes. Philbin, as noted, is simply a superb left end, using his speed, quickness and savvy to make big plays all over the field.
The linebackers, Larry Grantham, Al Atkinson and Ralph Baker, work well with the front four and with the secondary. With the pass rush improved so much, the linebackers didn't have to blitz as often in '68 and could afford to drop back and help on pass coverage. This was particularly necessary at the corners, where young Randy Beverly was inexperienced and older Johnny Sample at times showed he had too many ballgames under his surgically scarred legs. Sample, who harasses receivers with his mouth and his elbows, led the team in interceptions with seven. But in at least one game he had to be pulled off the field by Ewbank for ineffective coverage. The deep backs, Jim Hudson at strong safety and Bill Baird at free safety, are both good ones. Baird is a good roamer and Hudson is a vicious tackler.
Generally the defense played a conservative, here-we-are, you-beat-us kind of game. The offense was more flamboyant. Not only because of Namath and Sauer and flanker Don Maynard (who averaged 22.8 yards gained for each of his 57 receptions) and clutch-catching tight end Pete Lammons. Matt Snell was a solid fullback who rushed for 747 yards, but he was the only solid runner New York had. Halfback Boozer spent much of the season trying to regain his rushing form of '67, before he was injured. He gained 441 yards, but it wasn't until the very end of the season that he began to show his old cutting, slashing abandon. So Ewbank occasionally employed a triple wing, a double slot, even an unbalanced line to unbalance defenses. More often than not the unusual (for Jets) formations paid off. In the AFL championship game against Oakland, New York showed a double-slot formation that so confused the Raiders that Maynard was wide open for a touchdown pass from Namath. New York went on to win, 27-23.
So all in all the Jets had a lot of football team going into the Super Bowl. Yet most experts gave them little chance of beating the Baltimore Colts, 18 to 20-point favorites with the bookies. Frankly, that seemed about right to this correspondent. Not because we disparaged the Jets but because we felt the Colts were one of the great football teams of the past decade. The feeling was that the only way the Jets could win was if Namath threw at least three touchdown passes and Jim Turner- who set an all-time record by scoring 145 points with his toe- kicked a few field goals. As it turned out he did, hitting from 32, 30 and nine yards out. But Namath passed for no touchdowns. Snell scored New York's only one on a four-yard run as the Jets ran for 142 yards against the Colts. However, Namath did call the plays, directing the attack at the Colt weaknesses and completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards. He was not intercepted. He did exactly what he had to do to win, which is what he said he was going to do before the game. Win.
Afterwards, he was named the game's outstanding player by Sport Magazine and received a $5,000 Dodge Charger. 'Is that one of those things I have to give back after a year?' Joe asked. 'You keep it forever,' Al Silverman, the editor of Sport, said. 'That's more like it,' said Namath.
This season the Jets are obviously the team to beat. Assuming quarterback Jack Kemp is fully recovered, Buffalo with its formidable defense and its one-man offense in O.J. Simpson, will be very tough. The Jets will have to be even better and they should be. Boozer should be all the way back from his operation now and he and Snell should provide a more solid running game to go with Namath's passing- which is still improving. And the offensive line now has tremendous flexibility with Dave Herman having shown he can play tackle if Sam Walton does not come on early. The Jets also drafted an excellent tackle, Dave Foley of Ohio State, who has the potential to move into a regular job if need be. Dave Foley probably never even heard of a faded, rusted anachronism called the Polo Grounds, either. Which is just as well."
-Berry Stainback, Pro Football Forecast for 1969
THE NAMATH THE GAME IS NAMATH
"The mark of a champion is repeating and that is the goal of the New York Jets, world champions of professional football.
'We have but one goal in mind and that's winning the Super Bowl again' says Weeb Ewbank. the man who became the first coach to win world titles in both leagues. And Ewbank feels the Jets have a good shot at accomplishing that difficult feat. 'I feel we have a young ball club that is actually still improving. This last season we had more cohesiveness than we've had in the past and I like to think it was because we are maturing and playing together more.'
The Jets had several strong points in 1968- mainly their passing game and their defense- and there is no reason to believe that they won't be just as strong in those same areas this fall unless injuries strike. Any rundown on a pro club must begin at the quarterback position, and the Jets presently have one of the best in the game in Joe Namath. This past season, Namath was selected to every all-pro team, every all-AFL team and was named the AFL's MVP, Super Bowl MVP, New York Jets' MVP and winner of the Hickok Belt. Namath's statistics weren't what they were the year before when he set a pro record for most yards gained passing (4,007), but he was a much better quarterback as the Jet record shows.
Namath went through a period of six games without throwing a touchdown pass, but the Jets won five of those games and the guy leading them was Namath. His passes and his play calling generally got the Jets into scoring range, whether it was by rushing (the Jets led the AFL in rushing touchdowns with 22) or by field goal (Jim Turner set a pro record for most field goals in a season with 34). Namath's stats do show one big improvement over 1967 and that was that his interception total was down from 28 to 17. (And 10 of those 17 errant passes were committed in two early season games.)
Ewbank is fortunate to have a fine back-up quarterback on hand in veteran Babe Parilli and this year he will be bringing along a rookie who played last year in the Atlantic Coast League, Al Woodall. So the signal calling department in New York is in A-1 order. Ewbank has built his offense around Namath's passing ability and so it isn't by chance that the Jets have a great trio of receivers and a line that is known for pass protection.
Before the last Super Bowl Ewbank stated that he prides himself on being able to protect his quarterback- and protect the quarterback is what the Jets' line and running backs do. Heading the line are Dave Herman, all-AFL guard, and Winston Hill, an all-Star selection at tackle. Ewbank actually has three standout guards- Herman, Bob Talamini and Randy Rasmussen and it was this flexibility that enabled him to move Herman to the troubled right tackle spot for the AFL championship game and the Super Bowl with great results. The right tackle spot this year is up for grabs with a battle developing among sophomore Sam Walton, who had the job last year until he started to wane late in the season; third-year man Jeff Richardson; and the Jets' No. 1 draft choice, Dave Foley, a 6-5, 225-pound All-America selection from Ohio State. At center is John Schmitt, a solid performer who begins his fourth year as a starter. Ewbank has some fine rookies on hand for depth purposes including Gary Roberts, Frank Peters and possibly Ezell Jones, who will also get a shot on defense.
Ewbank likes to refer to his trio of receivers as the best group of starters in football. George Sauer was named to the combined all-pro team and Don Maynard is the all-time pro yardage receiving leader with 9,435 yards. The combination of Sauer and Maynard has made it hard for opposing teams to decide who to double cover. In the AFL championship game, it was Maynard who had a field day with two touchdowns on six catches for 118 yards. Sauer had seven grabs for 70 yards. In the Super Bowl, Maynard was bothered by a leg injury and didn't catch any, but Sauer grabbed eight for 133 yards. The other wheel in the threesome is tight end Pete Lammons, who was bothered by a knee injury in 1968 but is expected to be okay for this fall. Lammons consistently gives Namath an open target when Sauer and Maynard are occupied. Last year he caught 37 passes. The Jets have unusual depth on hand here including veterans Bake Turner and Bill Rademacher. The rookies and taxi squaders are Harvey Nairn, Gerry Zawadzkas, Tommy Burnett and Wayne Stewart.
In Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, the Jets have two fine all-around running backs. Snell, who performed in fine all-around fashion all season, received due credit with back to back performances in the AFL title game and the Super Bowl. He is called the best pass protecting back by Ewbank. Last year Boozer came back slowly from knee surgery that sidelined him for the final games of the '67 season, but still had a good year. He should be completely recovered this autumn. Backing up these starters are veterans Bill Mathis and Mark Smolinski and two players returning from knee surgery- Bill Joe and Lee White. Ewbank also has two hard-running rookies on hand in Chris Gilbert, the third leading rusher in the history of the NCAA, and George Nock from Maryland State.
New York's defense was ranked No. 1 in the AFL last year as it permitted only 240.2 yards per game and it should be just as strong in 1969. The whole unit returns and the extra year of experience for tackle John Elliott and cornerback Randy Beverly should pay off. The front four, or front five as Ewbank likes to call it, put a strong pass rush on rival quarterbacks last year, dumping them 43 times for losses of 399 yards. The opposition's ground attack was also halted as the Jets led the loop in rushing defense, permitting only 85.4 yards a game and 3.2 yards per carry. Heading up the line is All-Pro choice Gerry Philbin. No. 81 caused havoc for opposing quarterbacks and runners alike. Elliott had a great first year and could be All-Pro this coming season if he continues his progress. Ewbank employs a combination at left tackle with veteran Paul Rochester and Carl McAdams used interchangeably. Verlon Biggs, who made the all-star team for the third year, is holding down right end. There's excellent depth in sophomores Steve Thompson, Ray Hayes and Karl Henke and rookies Ezell Jones, Cliff Larson, Roger Finnie and Fred Zirkle.
The linebacking is solid with a veteran trio of Larry Grantham, Al Atkinson and Ralph Baker. This unit will begin its fourth year together. Fine depth is on hand behind them in Mike Stromberg, Paul Crane, John Neidert and good looking prospects Gary Magner, Mike Hall and Jimmy Jones.
The defensive secondary, which finished second in pass defense last year allowing only 154.8 yards a game, comes back as a unit and should be stronger. Leading the group is Jim Hudson, one of the most underrated strong safeties in the game. The other safety is competent veteran Billy Baird. John Sample and Randy Beverly held down the corner posts last season but will receive a challenge again from all-around Cornell Gordon. Gordon can and has played both cornerback spots and also free safety and he gives Ewbank good flexibility. Several fine candidates will be pressing for jobs including sophomore Jimmy Richards, Mike D'Amato and John Dockery. Newcomers on hand are All-America choice Mike Battle and speedy Cecil Leonard.
The Jets kicking game is in good hands with Jim Turner, who established a pro record for most points purely by kicking (145) and also a pro field goal mark of 34. Curley Johnson returns as the punter with Steve O'Neal an All-America booter on hand."
-Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969
1969 New York Jets Preseason Roster
Bob Anderson (K) Iowa
62 Al Atkinson (LB) Villanova
46 Bill Baird (DB) San Francisco State
51 Ralph Baker (LB) Penn State
* Mike Battle (DB) Southern California
42 Randy Beverly (DB) Colorado State
86 Verlon Biggs (DE) Jackson State
32 Emerson Boozer (HB) Maryland State
Tommy Burnett (FL) Arkansas
45 Earl Christy (SP) Maryland State
56 Paul Crane (LB-C) Alabama
47 Mike D'Amato (DB) Hofstra
43 John Dockery (DB) Harvard
80 John Elliott (DT) Texas
* Roger Finnie (DE-TE) Florida A & M
* Dave Foley (OT) Ohio State
Bill Gibson (LB) Delaware State
* Chris Gilbert (RB-FL) Texas
48 Cornell Gordon (DB) North Carolina A & T
60 Larry Grantham (LB) Mississippi
* Mike Hall (LB) Alabama
73 Ray Hayes (DT) Toledo
70 Karl Henke (DT) Tulsa
67 Dave Herman (OG-OT) Michigan State
75 Winston Hill (OT) Texas Southern
22 Jim Hudson (DB) Texas
35 Billy Joe (RB) Villanova
33 Curley Johnson (P-TE) Houston
* Ezell Jones (DT-OT) Minnesota
* Jimmy Jones (LB) Wichita State
87 Pete Lammons (TE) Texas
* Cliff Larson (DE-OG) Houston
* Cecil Leonard (DB) Tuskegee
Gary Magner (DE-LB) Southern California
13 Don Maynard (WR) Texas Western
50 Carl McAdams (DT-DE) Oklahoma
* Harvey Nairn (FL-DB) Southern
12 Joe Namath (QB) Alabama
* George Nock (RB) Morgan State
* Steve O'Neal (P) Texas A & M
15 Babe Parilli (QB) Kentucky
* Frank Peters (OT-C) Ohio
81 Gerry Philbin (DE) Buffalo
23 Bill Rademacher (WR) Northern Michigan
66 Randy Rasmussen (OG) Kearney State
26 Jim Richards (DB) Virginia Tech
74 Jeff Richardson (OT-C) Michigan State
* Gary Roberts (OG) Purdue
72 Paul Rochester (DT) Michigan State
24 John Sample (DB) Maryland State
83 George Sauer (WR) Texas
52 John Schmitt (C) Hofstra
41 Matt Snell (RB) Ohio State
* Wayne Stewart (TE) California
68 Mike Stromberg (LB) Temple
Dennis Stuewe (DB) Nebraska
85 Steve Thompson (DE) Washington
29 Bake Turner (WR) Texas Tech
11 Jim Turner (K-QB) Utah State
71 Sam Walton (OT) East Texas State
34 Lee White (RB) Weber State
* Al Woodall (QB) Duke
Jerry Zawadzkas (TE) Columbia
* Fred Zirkle (DT-OT) Duke
-Pro Football 1969
1969 New York Jets Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Babe Parilli (Kentucky) 15, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11, Al Woodall (Duke)*
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Chris Gilbert (Texas)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Billy Joe (Villanova) 35
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Jeff Richardson (Michigan State) 74
G - Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State) 66
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Frank Peters (Ohio)*
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Gary Roberts (Purdue)*
T - Sam Walton (East Texas State) 71, Dave Foley (Ohio State)*
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Harvey Nairn (Southern)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Cliff Larson (Houston)*
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Mike Hall (Alabama)*
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, Mike Stromberg (Temple) 68
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24, Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48
S - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Mike D'Amato (Hofstra) 47
S - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46, Mike Battle (USC)*
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42, Jim Richards (Virginia Tech) 26
* rookie
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Babe Parilli (Kentucky) 15, Al Woodall (Duke)*
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, Lee White (Weber State) 34, Chris Gilbert (Texas)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Billy Joe (Villanova) 35
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Sam Walton (East Texas State) 71
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66, Gary Roberts (Purdue)*
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
T - Dave Foley (Ohio State)*, Roger Finnie (Florida A & M)*
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California)*
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Harvey Nairn (Southern)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State)*
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73, Ezell Jones (Minnesota)*
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, Mike Hall (Alabama)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, John Neidert (Louisville) 63
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24, Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, John Dockery (Harvard) 43
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Mike D'Amato (Hofstra) 47
FS - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee)*, Mike Battle (USC)*
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42, Jim Richards (VPI) 26
SPECIALISTS
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M)*
KR - Mike Battle (USC)*, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Mike Battle (USC)*, Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
* rookie
1969 New York Jets Profile Summary
Head Coach - Weeb Ewbank
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12
QB - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83
SE - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66
G - Bob Talamini (Kentucky) 61
G - Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75
T - Dave Foley (Ohio State) 70
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51
LB - Jim Carroll (Notre Dame) 55
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22
FS - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
P - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
KR - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
Indeed, any repeat performance by the Jets as Eastern champs hinges on Namath's returning to quarterback. Which there was every likelihood of his doing when the summer training camps began opening up. But before Joe could put on his green football jersey and white shoes again, he had the fundamental business of settling his affairs with Commissioner Pete Rozelle who, in effect, gave Joe an ultimatum; he was to sell his one-third interest in Bachelors III, an East Side Manhattan bistro where unsavory characters were said to be hanging out. In a characteristic display of emotion, Joe called a hasty press conference at which he tearfully said he'd sooner quit than bow to such an edict.
But personal problems and his chronically bad knees aside, Joe was expected back, if only for the reason that football is what makes him what he is, and it's what he does best. As he proved last year, he is now at the peak of his game. He threw for less yardage and fewer touchdowns in 1968 (and fewer interceptions, too) than he did in 1967, when he set a professional football record by gaining more than 4,000 yards in the air. But the Jets still didn't win in '67; they did win last year as Joe rallied the Jets from behind in several games and led an attack that produced 419 points. Were the Jets to lose Namath for any reason, they would be restored to the rest of the pack and resemble an ordinary football team. They would have to fall back on the veteran Babe Parilli, a fine quarterback in his day, who now holds the ball for place kicker Jim Turner, the third string quarterback. Behind them is a rookie from Duke named Al Woodall, so you see the spot the Jets would be in without Joe.
Lining up as a unit for the fourth year in a row as Namath's receivers are George Sauer, Don Maynard and Pete Lammons, who are regarded widely as the best three starters on any club in the league. Last year they caught 155 passes among them for a total of 2,838 yards and 16 touchdowns, and Lammons adds spice to his performance by being a hard-nosed blocker. In reserve, the Jets have seasoned pass catchers in Bake Turner and Bill Rademacher, and they will have such rookies and taxi squaders as Harvey Nairn, Jerry Zawadzkas, Tommy Burnett and Wayne Stewart for any extra jobs available.
As Namath demonstrated last season, he is perfectly willing - and able - to dispense with the pass and rely on running plays to move the ball. And he has two excellent movers in fullback Matt Snell, who came back strong in 1968, and halfback Emerson Boozer, who was running at full speed again at the end of the season after returning from knee surgery. The backfield is endowed with depth, following the retirement of Bill Mathis and Mark Smolinski. Competing for jobs will surgical cases Billy Joe and Lee White; the rookies are number five draft choice Chris Gilbert, who became the third leading rusher in NCAA history at Texas, and the aptly named George Nock from Maryland State.
For years the New York line was assailed for being strictly a pass protection unit, designed to give Namath maximum protection, but highly immobile on running plays. The way the line blocked against the Baltimore defense in the Super Bowl may have dispelled that notion, for while no one was looking, it underwent some changes. The Jets are getting good two-way blocking up front from Winston Hill and Sam Walton at the tackles, Bob Talamini, Randy Rasmussen and Dave Herman at the guards, and John Schmitt at center. The veteran Talamini and the youthful Rasmussen shared the left guard post last season, then when Walton got a case of rookie-itis before the Super Bowl, Herman moved into his spot and Rasmussen played right guard. The other relief men will come among third-year pro Jeff Richardson, who backs up Hill, top draft choice Dave Foley, a 6-5, 255-pound All-America from Ohio State who will battle Walton for right tackle, Gary Roberts, Frank Peters and Ezell Jones, who will also get a look at defensive tackle.
On defense, the Jets have what Weeb Ewbank likes to call a front five, instead of a front four. Either way, he only plays four of them at a time, and they were good enough last season to hold the opposition to an average of 85 yards rushing a game. They normally line up with Gerry Philbin and Verlon Biggs at the ends, and Paul Rochester and John Elliott at the tackles. (Elliott, incidentally, had an outstanding rookie year in 1968 and could develop into a star.) But alternating with Rochester is Carl McAdams, the prize draft choice of a couple seasons back when he joined the Jets as a linebacker. Rochester is bigger and slower, but wins points on his ability to hang in there on runs; McAdams is quicker and more active, and he has excellent pursuit. Behind them are ample replacements in young vets Steve Thompson, Ray Hayes and Karl Henke, and rookies Ezell Jones, Cliff Larson, Roger Finnie and Fred Zirkle.
As the Colts found out in Miami, the Jets have good linebacking, too. Returning intact this year is the unit comprising Larry Grantham and Ralph Baker at the corners, and Al Atkinson in the middle. Mike Stromberg, Paul Crane and John Niedert are the experienced subs, while the rookie candidates are Gary Magner, Mike Hall and Jimmy Jones.
Once the weakest line of the Jet defense, the deep secondary is an aggressive and savvy platoon that came up with 23 interceptions last year and finished second in pass defense. The starters figure to be chatty Johnny Sample and quick-hitting Randy Beverly, who's already getting a hatchet man reputation after only two years in the league, at the corners, with the steady Jim Hudson and Bill Baird at the safeties. Cornell Gordon, who lost his cornerback job though injury a couple seasons ago, is good enough to challenge any of the starters. Behind them are Mike D'Amato, Jimmy Richards and John Dockery among the holdovers, and fledglings Mike Battle, the All-American from USC, and Cecil Leonard from Tuskegee."
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
IN BRIEF
Probable 1969 Finish: 1st (East)
Strengths: Namath's aerial circus balanced with a strong running attack, and an aggressive, grudging defense.
Biggest Needs: some depth at tight end, linebacker and in the deep secondary.
1968 finish: 1st (11-3-0)
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
"None of us who sat in the faded, rusted anachronism known as the Polo Grounds in 1960 and watched the New York Titans- a team made up mostly of mad dogs, misfits and missing persons who drew their plays on the field in huddles- could have conceived that this club would in eight years be world champions. There were few of us there in that first season of the American Football League- despite the attendance figures personally announced by Titan owner Harry Wismer. Harry's numbers would reverberate over the public address system and we'd look around in disbelief, wondering what he was counting. New York News columnist Dick Young decided Harry was counting not bodies but eyes. George Vecsey, then of Newsday, thought it was arms and legs.
If there were few of us who had much hope for the AFL's New York team in '60, though, there weren't a whole lot of people with great faith in the Jets as recently as five games into the '68 season. Quarterback Joe Namath threw touchdown passes almost at will in the first two games as the Jets beat the Kansas City Chiefs and the Boston Patriots. Then a strange thing happened when the Jets, 19-point favorites, journeyed to Buffalo for game number three. Namath started throwing the ball to the other guys. The Bills picked off five of his passes and upset New York, 37-35.
The next week, back home at Shea Stadium, the Jets barely beat a solid San Diego Charger team, 23-20. The following Sunday the Jets were again 19-point favorites, over the Denver Broncos, and again Namath had trouble distinguishing the right color jerseys to throw to. The Broncos caught five of his passes ... and won, 21-13. Afterward, Namath was found sitting in front of his dressing cubicle with his head down. 'Fellas,' he said to the newspapermen who gathered to question him, 'I've always been willing to talk to you before, but this time give me a break. Just say I stink.'
The fact was that not all of the interceptions were Namath's fault, and in both losses he was under great pressure from the left defensive ends, Ron McDole of Buffalo and Rich Jackson of Denver. New York was going with a rookie right tackle, Sam Walton, who simply broke down in those games. As the Jets prepared for their upcoming game against the Houston Oilers, coach Weeb Ewbank made one all-important decision. From then on Walton would have blocking help until he proved he could do the job alone. Fullback Matt Snell, one of the game's most underrated ballplayers, was the man who usually helped out Walton.
Ewbank made one other move in this game that allowed him to bench Walton in the AFL championship game and in the Super Bowl game. He started veteran All-League guard Bob Talamini. The former Oiler had been obtained just before the start of the season and his unfamiliarity with the Jet system coupled with some nagging physical problems caused Ewbank to take his time in using Bob. The fact that the Jets already had two excellent guards in Dave Herman and Randy Rasmussen gave Ewbank the time. But Weeb felt Talamini, who had no love for OIler management when he left Houston, would be a good man to have in the lineup against his former teammates. And this game turned out to be a key to the Jets' success in '68.
Namath was plain awful in the first half, missing his first ten passes and completing only three of 15. Still, he did not make his earlier mistake of forcing his throws into areas where obviously the chances were excellent there would be an interception. Instead of jamming the ball in there, he purposely overthrew or ate the football. So he wasn't intercepted. And his three completions came on one drive that took the Jets to the one-yard line. Namath carried it in and Babe Parilli, holding for the PAT, passed to Bill Mathis for a two-point conversion. A safety and a Jim Turner field goal gave the Jets a 13-0 lead going into the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, the New York defense had been superb, having dropped quarterback Bob Davis five times for losses. The last one sent him staggering to the sideline, which was not such a good thing. Don Trull came in and quickly passed for two touchdowns to give Houston a 14-13 lead.
Namath took over at his own 20-yard line with four minutes remaining on the Astrodome clock. Joe hit split end George Sauer on a slant-in for 14 yards. When the running game stalled, he came back to Sauer on square outs for nine- and 14-yard gains. Halfback Emerson Boozer was responsible for the fourth straight completion, stretching for a pass off the grass, then cutting [down] field for a 27-yard gain. After Boozer picked up 12 yards [on] two carries, Snell drove to the two. Then Matt smashed between the blocks of Rasmussen and tackle Winston Hill to score. It was 20-14 Jets with 48 seconds left. Ewbank put Gerry Philbin, one of the finest defensive ends in pro football and the inspirational leader of the Jet defense, in on the kickoff team. He raced downfield, jarred the football loose from return man Zeke Moore and Bill Rademacher recovered for New York.
That was the ball game and the beginning of the new Jets, the ones who would end up Super Bowl champs. As Namath later admitted, 'I began to do some things differently in that game. ' The Jets lost only one game- the famous Heidi game to Oakland- the rest of the season. After the Oiler victory they beat Boston, Buffalo and Houston again. Namath didn't throw a single touchdown pass in this streak. He didn't throw a single interception, either.
One reason Namath stopped forcing passes was that he began to have tremendous confidence in his own defense. 'I'll throw the ball away rather than risk an interception because I know our defense can hold'em and get the ball back for us,' he said before the Super Bowl.
The Jet defense became the best all-around unit in the AFL. The key here was the switch of John Elliott, a reserve end and linebacker as a rookie in '67, to a regular job at right tackle. An amazingly quick 6'2", 250-pounder, Elliott is already a very fine pass rusher and he's still learning. His partner on the right side, 6'4", 268-pounder Verlon Biggs, can play football on any team when he wants to. He's not always as motivated as he should be, but last season he came to play more than he came to watch, fortunately for the Jets. Left tackle Paul Rochester is a steady, consistent ballplayer who doesn't penetrate a whole lot but, like Hawg Hanner in his heyday at Green Bay, Paul's an invaluable asset to a front four. He sits there, knocking down everything that comes through the middle, and he makes virtually no mistakes. Philbin, as noted, is simply a superb left end, using his speed, quickness and savvy to make big plays all over the field.
The linebackers, Larry Grantham, Al Atkinson and Ralph Baker, work well with the front four and with the secondary. With the pass rush improved so much, the linebackers didn't have to blitz as often in '68 and could afford to drop back and help on pass coverage. This was particularly necessary at the corners, where young Randy Beverly was inexperienced and older Johnny Sample at times showed he had too many ballgames under his surgically scarred legs. Sample, who harasses receivers with his mouth and his elbows, led the team in interceptions with seven. But in at least one game he had to be pulled off the field by Ewbank for ineffective coverage. The deep backs, Jim Hudson at strong safety and Bill Baird at free safety, are both good ones. Baird is a good roamer and Hudson is a vicious tackler.
Generally the defense played a conservative, here-we-are, you-beat-us kind of game. The offense was more flamboyant. Not only because of Namath and Sauer and flanker Don Maynard (who averaged 22.8 yards gained for each of his 57 receptions) and clutch-catching tight end Pete Lammons. Matt Snell was a solid fullback who rushed for 747 yards, but he was the only solid runner New York had. Halfback Boozer spent much of the season trying to regain his rushing form of '67, before he was injured. He gained 441 yards, but it wasn't until the very end of the season that he began to show his old cutting, slashing abandon. So Ewbank occasionally employed a triple wing, a double slot, even an unbalanced line to unbalance defenses. More often than not the unusual (for Jets) formations paid off. In the AFL championship game against Oakland, New York showed a double-slot formation that so confused the Raiders that Maynard was wide open for a touchdown pass from Namath. New York went on to win, 27-23.
So all in all the Jets had a lot of football team going into the Super Bowl. Yet most experts gave them little chance of beating the Baltimore Colts, 18 to 20-point favorites with the bookies. Frankly, that seemed about right to this correspondent. Not because we disparaged the Jets but because we felt the Colts were one of the great football teams of the past decade. The feeling was that the only way the Jets could win was if Namath threw at least three touchdown passes and Jim Turner- who set an all-time record by scoring 145 points with his toe- kicked a few field goals. As it turned out he did, hitting from 32, 30 and nine yards out. But Namath passed for no touchdowns. Snell scored New York's only one on a four-yard run as the Jets ran for 142 yards against the Colts. However, Namath did call the plays, directing the attack at the Colt weaknesses and completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards. He was not intercepted. He did exactly what he had to do to win, which is what he said he was going to do before the game. Win.
Afterwards, he was named the game's outstanding player by Sport Magazine and received a $5,000 Dodge Charger. 'Is that one of those things I have to give back after a year?' Joe asked. 'You keep it forever,' Al Silverman, the editor of Sport, said. 'That's more like it,' said Namath.
This season the Jets are obviously the team to beat. Assuming quarterback Jack Kemp is fully recovered, Buffalo with its formidable defense and its one-man offense in O.J. Simpson, will be very tough. The Jets will have to be even better and they should be. Boozer should be all the way back from his operation now and he and Snell should provide a more solid running game to go with Namath's passing- which is still improving. And the offensive line now has tremendous flexibility with Dave Herman having shown he can play tackle if Sam Walton does not come on early. The Jets also drafted an excellent tackle, Dave Foley of Ohio State, who has the potential to move into a regular job if need be. Dave Foley probably never even heard of a faded, rusted anachronism called the Polo Grounds, either. Which is just as well."
-Berry Stainback, Pro Football Forecast for 1969
THE NAMATH THE GAME IS NAMATH
"The mark of a champion is repeating and that is the goal of the New York Jets, world champions of professional football.
'We have but one goal in mind and that's winning the Super Bowl again' says Weeb Ewbank. the man who became the first coach to win world titles in both leagues. And Ewbank feels the Jets have a good shot at accomplishing that difficult feat. 'I feel we have a young ball club that is actually still improving. This last season we had more cohesiveness than we've had in the past and I like to think it was because we are maturing and playing together more.'
The Jets had several strong points in 1968- mainly their passing game and their defense- and there is no reason to believe that they won't be just as strong in those same areas this fall unless injuries strike. Any rundown on a pro club must begin at the quarterback position, and the Jets presently have one of the best in the game in Joe Namath. This past season, Namath was selected to every all-pro team, every all-AFL team and was named the AFL's MVP, Super Bowl MVP, New York Jets' MVP and winner of the Hickok Belt. Namath's statistics weren't what they were the year before when he set a pro record for most yards gained passing (4,007), but he was a much better quarterback as the Jet record shows.
Namath went through a period of six games without throwing a touchdown pass, but the Jets won five of those games and the guy leading them was Namath. His passes and his play calling generally got the Jets into scoring range, whether it was by rushing (the Jets led the AFL in rushing touchdowns with 22) or by field goal (Jim Turner set a pro record for most field goals in a season with 34). Namath's stats do show one big improvement over 1967 and that was that his interception total was down from 28 to 17. (And 10 of those 17 errant passes were committed in two early season games.)
Ewbank is fortunate to have a fine back-up quarterback on hand in veteran Babe Parilli and this year he will be bringing along a rookie who played last year in the Atlantic Coast League, Al Woodall. So the signal calling department in New York is in A-1 order. Ewbank has built his offense around Namath's passing ability and so it isn't by chance that the Jets have a great trio of receivers and a line that is known for pass protection.
Before the last Super Bowl Ewbank stated that he prides himself on being able to protect his quarterback- and protect the quarterback is what the Jets' line and running backs do. Heading the line are Dave Herman, all-AFL guard, and Winston Hill, an all-Star selection at tackle. Ewbank actually has three standout guards- Herman, Bob Talamini and Randy Rasmussen and it was this flexibility that enabled him to move Herman to the troubled right tackle spot for the AFL championship game and the Super Bowl with great results. The right tackle spot this year is up for grabs with a battle developing among sophomore Sam Walton, who had the job last year until he started to wane late in the season; third-year man Jeff Richardson; and the Jets' No. 1 draft choice, Dave Foley, a 6-5, 225-pound All-America selection from Ohio State. At center is John Schmitt, a solid performer who begins his fourth year as a starter. Ewbank has some fine rookies on hand for depth purposes including Gary Roberts, Frank Peters and possibly Ezell Jones, who will also get a shot on defense.
Ewbank likes to refer to his trio of receivers as the best group of starters in football. George Sauer was named to the combined all-pro team and Don Maynard is the all-time pro yardage receiving leader with 9,435 yards. The combination of Sauer and Maynard has made it hard for opposing teams to decide who to double cover. In the AFL championship game, it was Maynard who had a field day with two touchdowns on six catches for 118 yards. Sauer had seven grabs for 70 yards. In the Super Bowl, Maynard was bothered by a leg injury and didn't catch any, but Sauer grabbed eight for 133 yards. The other wheel in the threesome is tight end Pete Lammons, who was bothered by a knee injury in 1968 but is expected to be okay for this fall. Lammons consistently gives Namath an open target when Sauer and Maynard are occupied. Last year he caught 37 passes. The Jets have unusual depth on hand here including veterans Bake Turner and Bill Rademacher. The rookies and taxi squaders are Harvey Nairn, Gerry Zawadzkas, Tommy Burnett and Wayne Stewart.
In Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, the Jets have two fine all-around running backs. Snell, who performed in fine all-around fashion all season, received due credit with back to back performances in the AFL title game and the Super Bowl. He is called the best pass protecting back by Ewbank. Last year Boozer came back slowly from knee surgery that sidelined him for the final games of the '67 season, but still had a good year. He should be completely recovered this autumn. Backing up these starters are veterans Bill Mathis and Mark Smolinski and two players returning from knee surgery- Bill Joe and Lee White. Ewbank also has two hard-running rookies on hand in Chris Gilbert, the third leading rusher in the history of the NCAA, and George Nock from Maryland State.
New York's defense was ranked No. 1 in the AFL last year as it permitted only 240.2 yards per game and it should be just as strong in 1969. The whole unit returns and the extra year of experience for tackle John Elliott and cornerback Randy Beverly should pay off. The front four, or front five as Ewbank likes to call it, put a strong pass rush on rival quarterbacks last year, dumping them 43 times for losses of 399 yards. The opposition's ground attack was also halted as the Jets led the loop in rushing defense, permitting only 85.4 yards a game and 3.2 yards per carry. Heading up the line is All-Pro choice Gerry Philbin. No. 81 caused havoc for opposing quarterbacks and runners alike. Elliott had a great first year and could be All-Pro this coming season if he continues his progress. Ewbank employs a combination at left tackle with veteran Paul Rochester and Carl McAdams used interchangeably. Verlon Biggs, who made the all-star team for the third year, is holding down right end. There's excellent depth in sophomores Steve Thompson, Ray Hayes and Karl Henke and rookies Ezell Jones, Cliff Larson, Roger Finnie and Fred Zirkle.
The linebacking is solid with a veteran trio of Larry Grantham, Al Atkinson and Ralph Baker. This unit will begin its fourth year together. Fine depth is on hand behind them in Mike Stromberg, Paul Crane, John Neidert and good looking prospects Gary Magner, Mike Hall and Jimmy Jones.
The defensive secondary, which finished second in pass defense last year allowing only 154.8 yards a game, comes back as a unit and should be stronger. Leading the group is Jim Hudson, one of the most underrated strong safeties in the game. The other safety is competent veteran Billy Baird. John Sample and Randy Beverly held down the corner posts last season but will receive a challenge again from all-around Cornell Gordon. Gordon can and has played both cornerback spots and also free safety and he gives Ewbank good flexibility. Several fine candidates will be pressing for jobs including sophomore Jimmy Richards, Mike D'Amato and John Dockery. Newcomers on hand are All-America choice Mike Battle and speedy Cecil Leonard.
The Jets kicking game is in good hands with Jim Turner, who established a pro record for most points purely by kicking (145) and also a pro field goal mark of 34. Curley Johnson returns as the punter with Steve O'Neal an All-America booter on hand."
-Sports Quarterly Presents The Pros Football 1969
1969 New York Jets Preseason Roster
Bob Anderson (K) Iowa
62 Al Atkinson (LB) Villanova
46 Bill Baird (DB) San Francisco State
51 Ralph Baker (LB) Penn State
* Mike Battle (DB) Southern California
42 Randy Beverly (DB) Colorado State
86 Verlon Biggs (DE) Jackson State
32 Emerson Boozer (HB) Maryland State
Tommy Burnett (FL) Arkansas
45 Earl Christy (SP) Maryland State
56 Paul Crane (LB-C) Alabama
47 Mike D'Amato (DB) Hofstra
43 John Dockery (DB) Harvard
80 John Elliott (DT) Texas
* Roger Finnie (DE-TE) Florida A & M
* Dave Foley (OT) Ohio State
Bill Gibson (LB) Delaware State
* Chris Gilbert (RB-FL) Texas
48 Cornell Gordon (DB) North Carolina A & T
60 Larry Grantham (LB) Mississippi
* Mike Hall (LB) Alabama
73 Ray Hayes (DT) Toledo
70 Karl Henke (DT) Tulsa
67 Dave Herman (OG-OT) Michigan State
75 Winston Hill (OT) Texas Southern
22 Jim Hudson (DB) Texas
35 Billy Joe (RB) Villanova
33 Curley Johnson (P-TE) Houston
* Ezell Jones (DT-OT) Minnesota
* Jimmy Jones (LB) Wichita State
87 Pete Lammons (TE) Texas
* Cliff Larson (DE-OG) Houston
* Cecil Leonard (DB) Tuskegee
Gary Magner (DE-LB) Southern California
13 Don Maynard (WR) Texas Western
50 Carl McAdams (DT-DE) Oklahoma
* Harvey Nairn (FL-DB) Southern
12 Joe Namath (QB) Alabama
* George Nock (RB) Morgan State
* Steve O'Neal (P) Texas A & M
15 Babe Parilli (QB) Kentucky
* Frank Peters (OT-C) Ohio
81 Gerry Philbin (DE) Buffalo
23 Bill Rademacher (WR) Northern Michigan
66 Randy Rasmussen (OG) Kearney State
26 Jim Richards (DB) Virginia Tech
74 Jeff Richardson (OT-C) Michigan State
* Gary Roberts (OG) Purdue
72 Paul Rochester (DT) Michigan State
24 John Sample (DB) Maryland State
83 George Sauer (WR) Texas
52 John Schmitt (C) Hofstra
41 Matt Snell (RB) Ohio State
* Wayne Stewart (TE) California
68 Mike Stromberg (LB) Temple
Dennis Stuewe (DB) Nebraska
85 Steve Thompson (DE) Washington
29 Bake Turner (WR) Texas Tech
11 Jim Turner (K-QB) Utah State
71 Sam Walton (OT) East Texas State
34 Lee White (RB) Weber State
* Al Woodall (QB) Duke
Jerry Zawadzkas (TE) Columbia
* Fred Zirkle (DT-OT) Duke
-Pro Football 1969
1969 New York Jets Preseason Depth Charts
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Babe Parilli (Kentucky) 15, Jim Turner (Utah State) 11, Al Woodall (Duke)*
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Chris Gilbert (Texas)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Billy Joe (Villanova) 35
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Jeff Richardson (Michigan State) 74
G - Randy Rasmussen (Kearney State) 66
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Frank Peters (Ohio)*
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Gary Roberts (Purdue)*
T - Sam Walton (East Texas State) 71, Dave Foley (Ohio State)*
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Harvey Nairn (Southern)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Cliff Larson (Houston)*
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Mike Hall (Alabama)*
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, Mike Stromberg (Temple) 68
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24, Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48
S - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Mike D'Amato (Hofstra) 47
S - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46, Mike Battle (USC)*
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42, Jim Richards (Virginia Tech) 26
* rookie
-Jack Zanger, Pro Football 1969
OFFENSE
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12, Babe Parilli (Kentucky) 15, Al Woodall (Duke)*
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32, Bill Mathis (Clemson) 31, Lee White (Weber State) 34, Chris Gilbert (Texas)*
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41, Billy Joe (Villanova) 35
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75, Sam Walton (East Texas State) 71
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66, Gary Roberts (Purdue)*
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67, Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
T - Dave Foley (Ohio State)*, Roger Finnie (Florida A & M)*
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87, Wayne Stewart (California)*
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13, Harvey Nairn (Southern)*
DEFENSE
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81, Jimmy Jones (Wichita State)*
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72, Carl McAdams (Oklahoma) 50
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80, Ray Hayes (Toledo) 73, Ezell Jones (Minnesota)*
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86, Steve Thompson (Washington) 85
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51, Paul Crane (Alabama) 56
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62, Mike Hall (Alabama)*
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60, John Neidert (Louisville) 63
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24, Cornell Gordon (North Carolina A & T) 48, John Dockery (Harvard) 43
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22, Mike D'Amato (Hofstra) 47
FS - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46, Cecil Leonard (Tuskegee)*, Mike Battle (USC)*
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42, Jim Richards (VPI) 26
SPECIALISTS
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M)*
KR - Mike Battle (USC)*, Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Mike Battle (USC)*, Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
* rookie
1969 New York Jets Profile Summary
Head Coach - Weeb Ewbank
QB - Joe Namath (Alabama) 12
QB - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
HB - Emerson Boozer (Maryland State) 32
FB - Matt Snell (Ohio State) 41
FL - Don Maynard (Texas Western) 13
SE - George Sauer (Texas) 83
SE - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
TE - Pete Lammons (Texas) 87
C - John Schmitt (Hofstra) 52
G - Dave Herman (Michigan State) 67
G - Randy Rasmussen (Nebraska-Kearney) 66
G - Bob Talamini (Kentucky) 61
G - Pete Perreault (Boston University) 64
T - Winston Hill (Texas Southern) 75
T - Dave Foley (Ohio State) 70
DT - John Elliott (Texas) 80
DT - Paul Rochester (Michigan State) 72
DE - Gerry Philbin (Buffalo) 81
DE - Verlon Biggs (Jackson State) 86
MLB - Al Atkinson (Villanova) 62
LB - Larry Grantham (Mississippi) 60
LB - Ralph Baker (Penn State) 51
LB - Jim Carroll (Notre Dame) 55
CB - Johnny Sample (Maryland State) 24
CB - Randy Beverly (Colorado State) 42
SS - Jim Hudson (Texas) 22
FS - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
K - Jim Turner (Utah State) 11
P - Steve O'Neal (Texas A & M) 20
P - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
KR - Bake Turner (Texas Tech) 29
PR - Bill Baird (San Francisco State) 46
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