Al ATKINSON
Middle Linebacker
No. 62
Villanova
"Anchors the defense and captains it. Atkinson came on strong after 1969 injuries and his threat in 1970 to quit the Jets.
The front office felt he had his best year in 1970. Ewbank rates him the finest middle linebacker in the game against both the pass and the run. He intercepted three passes in 1970.
Cut by Buffalo in his rookie year (1965), Atkinson joined the Jets as a free agent. He played the second half of the 1969 Super Bowl with a separated shoulder but kept the fact from teammates and coaches.
Atkinson is a member of the Fellowship of Christain Athletes. He toured Vietnam to meet GI's a couple of years back."
-John Devaney, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1971 Edition)
"The defensive captain of the Jets, Al had his greatest year as a pro in 1970. Managing to avoid the injuries which forced him out of games in 1968 and 1969, he gave outstanding performances against Los Angeles, Minnesota and Oakland. He received the game ball for his show against the Rams after intercepting two passes, one to snuff out a Ram drive at the one-yard line and another to set up a field goal.
Al played the second half of the 1969 Super Bowl with a separated shoulder without telling anyone about it. He tipped a pass which led to the Jets' first interception of that game.
He earned a starting role for the final two games of 1965 after great work on specialty teams.
Al operates a travel agency."
-1971 Topps No. 48
""The defensive captain of the Jets, Atkinson had his greatest year as a pro in 1970. He managed to avoid injuries that forced him out of games during the 1968 and 1969 seasons.
He opened up with a standout game at Cleveland and followed it with good games against Boston and Buffalo. He gave outstanding performances against Los Angeles, Minnesota and Buffalo. He received a game ball for his show against the Rams after intercepting two passes, one to snuff out a Ram drive at the 1 and another to set up a Jim Turner field goal. His other interception came against Oakland when he ran a Lamonica pass back 32 yards to set up a field goal.
Atkinson was twice voted the 'Most Underrated' defensive player in the old AFL but came out of those shadows last season. He played the second half of the 1969 Super Bowl with a separated shoulder without telling anyone about it. He tipped the Earl Morrall pass which led to the Jets' first interception. Al has been compared to Dick Butkus by Coach Weeb Ewbank who says, 'Atkinson stands them up at the line just as well,' and is perhaps better on pass coverage.
Al was a third-round draft choice of Buffalo in '65 but came to the Jets on waivers just before the opener. He earned a starting role for the final two games of that season after great work on special teams.
Much in demand as an after-dinner speaker, Atkinson is an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He made a tour of Vietnam after the '68 season in conjunction with the USO. He operates the Atkinson & Mullen travel agency in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. His hometown is Upper Darby, Pennsylvania."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
JOHN EBERSOLE
Linebacker
No. 55
Penn State
"Ebersole was drafted 4th in 1970 and saw duty in all 14 games, mainly on special teams where he earned the reputation of being a reckless, tough competitor. He also saw some work at middle linebacker, filling for Al Atkinson for the second half of one of the Buffalo games when Atkinson suffered a sprained back. He blocked a field goal try by Minnesota's Fred Cox in the midst of the Jets' win over the Vikings.
Ebersole majored in physical education. He went to Altoona (Pa.) High in his hometown of Altoona with the Bengals' Mike Reid. He lists simply 'playing in the games' as his biggest athletic thrill."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
LARRY GRANTHAM
Linebacker
No. 60
Mississippi
"Larry switched to the middle linebacker spot for the Jets in 1970 after enjoying an outstanding year at right linebacker in 1969. That year he earned a spot on the AFL-East All-Star squad for the sixth time in his ten years in the league. Two of Larry's finest games of 1969 were against O.J. Simpson and the Buffalo Bills, and Larry earned O.J.'s praise after both games.
Named Pro Athlete of the Year in Mississippi for 1967, Larry was a regular at end for Ole Miss, playing three years.
Larry is a vice-president of a bank."
-1971 Topps No. 228
"The veteran outside linebacker had another outstanding year in 1970, leading the Jets defenses- he calls the defensive signals. Grantham is one of only two members of the original New York franchise who is still active with the club; Don Maynard is the other. He played the year injury-free, in contrast to 1969 when a variety of hurts kept him from playing full time.
Grantham had three interceptions, two against Miami and one against Baltimore. His Colt interception resulted in a 41-yard touchdown return, the third touchdown of his career, and the first score for him since 1963. He was a master of calling the blitz against Minnesota's Bob Lee and Gary Cuozzo in the Jets' victory over the defending NFL champions. Larry played outstanding games against O.J. Simpson and Buffalo, earning O.J.'s praise after each encounter.
He's the Jets players' representative. His fierce spirit and defensive savvy make up for his lack of size. Named Pro Athlete of the Year in Mississippi in 1967, Larry was drafted by both the Jets and Baltimore in 1960.
Larry is vice-president in the loan department of the First National Bank of Jackson, Mississippi. He likes to spend his free time bowling, golfing or fishing. His hometown is Crystal Springs, Mississippi."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
RALPH BAKER
Linebacker
No. 51
Penn State
"Baker had a good year at left linebacker in 1970, intercepting two passes and dumping opposing quarterbacks five times. His interceptions came against Boston (to set up a touchdown) and against Los Angeles (to blunt a fourth-quarter thrust).
In the home opener against Miami, Baker made 14 tackles, two assists and dumped Bob Griese once in the finest game of his career. Later in the year, he dropped the passer twice on blitzes as the Jets defeated Minnesota. He did not miss any games, in direct contrast to the 1969 season.
In '69 Ralph missed four games and did not start until the eighth. He had calcium removed from his foot in January. Ralph had his finest year in the pros in '68 and capped it off with two big fumble recoveries in the AFL Championship and the Super Bowl. He suffered torn tendons in his foot in 1966 but made a full recovery for '67.
Defensive coach Walt Michaels has called Baker 'the most underrated linebacker in pro football.' Signed as a sixth-round draft choice in 1964, he's tough on pass coverage.
Baker majored in mathematics in college. He works for Security National Bank (Amityville) in business development during the off-season. His hobby is hunting and fishing. Ralph makes his home in Greenlawn, N.Y., and his hometown is Lewistown, Pa."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
PAUL CRANE
Linebacker-Long Snapper
No. 56
Alabama
"The reason why Weeb Ewbank says he has four starting linebackers is Crane, the number one fill-in at either outside linebacker slot, who has had a five-year career with the Jets. He was signed as a free agent after impressing Jet coaches in workouts for the Senior Bowl in 1966.
He also makes the center snap on punts. Crane devised a bit of Jets razzle-dazzle against Baltimore that resulted in a big first down. He suggested that Jim Turner approach the line of scrimmage as if to line up a field goal try and then take a quick snap and sneak for first down.
Paul was named winner of the CYO's Most Popular Jet award. He had his finest year in 1969 when he started seven games. That year he was named winner of the Heede Award given to the most dedicated and improved defensive player. He scored two touchdowns in '69, one on a 26-yard interception return and another on a blocked punt. Crane has made a habit of blocking kicks; he batted down a field goal in 1969 and smothered three punts in 1968 against Boston, Buffalo and Houston.
A member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he enjoys fishing for relaxation. His hometown is Prichard, Alabama."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
DENNIS ONKONTZ
Linebacker
No. 35
Penn State
"Dennis was making good progress as a linebacker before severely breaking his left leg on the final play of the first half against Los Angeles. His foot got caught in the turf and both bones in the lower leg shattered.
He had been used as the fourth linebacker on goal line defenses prior to that and had been a hard hitter on the special teams. Dennis should be recovered for training camp this year. He was drafted 3rd in 1970.
Dennis majored in bio-physics. He played baseball and basketball at Northampton (Pa.) High in his hometown. He scored over 1,000 points in basketball."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
BILL ZAPALAC
Linebacker
4th Round
Texas
"Zapalac has a three-way shot at the club, according to Ewbank. He has most of his experience as a linebacker, though he was a tight end as a freshman for the Longhorns. He has played defensive end (sophomore year) and strong-side linebacker (junior and senior years) on the Texas varsity. He was also a backup punter for the Longhorns.
Second team All-Southwest Conference his senior year, Zapalac was co-captain of the defense. He won the NCAA Scholar Athlete Award and also received a Red Blaik scholarship.
Zapalac played on three Cotton Bowl squads (1969. 1970, 1971) and on two national championship squads. His father, Willie, is the head offensive coordinator for the Texas squad, and his brother, Jeff, is a junior center for the Longhorns. Bill majored in architectural engineering. His hometown is Austin, Texas."
-The New York Jets Official 1971 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos
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