1974 Profile: Emerson Boozer

Halfback
No. 32
Maryland Eastern Shore
"Boozer enjoyed his finest season as a pro last year, leading the Jets in rushing, being elected co-captain of the offense, winning in a landslide vote the Jets MVP award from his fellow teammates and becoming the Jets all-time leading rusher. He finished ninth among AFC rushers last year after rolling up 831 yards, the fourth best season ever by a Jet.
He sat out all but one game of the preseason due to a contract dispute, but by opening day he was in as fine a form as he has ever been. With a 105-yard effort against Baltimore in the 12th week, Boo passed Matt Snell as the career rushing leader and finished up the season with 4,521 career yards, 1,118 attempts and 48 touchdowns, all Jet standards. His other 100-plus afternoon proved to his finest day ever when, a week later, he ran for 160 yards against Philadelphia; he also had two touchdowns, one receiving, that day in Veterans Stadium, the seventh time he has had a pair in one game.
Emerson has always been known for his 'nose' for the goal line and stands third on the all-time Jet scoring list with 58 touchdowns and 348 points. He missed one game (Pittsburgh) with tendinitis, but was basically healthy all year. He teams with John Riggins in the backfield to give the Jets one of the most potent ground games in the NFL. Emerson has now strung together five stellar seasons in a row and is only 31 years old. He co-holds the Jet record for touchdowns in a game, with three, having done it five times.
Boozer has been dogged with minor injuries each season, but always bounces right back from them to be a leader of the offense. His sophomore year (1967) saw him suffer a major injury when he tore ligaments in his knee in the eighth game of the year. He had already scored 13 touchdowns at that time, only six shy of the AFL mark. He recovered from surgery and a year later received praise for his work during the AFL Championship game and Super Bowl as he blocked the way for Matt Snell's running.
Emerson picks up the blitz as well as any running back in the game today. His bouncy, high-kneed style of running has been modified somewhat in recent years, but still remains his trademark.
Drafted sixth in 1966, he was named AFL Rookie of the Year in '66 by the Pittsburgh Courier. He majored in industrial education.
Born on the Fourth of July, Emerson does an excellent job on the banquet circuit during the off-season. He has a daily radio program on WLIB and is extremely interested in youth-related work projects. His hometown is Augusta, Georgia."

-The New York Jets Official 1974 Yearbook