1975 Free Agent Profile: John Jones

Quarterback
Free Agent (1974)
Fisk
"Jones is an extremely promising young quarterback prospect according to Jet coaches. He spent training camp with the Jets before suffering a back injury late in the preseason. John wound up on the injured reserve list for recuperation and was not active at all during the season.
John already has a strong knowledge of pro defenses and was able to help the coaching staff with its film studies during the season. An extremely intelligent quarterback, he has a strong arm.
He was signed as a free agent on July 10, 1974 after a tryout day held by the Jets. John started the preseason opener against Denver and threw two touchdown passes to David Knight. He threw for four touchdown passes in his three preseason games.
John has a degree in political science and economics. He's nicknamed 'J.J.' His hometown is Memphis, Tennessee."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Charles James

Cornerback
10th Round
Jackson State
"Termed a 'sleeper with a ton of courage' by Jets scouts, James can handle punt and kickoff returns as well as play the corner. He has speed of 4.55.
He had a career record of 10 interceptions for 205 yards and three touchdowns. Charles had 26 tackles and 30 assists as a senior and won second team All-Conference mention in 1974.
Charles majored in physical education and his biggest thrill in sports was intercepting a pass and going for the touchdown. His hobby is playing pool. His hometown is Gulfport, Mississippi."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Joe Fields

Center
14th Round
Widener
"Fields makes the long snap. 'Good, raw talent ... very durable,' according to the scouting reports. He has never missed a play and played last year despite a painful contused shoulder and a sprained ankle. Fields was All-Conference as a senior.
'The finest I've ever coached,' says his head coach Bill Manlove. Joe graded 89% last year, highest on the squad. He called the blocking assignments.
Joe majored in accounting. He's nicknamed 'W.C.' His hometown is Deptford, New Jersey."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Bert Cooper

Linebacker
12th Round
Florida State
"The scouts say, 'suited for the middle ... keys and diagnoses well.' Cooper could also be used as a guard. He was a defensive end in 1972, but sat out 1973 and came back to the Seminoles as a linebacker as a senior in 1974.
Cooper won the All Southeast Lineman of the Week Award after the Florida State-Alabama game last year. He played in the American Bowl and the Blue-Grey game. Bert had a medial collateral ligament operation on his left knee in 1971 but has recovered fully.
As a senior he had 94 tackles, 92 assists, an interception (42 yards), two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal. Bert had the most playing time on the team and was a captain. He has 4.8 speed.
His parents are professors at Florida A & M and a brother coaches at Prairie View. Bert's hobbies are water skiing, guitar, photography, motorcycles and racquetball. He majored in math communications. His hometown is Tallahassee, Florida."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Free Agent Profile: Jerry Bond

Safety
Free Agent
Weber State
"Bond will be back for another try with the Jets after spending 1974 on the injured reserve list. He was having a good preseason at safety before suffering a back injury and going on reserve on September 10. Jerry had two fumble recoveries against Denver in the opening preseason game, setting up a touchdown and a field goal.
Jerry had been a 15th round draft choice of Los Angeles in 1973 but was cut in the preseason. He spent '73 as a safety for the Westchester Crusaders before coming to the Jets as a free agent.
Bond set a Big Sky 100-yard dash record and also ran in the 220 and 880 relays. He enjoys working with youth development programs for the underprivileged. His hometown is Brownsville, Tennessee."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Jon Bradford

Running Back
11th Round
Central State (Ohio)
"Bradford compiled over 2,000 yards in his career in his career at Central State. He was an All-District NAIA selection in 1974. As a senior he rushed 177-for-1046, a 5.9 average and 13 touchdowns and caught 13-for- 140 and six touchdowns.
'Good body control, breaks tackles and a good leader,' say the reports. Jon has 4.75 speed.
Jon played in the Buddy Young Football League in New York. He played in the All-Ohio Shrine Bowl in 1974 and his biggest thrill was beating Dayton by scoring a touchdown in the final two seconds and also gaining 1,000 yards as a senior. His hometown is New York, New York."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Mike Bartoszek

Tight End
17th Round
Ohio State
"'Good athletic ability ... comes off the ball well ... good crack back blocker ... catches over the head well,' read the reports. Bartoszek is a strong blocker who can handle the short yardage work. He can also play wide receiver.
Mike played in three consecutive Rose Bowls, playing both wide receiver and tight end in college. His career stats: 20-for-323, a 16.2 average and three touchdowns.
Bartoszek majored in industrial relations. His hometown is Erie, Pennsylvania."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Gary Baccus

Linebacker
5th Round (1974)
Oklahoma
"Baccus was the Jets' fifth round draft choice in 1974, but passed up signing to play for the Hawaiians of the WFL last year. He was a starter for the team and turned in a standout season in that league. Gary came back to the Jets after his contract with the NFL was voided.
Jet coaches have high hopes for him. Gary is noted for his ability to hit and for his toughness.
His brother Duane plays at Oklahoma. Gary's biggest thrill was having his hometown stage a Gary Baccus Day in April 1974. He works for Millers Sporting Goods and his hometown is Brownfield, Texas."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Rookie Profile: Tom Alward

Guard
6th Round
Nebraska
"Alward was drafted in the 6th round with the pick acquired from Miami in exchange for John Mooring.
'Excellent blocker, good on pulling and trap blocks,' say the Jets scouts. Tom has 4.9 speed.
A two-year starter in 1973 and 1974, he made AP second team All-Big 8 as a senior. Tom made three bowl appearances- Orange ('73), Cotton ('74) and Sugar ('75) and played more minutes than anyone else for the Huskers as a senior.
Tom majored in physical education and won four letters in baseball. His hobby is dirt bike riding and he taught a drivers training class during the summer. His hometown is Flint, Michigan."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Moses Lajterman

Place Kicker
No. 9
Montclair State
"Lajterman spent 1974 with the New York Stars of the WFL and was the Stars' regular kicker for roughly half the season. He did not follow the team to North Carolina. Moses played in nine games for the Stars, kicking seven of 10 field goals.
Moses works as a substitute high school teacher in the off-season and has also been a yogurt salesman. He owns a sporting goods store with his brother. He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and his hometown is Lyndhurst, New Jersey."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Greg Gantt

Punter
No. 8
Alabama
"Gantt was the Jets punter but also saw limited duty as a kickoff and placekick specialist when Bobby Howfield was injured. He compiled a 35.9-yard average on punts, many of them being out of bounds, and 'situation' type of kicks which were not aimed for deep yardage. His longest punt was a 59-yarder against San Diego.
Greg handled kicking duties against Los Angeles and was 1-for-2 on extra points. He had his best day of the year in the upset of Miami, averaging 45.7 on seven punts. Drafted 8th in 1974, Greg had a rocky training camp as a pulled hamstring idled him for three weeks but he recovered to make the final 47.
Greg set a Cotton Bowl record with a 50-yard field goal and played in bowl games all three years. He enjoys playing pool. His hometown is Birmingham, Alabama."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Pat Leahy

Place Kicker
No. 5
St. Louis
"The storybook tale of the 1974 Jets was certainly Pat Leahy's arrival as the full-time place kicker. Signed by the Jets two days before the mid-season game against the Giants, Leahy replaced the injured Bobby Howfield as the Jets kicker and responded in high style. He finished as the team's third-leading scorer with 6-for-11 on field goals and 18-for-19 on PAT's for 36 points.
Pat was one of the heroes of the tingling overtime victory over the Giants as he kicked field goals of 34 and 22 yards and added two extra points. He had a chance to win the game in regulation but his 19-yard field goal try was knocked down to force the overtime. His long boot of the year was 45 yards against San Diego, also the longest for the Jets since a 50-yarder by Jim Turner in 1969.
He had no football experience prior to attending the Cardinal's training camp in 1974. He was signed as a free agent in November 1974.
Pat has a degree in marketing and is a salesman for Schulte Hardware & Supply Company. He enjoys playing the guitar. His hometown is St. Louis, Missouri."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Bobby Howfield

Place Kicker
No. 3
"Howfield was able to kick in only seven games last year due to an injured right knee. The injury happened in a practice session prior to the Los Angeles game at Shea. He sat out that game and then came back to kick against Houston the next week; in fact, his 35-yard field goal against the Oilers nearly provided the Jets with a victory. Following the game Howfield was inactive and went on the reserve list on November 14 for the rest of the year.
He has been a strong kicker for the Jets, booting home 67% of his tries since coming to the club. Bobby was 6-for-7 on field goals last year before the injury hit, the second best percentage in the AFC for the second straight year. In 1973, he was responsible for the winning points in two games: he kicked three field goals at New England for a 9-7 victory and several weeks later he posted an 18-yarder against Baltimore for a 20-17 win.
Bobby has helped the Jets upgrade their kickoffs, booming most of his attempts into the end zone. He led the AFC in scoring in 1972 with 121 points. The best afternoon of his career came in '72 when he kicked six field goals to lift the Jets to an 18-17 victory over New Orleans. The final kick came as time expired. He termed it 'my biggest thrill since coming to the United States.'
Howfield was the first soccer style kicker the Jets had. He came to the U.S. with the Chiefs after a kicking clinic found him in England. He was cut by the Chiefs and went to Denver in 1968. Bobby came to the Jets in a trade with Denver for Jim Turner in January 1971.
Bobby has worked in the insurance department of a Denver bank during the off-season. He became a U.S. citizen in May 1974. His hometown is Bushey, England."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Bob Proutt

Safety
No. 25
Knox
"Traded to the Jets for a sixth round pick in 1975, Prout started his pro career after signing as a free agent with Oakland in 1973 and was with the Raiders until the final cut. He went to Dallas in 1974 and played in five preseason games before being cut once again.
He went back to Oakland and was activated for the final two games of the year and the playoffs. Bob did not play in the postseason but was used as a special teamer in the last two weeks of the year.
Bob worked during the off-season cutting trees for Wood Chips, Inc. in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. He majored in anthropology and sociology. His hometown is Chicago, Illinois."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Rich Sowells

Cornerback
No. 46
Alcorn A & M
"This swift cornerback finally earned a regular starting role in 1974 after being a backup for three years. Sowells started 13 of the 14 games, but played in the others despite bruised ribs and ankle problems. He had two interceptions, one of them a fine one-handed grab against Kansas City; his other theft came at New England in the end zone and snuffed out a fourth quarter threat.
Rich started the first three games of 1973 but hurt his shoulder at Miami and did not start thereafter. He had a great afternoon at Baltimore that year, tying the Jet record for interceptions in a game- he swiped three Colts passes, returning one 30 yards for a touchdown in a 34-10 victory.
Originally a 12th round pick in 1971, Rich's hometown is Huntsville, Texas."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Roscoe Word

Cornerback-Punt Returner
No. 47
Jackson State
"He burst onto the scene last year as one of the most capable and popular players on the squad. Word was originally chosen in the draft as a kick return specialist, but quickly proved his mettle as a cornerback and made the NFL All-Rookie team.
Word became the starter at right cornerback after three and a half games and held the job the rest of the way. He ended up with two interceptions for 19 yards, both thefts coming at crucial times. His last minute grab at New England saved that game for the Jets and a week later he followed up those heroics with an instant replay to thwart the final Miami drive as the Jets won both contests. Roscoe has the good brash attitude needed to play in the defensive backfield.
Roscoe was the Jets leading punt returner as well, with 38 returns for 301 yards (7.9 average). The total of 38 is a Jet record and the 301 yards is second best in Jet annals. Drafted in the third round in 1974, Roscoe has fine speed (4.55) and loves to hit.
His wife is the sister of Don 'Slick' Watts of the Seattle Supersonics. Roscoe's hometown is Pine Bluff, Arkansas."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook

1975 Profile: Phil Wise

Free Safety
No. 27
Nebraska-Omaha
"Wise started the final six games of the year at free safety and did an outstanding job there. He also did some work at strong safety during the San Diego game when Burgess Owens was slightly injured. Wise caused a fumble during that game when he put a jarring tackle on Bo Matthews- Jamie Rivers made the recovery. He also had a sack of Joe Ferguson on a safety blitz.
Phil is one of the best all-around athletes on the team, but has been bothered with a series of groin pulls which have cost him 11 full games; he missed six games in 1973 with a pull suffered in the preseason. Phil had an 80-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Baltimore at Shea in '73 when he scooped up a loose ball that Owens had knocked out of Ray Chester's hands.
Drafted 6th in 1971, Wise majored in criminal justice. He specialized in probation and parole problems. His hometown is Omaha, Nebraska."

-The New York Jets Official 1975 Yearbook