1977 Profile: Jerome Barkum

Wide Receiver
No. 83
Jackson State
"Took him a year to do a day's work last season but it wasn't his fault. A leg muscle pull kept Barkum out of 10 games and he didn't show much after his return, catching just five passes. He's healthy again, and if the Jets can find somebody to throw the ball, he could return to top form. Barkum averaged 40 catches the previous three years and is at his best against Baltimore
Barkum's size and strength make him tough on small cornerbacks. He lacks blazing speed but is quick and has good hands. He's a good blocker for a wide receiver.
Born in Gulfport, Mississippi, Barkum is nicknamed 'Gee.' He once had 30 rebounds in a high school basketball game. He caught 128 passes as a four-year starter at Jackson State."

-Rich Kucner, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1977 Edition

"Barkum was sidelined for 10 games last year with a severely pulled hamstring suffered in the fifth preseason game. He played in the last four games but caught only five passes for 54 yards with one touchdown.
Prior to last season Barkum was always considered among pro football's premier wide receivers and has excellent size and strength for his position. An added dimension is his blocking.
In 1972 Jerome was off to a late start in his rookie year as he was late to sign but had a 19.0 average on 16 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns. He came into his own in 1973 with 44 catches for 810 yards and an 18.4 average with six touchdowns. In 1974, Jerome added 41 catches for 524 yards, a 12.8 average and three touchdowns. He led the Jets in receiving in 1973 and 1974 and earned a Pro Bowl appearance after the 1973 season. He followed that with another good season in 1975 with 36 catches for 549 yards, a 15.3 average and five touchdowns.
His career totals show 143 receptions for 2,241 yards, a 15.7 average and 17 touchdowns. Barkum ranks seventh among all-time Jet career leaders in receiving yardage and ninth in receptions. He had his best yardage day against Denver in 1973 with 111 on four catches, and his most catches in a day were eight against Cincinnati in 1973.
Jerome caught 128 passes for 2,130 yards and 27 touchdowns in his four-year college career, notching 10 touchdown receptions as a senior. He was a teammate of the Jets' Richard Caster and played in the Senior Bowl and the East-West Game. Barkum was an AP Little All-America and All-SWAC for two years, and a Pittsburgh Courier All-America.
Nicknamed 'Gee,' he's the cousin of Lem Barney of the Detroit Lions. His brother Melvin was a quarterback and running back at Mississippi State. Jerome holds the high school record of 30 rebounds in a basketball game.
Jerome spent the off-season working in the recreation program at Diamondhead Resort near New Orleans. He enjoys working with kids and relaxes by swimming and fishing. His birthplace and hometown is Gulfport, Mississippi."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Darrell Austin

Center
No. 67
South Carolina
"Austin was acquired on waivers in 1975 from Denver. He was originally drafted in the 16th round by the Broncos in 1974.
A strong, straight ahead blocker, Darrell is good on run blocks, is developing into a good pass protector and is reckless with his body. Injuries have held back his progress.
Darrell started 11 games last year, seven at right guard and four at center. Injuries to other linemen forced him to switch positions during several games. He missed three games- New England, Washington and Cincinnati- because of a strained neck.
Darrell started every game for three years at South Carolina. He played offensive tackle as a sophomore, defensive tackle as a junior and offensive tackle as a senior and played in the East-West Game. He was named most valuable lineman as a senior.
He holds a B.S. in physical education. He's nicknamed 'Colonel' because of his likeness to television figure Steve Austin, the Bionic Man. Darrell has a plastic small finger, prompting the nickname. His father is a deputy sheriff. Union, South Carolina is his birthplace and hometown."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Bill Hampton

Equipment Manager
"Hampton is in charge of all Jets equipment as well as running the clubhouse operation year-round.
He started out as a stickboy for the New York Rangers of the NHL in 1945 and remained with that organization until 1964 when he joined the Jets. He interrupted his Ranger tenure with for a two-year Army tour of duty from 1951-52. Bill moved up to assistant trainer and equipment man for the Rangers in tandem with Frank Price.
A close friend of Walt Michaels, Bill was born in Astoria, New York."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Bob Reese

Trainer
"Bob Reese replaces Jeff Snedeker, Jets trainer for the past 14 years. Reese had been the assistant trainer for the Buffalo Bills since 1972.
He began his career as an assistant trainer at Father Ryan High School in Nashville, Tennessee. He worked with the training staff throughout his undergraduate years at Purdue, where he earned a B.S. in physical education in 1970.
Bob became the youngest head trainer in the country when he was appointed at Boston College in 1970 at the age of 21. He worked with fellow Purdue alumnus Eddie Abramoski on the Buffalo training staff.
Bob was born in Nashville."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Jim Royer

Talent Scout
"Like Carroll Huntress, Royer now serves exclusively as a Jets' scout after a stint in the Galaxy combine. He has been in coaching or scouting since 1958 when he started as a Marine football team head coach on Okinawa.
Royer coached the offensive line for the U.S. Naval Academy junior varsity from 1959-61. He went to [the University of] Buffalo as offensive line coach (1961-62) and then spent time at Tulane before returning to the Naval Academy as assistant offensive line coach (1965-66). Jim worked one year as offensive line coach at the University of Pittsburgh before joining the Atlantic Coast League as defensive coordinator of the Richmond Roadrunners in 1969.
He came to the NFL in 1971 as offensive line coach with the New Orleans Saints. In 1973 he became a scout for the Redskins and joined Galaxy in 1974.
Jim was born in Baltimore, Maryland."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Carroll Huntress

Talent Scout
"Huntress now serves exclusively as a Jets scout after two years in the Galaxy combine. He has a high school and collegiate coaching record extending back to 1949.
He began at Mechanic Falls High in Maine and after two seasons moved to Portland (ME) High. He remained as head football coach until 1960 before joining the University of Maryland staff, first as freshman coach and then and then as a receiver aide. Carroll became head coach at Bucknell in 1965, serving for four years. He most recently was an assistant coach at Kentucky for four years before entering the pro ranks as a scout.
Carroll was born in Saco, Maine."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide

1977 Profile: Don Grammer

Talent Scout
"Don joined the Jets staff on July 1 after serving as a scout for CEPO and United Scouting since 1973. He will work with new director of player personnel Mike Hickey.
He coached the offensive line at the University of Minnesota (1966-71) under Murray Warmath and held a similar position at his alma mater, Cincinnati (1958-60). Grammer coached on the high school level in Ohio from 1955-58 after serving in the Army for two years.
An all-state standout at Fairview High in Dayton, Ohio, Grammer lettered three years as an offensive tackle at Cincinnati under Sid Gillman and was selected All-Mid-American Conference twice. He graduated in 1953 with a degree in business administration.
Don was born in Dayton."

-1977 New York Jets Media Guide