1979 Profile: Joe Klecko

Defensive Tackle

No. 73

Temple

"Truck-driving tackle. A one-man convoy on the pass rush. From out of the blue, better yet the interstate, Klecko arrived in the Jets' camp two years ago, a sixth-round pick from Temple. He immediately led the team in sacks with eight.

Born October 15, 1953, in Chester, Pa., he's quite a character. He drove a truck for two years out of high school. Temple's equipment man saw Klecko playing sandlot football and convinced the school to offer him a scholarship. He once sparred with Joe Frazier. 'One of his punches was enough to convince me not to become a professional boxer,' he recalls.

Klecko has been a drag racer, too. Now a truck broker in the off-season, he knows all the good truck stops in the East."

-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

"Joe has great speed and quickness for a defensive down lineman and changes directions very well. He plays with a great deal of enthusiasm and has improved with added experience.

As a rookie with the Jets in 1977, he had a hand in at least one quarterback sack in each of his starts. He had eight sacks for the Jets in the final six games of 1977.

Joe has been a drag racer."

-1979 Topps No. 101

1979 Profile: Marvin Powell

Offensive Tackle

No. 79

USC

"Atten-hut!

Son of a career military officer, Powell will soon snap defensive ends to attention once he masters the intracacies and subtleties of playing offensive tackle. Oakland's Al Davis said Powell was the best athlete in the 1977 draft.

Probably the most sophisticated, too. He loves to read poetry and listen to classical music. He's a conservative, disciplined person.

His father fought in the Normandy invasion at 15 and in Korea and Vietnam. Marvin's combat is happily confined to a different kind of trench. He was born August 30, 1955, at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Powell was a three-time all-conference and an All-American at USC. Like Chris Ward a year later, he was the fourth player taken in the NFL draft."

-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

"Marvin has overpowered people during his two campaigns with the Jets. He's improving on his pass blocking and has all the tools necessary to be an All-Pro.

Considered by many to be the best player in the 1977 college draft, Marvin played in three Rose Bowls and a Liberty Bowl during his career at USC. He was a first-team All-America as a senior.

Marvin enjoys reading poetry."

-1979 Topps No. 63

R.I.P. Kevin Long

1979 Profile: Chris Ward

Offensive Tackle

No. 72

Ohio State

"Mount Everest in cleats. Big, broad tackle, who when he spreads out, you need a mountain climbing team to get all over him. Ward is probably bigger than he's listed. 

Born December 15, 1955, in Cleveland, he's another of Woody Hayes' fat tackles who've made it in the pros. However, Ward figures to make it bigger than any Buckeye since Jim Parker. 'I see Chris as a modern edition of Parker,' says head coach Walt Michaels, 'and I wouldn't say that about many people. With Marvin Powell at right tackle, we've got two bookends for the next 10 years.'

Ward was an instant starter for the Jets after he was the fourth player taken in the 1978 draft. He's so versatile, he could play guard or tackle."

-Dave Newhouse, the Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

1979 Profile: Pat Leahy

Place Kicker

No. 5

St. Louis

"Franz Beckenbauer he's not, but Leahy played four years of soccer at St. Louis University. The Jets saw him during a preseason game with St. Louis in 1974, when Leahy tried to unseat Jim Bakken as the Cardinal place kicker. Fat chance. When Bobby Howfield was hurt during that season, New York signed Leahy. Howfield left, and Leahy's still there.

Leahy led the AFC in scoring with 107 points and hit 22 of 30 field goal attempts. He had a slump in '77 when he became known as Wide-Left Leahy. But Walt Michaels stuck with him, and now there aren't too many better kickers in the game.'

Born March 19, 1951, in St. Louis, Leahy teaches in the off-season- kids, not kickers."

-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

"Pat enjoyed his finest season in pro football last year. He led the AFC in scoring and was one of only two players to score 100 points.

Pat works as a teacher's aide."

-1979 Topps No. 121

1979 Profile: Jerome Barkum

Tight End

No. 83

Jackson State

"The Bekins of tight ends. Barkum was a wide receiver for the first five years of his career before making the move to tight end in '77. 'At first I had some doubts, not about my ability, but I hadn't played the position,' he recalls. 'Now I'm catching balls in the middle and up the chute and it's nice. It's fun, too. I get to hit people before they hit me.'

Barkum was one of Namath's favorite targets in the old days. He was born July 18, 1950, in Gulfport, Mississippi,  and was the Jets' No. 1 draft pick in '72 out of Jackson State. Barkum set a high school basketball record by grabbing 30 rebounds in one game. He's still a dangerous deep threat wherever he plays."

-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

"Jerome has made the transformation from wide receiver to tight end. He's a clutch receiver with great hands and his blocking has noticeably improved.

Jerome had 30 rebounds in a high school basketball game."

-1979 Topps No. 21

1979 Profile: Kevin Long

Fullback

No. 33

South Carolina

"A 'Who's he?' All-Pro. Long exploded on the scene in his second NFL season, rushing for 954 yards (4.5) and scoring touchdowns. He had just 170 yards (3.0) as a rookie. He's another reason to keep an eye on those Jets.

Long certainly isn't surprised by his big year. He had been a 1,000-yard rusher at South Carolina; in fact, teammate Clarence Williams also gained 1,000 that 1975 season.

Long was born June 4, 1954, in Clinton, South Carolina, where he still lives. He was an offensive guard in high school- good coaching, right? The Jets drafted him ninth, almost as an afterthought, after his rushing yardage fell off as a college senior. The Jets tried him at fullback, then made him a tailback- good coaching."

-Dave Newhouse, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football (1979 Edition)

"The Jets' leading rusher in 1978, Kevin adjusted from fullback to tailback and has become a two-way threat to the club. He was the first 1,000-yard rusher in South Carolina history in 1975 with 1,133 yards gained on the ground.

Kevin was married after the 1977 season."

-1979 Topps No. 519