Thirty years. Thirty long years. That’s how long defensive lineman Joe Klecko waited to finally get enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
“Since 1993, I’ve been waiting to give this speech,” Klecko said as he began his Hall of Fame speech, saying the speech has been in his drawer since 1993. This after being presented by former teammate and New York Sack Exchange member Marty Lyons.
Klecko’s speech included many thanks to a lot of his former teammates and coaches, including the other three members of the New York Sack Exchange, Lyons, Mark Gastineau and Abdul Salaam.
Klecko also thanked Jets ownership over the years, including Leon Hess and Woody and Chris Johnson.
But it was his wife, Debbie, that Klecko seemed to give the most thanks to and it stems from a tryout with a Pennsylvania semipro team that he almost didn’t take up.
“My wife drove me to practice, but when we showed up, I got cold feet,” Klecko said about going to a tryout with the Aston Knights. “So she grabbed my keys out of the ignition and threw them out the window. ‘What’d you do that for?’ I said and got out to try to find the keys. That’s when the coach recognized me and said, ‘Joe, come on over.’
“Who knew when you threw the keys out the window on the practice field 50 years ago, it would end up here?” Klecko said to his wife.
Klecko also poked fun at his son Dan, who won three Super Bowl rings (two with the Patriots, one with the Colts) while Joe did not win a ring. But Joe now has a bust to call his own.
“He had a wonderful career … and he never lets me forget,” Joe said. He then pointed to his bust and said to his son, “Hey, Dan, let’s see when you get one of them.”
Klecko wrapped up his speech by looking for “Fireman Ed” Anzalone and having him lead a “J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!” chant.
After a 12-year NFL career, including 11 with the Jets and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1981, and a 30-year wait to finally get the call, Klecko has taken his rightful place in the Hall of Fame as the New York Sack Exchange finally is represented in Canton.