Tag: Joe Klecko

New sack numbers released for Jets legends Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko and others

The NFL didn’t record sacks until 1982, but a new unofficial tally gave Jets legends Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko a boost.

A couple of Jets legends earned a boost in sacks this week.

The statistics website SportsReference.com added unofficial sack totals from 1960-1981, courtesy of researchers John Turney and Nick Webster. The duo compiled sack numbers missing from the NFL archives after reading official play-by-plays, coaches’ stat books and watching game film.

Sacks were not recorded by the league until 1982.

These additions affected some of the biggest players in Jets’ history, including three members of the New York Sack Exchange. Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons all saw major increases in their sack totals.

Gastineau now has 107.5 total sacks after 33.5 were added. Klecko is up to 78.0 and Lyons is at 29.0. Gastineau is still the Jets’ all-time sack leader, but he moved up 50 spots on the NFL’s all-time list from 87th to 37th. Klecko became the Jets’ No. 2 leader in sacks and Lyons comes in at No. 10 now.

Even more interesting than the leaderboard changes ks the potential historical significance of Gastineau and Klecko’s magical 1981 season. These new stats reveal the two both tallied at least 20 sacks in one season (Gastineau with 20 and Klecko with 20.5), a lone occurrence in NFL history.

If the NFL recognizes these new numbers as legitimate, it could alter Gastineau and Klecko’s Hall of Fame resume.

The biggest beneficiaries of these changes were Verlon Biggs, Gerry Philbin and John Elliott, who all played before sacks were officially considered a stat and formed a menacing trio in the late 1960s and early 1970s, especially during the Jets’ 1969 Super Bowl run.

Biggs, a three-time Pro Bowl defensive end who played for six seasons from 1965-1970 after being drafted in the third round, now ranks fifth on the Jets’ all-time sack list with 58.5. His 15 sacks in 1967 are the fifth-most in a single-season in team history and he tallied at least 10 sacks over four consecutive seasons from 1966-1970.

Philbin joined the Jets in 1964 as a third-round pick and tallied 65 sacks in nine seasons. He ranks fourth now on the Jets’ all-time sack list and was a three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro.

Elliott, a seventh-round pick in 1967, had 38.5 sacks during his seven-year career, all with the Jets. Elliot also made three Pro Bowls and was named to the All-Pro team once.

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The start of something new: Mekhi Becton explains why he wants to wear No. 77 with Jets

Jets rookie Mekhi Becton wanted to try something new in deciding to wear No. 77.

Jets rookie Mekhi Becton wants to start his NFL career with a brand new number.

Becton wore No. 73 at Louisville and No. 70 in high school. However, he doesn’t want to wear either of those numbers now that he’s a pro. Part of that has to do with No. 73 being retired for Jets Ring of Honor member Joe Klecko. As for No. 70, Becton didn’t feel very comfortable in it. So now he’s hoping to give No. 77 a shot.

“I wanted to try something new,” Becton told reporters Monday. “I didn’t feel right in 70, that’s my high school number. And then 73 is retired. So I feel like 77 is just a different journey, a new journey to start.”

Becton made the request to wear No. 77 but has yet to receive word if he’s secured it.

“I’ve talked to Joe Douglas about it. I told him that I wanted to wear 77,” Becton said. “I don’t know if I got it yet or not.”

Five Jets have worn No. 77, but the number hasn’t carried much weight. The most notable player to wear No. 77 for Gang Green was Kris Jenkins, who wore it for three seasons. Randy Thomas, Kenny Neil, Carl Barzilauskas and James Carpenter have also had No. 77.

Becton has a chance to make No. 77 a special number in Jets history. He was taken by the Jets with the 11th overall pick in this year’s draft and has a ton of upside.

At 6-foot-7, 364 pounds, Becton has all the physical assets to be an elite tackle. He just needs to improve upon his technique, both in the running and passing game. With some coaching and reps, that can be cleaned up.

Until then, Becton will have to wait it out until he gets his number choice approved by the Jets.

Ex-Jets OL Winston Hill named Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist

Former Jets offensive lineman Winston Hill was named a Pro Football Hall of Fame finalist.

The Jets have one of their own as a finalist in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial class.

Former New York offensive lineman Winston Hill was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior player on Thursday. Hill played with the Jets from 1963-1976 before ending his career in 1977 with the Rams.

Hill was a four-time Pro Bowler as well as a four-time AFL All-Star. He was also a three-time All-Pro team and three-time All-AFL selection. The Jets put Hill in their Ring of Honor in 2010 and his number is retired by the team.

38 finalists were named for the Centennial Class. That number will soon be cut down to 15, as 10 senior players, three contributors and two coaches will all be inducted into the Hall of Fame on January 8th in Canton, Ohio.

One Jet who was not named a finalist was Joe Klecko. Klecko has been named a finalist on Hall of Fame ballots before, but never garnered enough support to get into Canton. Klecko was first-team All-Pro twice and four-time Pro Bowler in an era where he was one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman.

After not being named as a finalist for the Centennial class, odds are Klecko will fall short of ever making it into the Hall of Fame.