New York Jets facts for kids

New York Jets
Established 1959 (1959) First season: 1960
Logo Wordmark
League/conference affiliations
American Football League (1960–1969) Eastern Division (1960–1969) National Football League (1970–present) American Football Conference (1970–present) AFC East (1970–present)
Current uniform
Team colors	Green, White
Personnel
Owner(s)	Woody Johnson
Chairman	Woody Johnson
CEO	Woody Johnson
President	Neil Glat
General manager	Mike Maccagnan
Head coach	Todd Bowles
Team history
New York Titans (1960–1962) New York Jets (1963–present)
Team nicknames
Gang Green
Championships
League championships (1)† AFL Championships (1) 1968 (1968) AFL-NFL Super Bowl championships (1) 1968 (III)
Conference championships (0)
Division championships (4) AFL East: 1968, 1969 AFC East: 1998, 2002
† - Does not include the AFL or NFL championships won during the same seasons as the AFL-NFL Super Bowl championships prior to the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger
Playoff appearances (14)
AFL: 1968, 1969 NFL: 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1991, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2010

The New York Jets are a professional American football team located in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team is headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey. In a unique arrangement for the league, the Jets share MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with the New York Giants. The franchise is legally and corporately registered as New York Jets, LLC.

The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League (AFL); later, the franchise joined the NFL in the AFL–NFL merger in 1970. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds. Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise moved to Shea Stadium in 1964 and then to the Meadowlands Sports Complex in 1984. The Jets advanced to the playoffs for the first time in 1968 and went on to compete in Super Bowl III where they defeated the Baltimore Colts, becoming the first AFL team to defeat an NFL club in an AFL-NFL World Championship Game. Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs 13 times, and in the AFC Championship Game four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. However, the Jets have never returned to the Super Bowl, making them one of three NFL teams to win their lone Super Bowl appearance, along with the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The team's training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center, which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park. The team currently holds their annual training camp sessions on the campus of the State University of New York at Cortland in Cortland, New York while holding occasional sessions at the Florham Park complex.

Franchise history

Main page: History of the New York Jets

The first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14, 1959. Harry Wismer, representing the city of New York at the meeting, proclaimed the state was ready for another professional football team and that he was more than capable of running the daily operations. Wismer was granted the charter franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained, "Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants." He secured the Titans' home field at the decrepit Polo Grounds, where the team struggled financially and on the field during its first three years. By 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until season's end.

The Jets playing the Colts in Super Bowl III.

A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, purchasing the lowly Titans for $1 million. Werblin renamed the team the New York Jets since the team would play in Shea Stadium near LaGuardia Airport. The new name was intended to reflect the modern approach of his team. The Jets' owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the general manager and head coach. Ewbank and quarterback Joe Namath led the Jets to prominence in 1969, when New York defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III and solidified the AFL's position in the world of professional football.

When the AFL and NFL merged, the team fell into a state of mediocrity along with their star quarterback, Namath, who only had three successful post-merger seasons after injuries hampered much of his career. The Jets continued to spiral downward before enjoying a string of successes in the 1980s, which included an appearance in the 1982 AFC Championship Game, and the emergence of the popular New York Sack Exchange.

The early 1990s saw New York struggling. After firing coach Bruce Coslet, owner Leon Hess hired Pete Carroll who struggled to a 6–10 record and was promptly fired at the end of the season. Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory; instead he led the Jets to a 4–28 record over the next two years. Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach.

Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to New York in 1997. Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998. Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, falling short of a playoff berth. At the end of the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach deferring control to his assistant, Bill Belichick; Belichick resigned the very next day (leaving a napkin at the stage for his introduction, on which he had written "I resign as HC of the NYJ") and went on to accept the head coaching position with the Patriots.

The franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000. Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three different coaches. Rex Ryan was hired in January 2009. Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years but the team never made the playoffs again during his tenure.

Ownership

Wismer

Harry Wismer, a businessman, had been interested in sports for much of his life when he was granted a charter franchise in the American Football League. A three-sport letterman, football, particularly, stuck with Wismer who went on to play for the University of Florida and Michigan State before a knee injury ended his playing career. Undeterred, Wismer began his career as a broadcaster originally with Michigan State and became a pioneer of the industry. Later, as the Titans owner, Wismer formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally among the teams.

Wismer, who had previously had a 25% stake in the Washington Redskins, was interested in the American Football League and was given a franchise to develop in New York. Wismer, whose philosophy was who you knew mattered most, tried to make the team and the league a success. His efforts began to accrue debt as the Titans' first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year. The franchise was sold for $1 million to a five-man syndicate headed by Sonny Werblin of the Gotham Football Club, Inc. in February 1963.

Werblin syndicate

Sonny Werblin graduated from Rutgers University and was employed by the Music Corporation of America, eventually becoming president of the company's television division. With a vast knowledge of media, Werblin was determined to put the spotlight on the team. His first order of business, after changing the team's name and jerseys, was to sign Joe Namath to an unprecedented contract. Werblin's gamble would later pay off as Namath, who became a public star, led the Jets on to victory in Super Bowl III, though by then Werblin had sold his stake in the team.

Werblin's partners, Townsend B. Martin, Leon Hess, Donald C. Lillis, and Philip H. Iselin, had a falling out with Werblin over the way the team was run—though the franchise had begun to make a profit, Werblin was making all the policies and decisions himself with little or no input from his partners, much to their dismay. Though Werblin initially resisted their ultimatum to dissolve the partnership, Werblin agreed to be bought out in 1968. Werblin remained involved in the sports community and became the first chairman and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority where he helped to create the Meadowlands Sports Complex, including Giants Stadium.

Hess

Leon Hess became well known for his Hess Corporation gas stations; however, he also played an instrumental part in the development of the Jets during his tenure as co-owner and eventual sole owner. Hess had often fought for improvements while the team was a tenant at Shea Stadium but generally stayed away from football operations, allowing his coaches and general manager to make football-related decisions.

Becoming the team's majority stockholder in 1973, Hess bought Philip H. Iselin's share upon his death in 1976 after which only two of Hess' partners remained, Townsend Martin and Helen Dillon, who had inherited the stake from her father Donald Lillis, upon his death. Hess began to buy out the remaining partners in 1981 when he bought Martin's 25% stake for $5 million. Hess bought Dillon's stake three years later for another $5 million, acquiring sole control of the team.

Hess had a passion for his team and took losses hard. In 1995, following a mediocre 6–10 season under Pete Carroll, despite generally shying away from football operations, Hess announced "I'm 80 years old, I want results now" during a conference in which Rich Kotite was introduced as the team's new coach. After two unsuccessful years with Kotite, Hess heavily involved himself in hiring Bill Parcells in hopes to see his team again reach the Super Bowl. He did not live to see his dream realized as he died on May 7, 1999.

Woody Johnson

With the team for sale, two potential buyers were found in Cablevision and philanthropist Woody Johnson whose grandfather, Robert Wood Johnson II, expanded Johnson & Johnson. Johnson was unknown among the other NFL owners at the time of his $635 million purchase of the franchise. However, Johnson had a passion for sports according to former Knicks general manager Ernie Grunfeld and desired to own his own team. Johnson has been considered to be an enabler who wants the best from his employees.

Much like Hess, Johnson left many of the football related decisions up to his management team and tended to avoid the spotlight. However, upon hiring head coach Rex Ryan, Johnson had an increased presence as he molded the Jets into his team.

Stadiums

Shea Stadium, 1964.

Owner Harry Wismer sought out a place for the team to play their home games but was only able to secure the dilapidated Polo Grounds, which had not had a major tenant since the baseball New York Giants vacated the stadium in 1957. The Titans played their first four seasons at the stadium—in the final season they were renamed the Jets. The Titans shared the stadium with baseball's new expansion team, the New York Mets, for two years before both teams moved to the Shea Stadium in Queens in 1964. The Jets hold the distinction of being the final team to host a game at the Polo Grounds, a 19–10 loss to the Buffalo Bills on December 14, 1963.

Wismer hoped the Titans could play in what would become known as Shea Stadium beginning in 1961. However, funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction of the stadium. Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding in late 1961 to secure the Titans' new home. That memorandum recognized that the Mets would have exclusive use of the stadium until they had completed their season. As the team moved to Shea under new ownership, they were, in most years, required to open the season with several road games, a problem made worse in 1969 and 1973 when the Mets had long playoff runs.

Feeling that this arrangement put the Jets at a disadvantage, the team announced in 1977 that they would play two home games a year during the month of September at the Giants' new home in New Jersey, Giants Stadium. Litigation began between New York City and the Jets over the issue, and in the lawsuit's settlement, the city agreed to allow the Jets to play two September home games a season at Shea beginning in 1978 for the remaining six years in the Jets' lease. In 1977, the Jets were to play one September game at Giants Stadium and an October 2 game at Shea.

In spite of these issues, majority owner Leon Hess was interested in renewing the team's lease at Shea, which was due to expire in 1983. Hess negotiated with New York mayor Ed Koch. Hess wanted the city to redevelop the stadium to expand its capacity. He also hoped to renegotiate other aspects of the lease—the Jets received no money from ticketholders parking at Shea. Hess's proposals met resistance from Koch. When negotiations reached an impasse, the Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey. On December 10, 1983 the Jets played their final game at Shea and lost to the Steelers 34–7. As fans pillaged the stadium for mementos, the scoreboard read "N.J. Jets" in reference to the Jets' departure to the Meadowlands.

When the Jets joined the Giants at the stadium, many Jets fans hoped the name, Giants Stadium, would be changed. However, the Giants, who had the authority to approve the change, refused. In an effort to conceal the fact that they played in a stadium built and decorated for another team, the stadium grounds crew was assigned to make the stadium more Jet-friendly during Jets games by putting up green banners and placing the Jets' logo over the Giants'. No change could be made to the blue and red seating bowl. The Jets were featured in the first NFL playoff game in the stadium's history, falling to the Patriots on December 28, 1985.

As the Jets sought to become a stronger franchise and remove themselves from their counterparts' shadow, the team entered into negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in an attempt to build a stadium on the west side of Manhattan, entering a bidding war with TransGas Energy Systems and Cablevision for the rights to the West Side Yard property—Hess, prior to his death, had been approached by former mayor Rudy Giuliani about bringing the team to the West Side when their lease at Giants Stadium expired in 2008. Cablevision was fixated against the Jets owning the land as Madison Square Garden, located only a few blocks away, would be forced to compete with the stadium. Team owners had voted, 31–1, with the Buffalo Bills the only objectors, to award the 2010 Super Bowl to New York contingent on the Jets winning the bid and completing construction of the stadium prior to 2010.

An inside view of MetLife Stadium during the first-ever preseason matchup between the Giants and Jets.

The MTA unanimously voted to sell the land to the Jets for approximately $210 million as the committee agreed that having the stadium would be beneficial in the long run. An angry Cablevision, community groups and transportation advocates were determined to derail the Jets' attempts at building the stadium and two lawsuits challenging the construction of the stadium on environmental grounds were filed. Though confident they could secure the stadium, their hopes were dashed when Sheldon Silver and Joseph L. Bruno, both of whom held veto power over the stadium construction, refused to support the project, alleging it would hurt rather than help the development of the West Side.

Defeated, the Jets agreed to enter a 50–50 partnership with their rival, the Giants, to build a new stadium effectively agreeing to a 99-year lease, which the Giants had signed earlier in the year, to remain in New Jersey. The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, became the first in the history of the NFL to be jointly built by two franchises. The stadium, which is illuminated in different colors depending on which team is hosting a game, opened in April 2010 and saw the Jets and Giants open the stadium together in a preseason exhibition game. The Jets' first regular season home game at the new stadium was held on September 13, 2010 and was shown nationwide on Monday Night Football. New York lost to the Ravens 10–9. Team owners voted to have the stadium host Super Bowl XLVIII, held in 2014.

Rivalries

New England Patriots

Main page: Jets–Patriots rivalry

Since the inception of the American Football League, the Jets have maintained what is considered to be a marquee rivalry with the New England Patriots. The rivalry was relatively docile in its early years until 1966 when the Jets removed the Patriots, who had hopes of appearing in Super Bowl I, from playoff contention with a 38–28 defeat at Shea Stadium. The Patriots returned the favor in 1985 when the Jets lost to New England 26–14 in the wild card round; the Patriots went on to Super Bowl XX where they were defeated by the Bears.

The rivalry began to escalate and receive increased media attention in 1997 when a disgruntled Bill Parcells vacated his head coaching position with New England to accept the same position with New York. The following year, the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin from the Patriots. After the Jets declined during Parcells' third year, Parcells decided to resign as head coach. His assistant, Bill Belichick, resigned the next day in order to become the head coach of the Patriots instead.

A critical turning point of the rivalry took place on September 23, 2001 when Jets linebacker Mo Lewis tackled Drew Bledsoe, leaving the veteran with internal bleeding. This provided an opportunity for Tom Brady to take over as the starting quarterback and during his tenure, Brady successfully guided New England to five Super Bowl titles. In 2006, Eric Mangini, an assistant under Belichick, left New England to join the Jets as their head coach. Under Mangini, the famous Spygate incident took place, further escalating tensions between both clubs. When Rex Ryan was hired as the team's head coach, the rivalry further escalated due to an increased war of words between both teams. In January 2011, the two met in a Divisional Round playoff game. The visiting Jets pulled a 28–21 upset to advance to the AFC Championship Game, which they ultimately lost one week later to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Buffalo Bills

Main page: Bills–Jets rivalry

Miami Dolphins

Main page: Dolphins–Jets rivalry

New York has maintained a rivalry with the Miami Dolphins since the Dolphins' inception in 1966. One of the most famous games in Jets history took place in 1994 when the Dolphins ran the Fake Spike play, giving them an improbable victory and halting the Jets' momentum that season, serving as a precursor to the Jets' next two unsuccessful years under Rich Kotite. The Jets went on to complete an improbable victory of their own on October 23, 2000 in what is known as The Monday Night Miracle. The Jets, trailing the Dolphins 30–7 at the end of the third quarter, rallied in the fourth quarter scoring 23 unanswered points, eventually winning in overtime with a 40-yard John Hall kick.

When Rex Ryan became New York's head coach, there was an increased war of words between the clubs culminating with Ryan flashing an obscene gesture to heckling Dolphins fans in January 2010. The rivalry continued between both teams when Sal Alosi, then the strength and conditioning coach of the Jets, tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll. Carroll was not seriously injured and Alosi resigned nearly two months later.

New York Giants

Further information: Jets–Giants rivalry

The New York Jets previously maintained a high tension rivalry against their in-town counterparts, the New York Giants, that has since diminished due to the infrequency with which the teams meet in the regular season. The pinnacle of the rivalry came on August 17, 1969 when both the Jets and Giants met for the first time, in a preseason game which was viewed as a "turf war" by both opponents. The Giants, considered a mediocre team at the time, were regarded as underdogs and were under much scrutiny by the media and their fans. Ultimately, the Jets bested their rival 37–14; this would result in the firing of Giants coach Allie Sherman.

The Jets met the Giants in 1988 during the final game of the regular season. The Jets, with a 7–7–1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished. The Giants, however, were contending for a playoff spot and a victory would have secured their spot and their division title. Although the six point favorites, the Giants were unable to overcome the Jets defense which saw the Jets sack quarterback Phil Simms eight times. With the Jets' victory and victories by the Rams and Eagles, the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention and the Jets gained respect in the eyes of many.

In spite of the big sibling rivalry that has resulted in trash talk between the players, both teams have formed an unexpected and consequently strong partnership sharing Giants Stadium for 26 years and MetLife Stadium, a venture in which both teams own a 50% share of the stadium. The rivalry regained much of its tension in the 2011 NFL season when the Jets and Giants met in Week 16. Both teams needed a victory to keep their playoffs hope alive and there was significant trash talk between Rex Ryan and his players and many of the Giants in the weeks leading up to the game. Ryan and Giants running back Brandon Jacobs reportedly came close to blows after the game, a 29–14 win by the Giants. The two teams met again on December 6, 2015, with the Jets winning 23–20 in overtime.

Logos and uniforms

See also: Logos and uniforms of the New York Jets

The Jets' colors are hunter green and white. The team's current uniform and primary logo, in use since 1998, are modernized versions of the design used from 1965 to 1977. The helmet is white with two parallel green stripes down the center, and a green facemask. The primary logo, which appears on each side of the helmet and on the jersey front by the player's left shoulder, is a green oval with the word "JETS" in thick white sans-serif italics over "NY" in outline serif lettering, and a white miniature football graphic at bottom center. The jerseys have standard one-color block numerals and serif lettering, alternating stripes on the shoulders, and opposite-colored sleeves and TV numerals. The team uses both white pants with two parallel green stripes from hip to knee on each side, and green pants with white stripes.

The team's original uniforms, as the Titans of New York in 1960, were navy blue with old gold numerals, gold pants with two parallel blue stripes on each side, and navy blue helmets with a single gold stripe down the center and no logo decals. The white jerseys had navy blue numerals. In 1961, the Titans added UCLA-style shoulder stripes (gold and white on the blue jerseys, gold and navy blue on the white jerseys), changed the pants striping to a blue stripe flanked by white stripes, and employed a somewhat brighter shade of gold.

When the Titans became the Jets in 1963, navy and gold were abandoned in favor of kelly green and white. The jerseys had opposite-colored sleeves with thick stripes on the shoulders and cuffs, above and below the TV numerals. The pants were white with two parallel green stripes on each side. The new helmets were white with a single green stripe down the center; the logo on each side was a silhouette of a jet airplane in green, with the word "JETS" in thick white sans-serif italics along the fuselage. In 1964, the single green stripe became two parallel stripes, and the jet-plane decal was replaced with a white football shape outlined in green, with the word "JETS" in thick green sans-serif italics in front of "NY" in green outline serif lettering, and a miniature football at bottom center. The decals were difficult to see from a distance (or on television), so the colors were reversed in 1965.

This design remained largely unchanged through 1977, apart from some variations to the numeral and lettering typefaces, the angle of the helmet decals, and adjustments to the shoulder and sleeve striping due to changes in NFL jersey tailoring and materials.

The Jets' first major design change was made for the 1978 season. The kelly green and white color scheme was retained; the new helmets were solid green with white facemasks, and a stylized "JETS" wordmark in white on each side. The mark featured angular lettering and a silhouette of a modern jet airplane extending horizontally to the right from the top of the "J" above the "ETS". The jerseys featured large TV numerals on the shoulders and two thick parallel stripes on the sleeves, while the pants had a single green stripe from hip to knee on each side. In 1990, the Jets modified this design by adding thin black outlines to the numerals, lettering, stripes and helmet decals, changing the facemasks from white to black, and adding a set of green pants to be worn with the white jerseys.

The Jets adopted their current uniform and logo design in 1998. Green pants were added in 2002, and have been worn with both the white and green jerseys.

The Jets were the first NFL team to wear a "throwback" uniform, in 1993 for a home game against the Cincinnati Bengals celebrating the 25th anniversary of the 1968 championship team. The jersey and pants mimicked the 1963–77 design, although the team wore its regular green helmets with a white-outlined version of the 1965–77 logo decal. In 1994, as part of the NFL's 75th Anniversary celebration, the Jets wore both home and road versions of this uniform in select games, again using their regular green helmets with the 1965–77 logo but with two parallel white stripes down the center.

In 2007, the team introduced a new "throwback" uniform, evoking the original Titans of New York and combining elements of the 1960 and 1961–62 uniforms, with navy blue helmets and jerseys, old gold numerals and helmet stripes, gold and white shoulder stripes, and gold pants with blue and white stripes on each side. These uniforms appeared again in 2008, 2009 and 2011, with a white jersey variation also appearing in 2009 as part of the NFL's celebration of the American Football League's 50th anniversary.

Notable players

Current roster

Main page: List of New York Jets players

New York Jets roster
Quarterbacks  5 Christian Hackenberg -- Josh McCown  9 Bryce Petty Running backs 26 Brandon Burks 22 Matt Forte 43 Julian Howsare FB 33 Romar Morris 29 Bilal Powell 31 Chris Swain FB 34 Brandon Wilds Wide receivers 11 Robby Anderson 87 Eric Decker 81 Quincy Enunwa 16Deshon Foxx [[{{{2}}} |{{{2}}}]] -- Frankie Hammond 18 Darius Jennings 89 Jalin Marshall 14 Quinton Patton 17 Charone Peake 19 Devin Smith 10 Myles White Tight ends 84 Braedon Bowman 88 Austin Seferian-Jenkins 83 Eric Tomlinson 85 Jason Vander Laan		Offensive linemen -- Jeff Adams T 68 Kelvin Beachum T 77 James Carpenter G 70 Dakota Dozier G -- Jonotthan Harrison C 69 Donald Hawkins T 71 Ben Ijalana T 79 Brent Qvale T 72 Brandon Shell T 64 Craig Watts G 67 Brian Winters G Defensive linemen 62 Kenny Anunike DE 94 Brandin Bryant DE 75 Anthony Johnson DE 99 Steve McLendon NT 65 Julien Obioha DE 66 Claude Pelon DE -- Mike Pennel NT 91 Sheldon Richardson DE 93 Deon Simon NT 97 Lawrence Thomas DE 96 Muhammad Wilkerson DE 92 Leonard Williams DE		Linebackers -- Frank Beltre OLB 56 Freddie Bishop OLB 52 David Harris ILB 48 Jordan Jenkins OLB 49 Randell Johnson OLB 50 Darron Lee ILB 44 Corey Lemonier OLB -- Jeff Luc ILB 95 Josh Martin OLB 55 Lorenzo Mauldin OLB 51 Julian Stanford ILB Defensive backs 32 Juston Burris CB 24 Morris Claiborne CB 21 Marcus Gilchrist FS 37 Bryson Keeton CB 30 Nick Marshall CB 42 Ronald Martin FS 23 Dexter McDougle CB 36 Doug Middleton SS 45 Rontez Miles SS 25 Calvin Pryor SS 27 Darryl Roberts CB 41 Buster Skrine CB Special teams 7 Chandler Catanzaro K  4 Lachlan Edwards P -- Josh Latham LS 8 Ross Martin K 46 Tanner Purdum LS -- Zach Triner LS				Reserve lists Currently empty Restricted FAs 76 Wesley Johnson C 20 Marcus Williams CB Rookies in italics Roster updated March 28, 2017 Depth Chart • Transactions 77 Active, 0 Inactive, 2 FAs → AFC rosters → NFC rosters
Template:NFL Roster template list

Pro Football Hall of Famers

Joe Namath, Hall of Famer. His #12 was retired by the Jets.

John Riggins, Hall of Famer

New York Jets in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Players
No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted	No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted
4	Brett Favre	QB	2008	2016	12	Joe Namath	QB	1965–1976	1985
13	Don Maynard	WR	1960–1972	1987	21	LaDainian Tomlinson	RB	2010–2011	2017
28	Curtis Martin	RB	1998–2005	2012	42	Ronnie Lott	DB	1993–1994	2000
44	John Riggins	RB	1971–1975	1992	81	Art Monk	WR	1994	2008
Contributors
No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted	No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted
—	Weeb Ewbank	Head coach	1963–1973	1978	—	Ron Wolf	Director-Player Personnel	1990–1991	2015
—	Bulldog Turner	Head coach	1962	1966	—	Bill Parcells	Head coach	1997–1999	2013
—	Sammy Baugh	Head coach	1960–1961	1963			GM	1997–2000

Ewbank, Martin, Maynard, and Namath are recognized based upon their achievements with the Jets. Ewbank is also recognized based upon his achievements with the Baltimore Colts, coaching them to NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. Riggins is recognized primarily for his seasons with the Washington Redskins (1976–1979, 1981–1985), as is Monk (1980–1993), who won three Super Bowl championships with Washington. Lott is in the Hall of Fame primarily for his exploits as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. Baugh and Turner are recognized based upon their achievements as players with other teams, rather than their head coaching stints with the Jets. While Parcells reversed the fortunes of the Jets, he had major impact for the New York Giants, coaching them to two Super Bowl victories. Wolf only had a brief stint with the Jets between 1990 and 1991, while most of his major contributions occurred as an executive and player personnel director with the Oakland Raiders (1963–1974, 1979–1989), and later as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers (1991–2001). Favre only played one season as a member of the Jets in 2008, between most of his career with the Packers (1992–2007) and his last two NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2009–2010).

Retired numbers

New York Jets retired numbers
No.	Player	Position	Years played
12	Joe Namath	QB	1965–1976
13	Don Maynard	WR	1960–1972
28	Curtis Martin	RB	1998–2005
73	Joe Klecko	DL	1977–1987
90	Dennis Byrd	DL	1989–1992
(Jacket)	Weeb Ewbank	Coach	1963–1973

Ring of Honor

The Jets established a Ring of Honor on July 20, 2010, to commemorate former alumni. Each season, players will be nominated by an internal committee and then inducted into the Ring. There is no specific amount of honorees to be selected each year.

New York Jets Ring of Honor
No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted	No.	Name	Positions	Seasons	Inducted
12	Joe Namath	QB	1965–1976	2010	13	Don Maynard	WR	1960–1972	2010
28	Curtis Martin	RB	1998–2005	2010	75	Winston Hill	OL	1963–1976	2010
73	Joe Klecko	DL	1977–1987	2010	—	Weeb Ewbank	Coach	1963–1973	2010
60	Larry Grantham	LB	1960–1972	2011	81	Gerry Philbin	DL	1964–1972	2011
24	Freeman McNeil	RB	1981–1992	2011	88	Al Toon	WR	1985–1992	2011
85	Wesley Walker	WR	1977–1989	2012	99	Mark Gastineau	DE	1979–1988	2012
93	Marty Lyons	DT	1979–1989	2013	80	Wayne Chrebet	WR	1995–2005	2014
—	Leon Hess	Owner	1968–1999	2014	32	Emerson Boozer	RB	1966–1975	2015
41	Matt Snell	RB	1964–1972	2015

American Football League All-Time Team

The following Titans/Jets were selected to the American Football League All-Time Team on January 14, 1970. The first and second teams were determined by a panel of members of the AFL's Hall of Fame Board of Selectors:

First Team
Joe Namath (QB) • Don Maynard (WR) • Gerry Philbin (DE) • Weeb Ewbank (Coach)
Second Team
Winston Hill (T) • Larry Grantham (LB) • Jim Turner (PK) • Art Powell (WR) • Bob Talamini (G)

All-Time Four Decade Team

New York announced their official All-Time Four Decade team in 2003 which, was determined by the fans of the team.

Offense		Defense
Joe Namath	QB	Mark Gastineau	DE
Curtis Martin	RB	John Abraham	DE
Matt Snell	FB	Marty Lyons	NT
Don Maynard	WR	Joe Klecko	NT
Al Toon	WR	Greg Buttle	LB
Wesley Walker	WR	Kyle Clifton	LB
Mickey Shuler	TE	Mo Lewis	LB
Kevin Mawae	C	James Hasty	CB
Jason Fabini	T	Aaron Glenn	CB
Marvin Powell	T	Victor Green	S
Winston Hill	T	Bill Baird	S
Randy Rasmussen	G
Jim Sweeney	G
Special Teams
Bruce Harper (KR), Pat Leahy (PK), Chuck Ramsey (P)

Notable first-round draft picks

For more information, see List of New York Jets first-round draft picks.

Perhaps the most famous of the Jets' first round picks came in 1965 when they selected Alabama quarterback Joe Namath who boosted the Jets into the national spotlight with his boisterous personality and lifestyle. His physical talents on the field helped improve the Jets' fortunes, leading them to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Though injuries hampered the latter part of Namath's career, he is best remembered, according to former teammate John Dockery, as "a guy that came along and broke a lot of the conventions." Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.

Perhaps one of the most disappointing players in Jets history was running back Blair Thomas. Thomas, who averaged 5.4 yards per carry at Penn State, was an intriguing prospect the Jets were interested in utilizing to help their cumbersome offense. Confident in their decision, the Jets drafted Thomas with the second overall pick in 1990, expecting him to be a solid player for years to come. Thomas ran for only 620 yards in 1990, and failed to meet the high expectations. By the time Thomas left the team as an unrestricted free agent in 1993, he had rushed for 2,009 yards and only five touchdowns. The 2008 first round pick, defensive lineman Vernon Gholston, followed a similar path, failing to record a sack during his three-year tenure with the team.

In the 2013 and 2014 seasons, one of the Jets' strongest units has been their defensive line, manned by 1st Round selections Muhammad Wilkerson (2011) and Sheldon Richardson (2013). In 2013, Wilkerson ended the season with 10.5 sacks, matching the last Jets player to have more than 10 sacks in a single season, John Abraham in 2005. Also that year, Richardson was honored with an award from the AP for Defensive Rookie of the Year. The Jets' run defense was stout with all three in the line up, finishing fifth as a team in rushing yards allowed in 2014.

Coaches and staff

Head coaches

Main page: List of New York Jets head coaches

Current staff

New York Jets staff
	Front Office Chairman/CEO – Woody Johnson President – Neil Glat General Manager – Mike Maccagnan Director of Football Administration – Jacqueline Davidson Director of Player Personnel – Brian Heimerdinger Senior Director of College Scouting – Rex Hogan Director of Pro Scouting – Matt Bazirgan Head Coaches Head Coach – Todd Bowles Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers – Mike Caldwell Offensive Coaches Offensive Coordinator – John Morton Quarterbacks – Jeremy Bates Assistant Quarterbacks – Mick Lombardi Running Backs – Stump Mitchell Wide Receivers – Karl Dorrell Tight Ends – Jimmie Johnson Offensive Line – Steve Marshall Offensive Line Assistant – David Diaz-Infante Offensive Assistant – Jason Vrable			Defensive Coaches Defensive Coordinator – Kacy Rodgers Defensive Line – Robert Nunn Assistant Defensive Line – La'Roi Glover Outside Linebackers – Kevin Greene Defensive Backs – Dennard Wilson Assistant Defensive Backs – Daylon McCutcheon Defensive Quality Control – Tim Atkins Defensive Assistant – Robby Brown Special Teams Coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Brant Boyer Special Teams Assistant – Jeff Hammerschmidt Strength and Conditioning Head Strength and Conditioning – Justus Galac Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Aaron McLaurin Assistant Strength and Conditioning – Joe Giacobbe → Coaching Staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC LAC OAK NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI LAR SF SEA

Notes

Bibliography

• Official website

Images for kids

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  JetBlue honors the NY Jets with its green plane

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