New York Jets
Current season
Established 1960 Play in MetLife Stadium East Rutherford, New Jersey Headquartered in the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center Florham Park, New Jersey
New York Jets logo Logo
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	Hunter Green, White
Personnel
Owner(s)	Woody Johnson
Chairman	Woody Johnson
CEO	Woody Johnson
President	Neil Glat
General manager	Mike Tannenbaum
Head coach	Rex Ryan
Team history
Titans of New York (1960–1962) New York Jets (1963–present)
Team nicknames
Gang Green
Championships
League championships (1)† AFL Championships (1) 1968 (IX) 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
Home fields
Polo Grounds (1960–1963) Shea Stadium (1964–1983) Giants Stadium (1984–2010) MetLife Stadium (2010–present) New Meadowlands Stadium (2010)

The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL). 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.^[1]

The team was founded in 1959 as the Titans of New York, an original member of the American Football League; later, the franchise joined the NFL in the merger of the AFL and the NFL. The team began to play in 1960 at the Polo Grounds. Under new ownership, the current name was adopted in 1963 and the franchise was relocated 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.^[2] Since 1968, the Jets have appeared in the playoffs thirteen times, and in the AFC Championship Game four times, most recently losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.^[3]

The team headquarters and training facility, Atlantic Health Jets Training Center,^[4] which opened in 2008, is located in Florham Park.^[5] The team currently holds their annual training camp sessions on the campus of the State University of New York at Cortland (SUNY Cortland) in Cortland, New York while holding occasional sessions at the Florham Park complex.^[6]

Franchise history[link]

The first organizational meeting of the American Football League took place on August 14, 1959.^[7] 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.^[7] Wismer was granted the charter franchise later dubbed the Titans of New York as Wismer explained, "Titans are bigger and stronger than Giants."^[8] 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.^[9] By 1962, the debt continued to mount for Wismer, forcing the AFL to assume the costs of the team until season's end.^[10]

A five-man syndicate, headed by Sonny Werblin, saved the team from certain bankruptcy, purchasing the lowly Titans for one million dollars.^[11] Renamed the Jets, the new owners hired Weeb Ewbank as the general manager and head coach.^[11] 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^[2] and solidified the AFL's position in the world of professional football.^[12]

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.

The early 1990s saw New York struggling.^[13] 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.^[13] Thereafter, Rich Kotite was selected to lead the team to victory; instead he led the Jets to the NFL's worst record for two consecutive years.^[13] Kotite stepped down at the end of his second season forcing the Jets to search for a new head coach.^[13]

Hess lured then-disgruntled New England Patriots head coach Bill Parcells to New York in 1997.^[14] Parcells led the team back to relevance and coached them to the AFC Championship Game in 1998.^[15][16] Hess died in 1999 while the team, plagued by injuries, produced an eight win record, falling short of a playoff berth.^[16] At the end of the season, Parcells stepped down as head coach deferring control to his assistant, Bill Belichick; Belichick immediately resigned and went on to accept the head coaching position with the Patriots.^[17]

The franchise obtained a new owner in Woody Johnson in 2000.^[18] Additionally, through the 2000s the Jets visited the playoffs five times, a franchise record, under the direction of three different coaches.^[19] The Jets's current head coach, Rex Ryan, was hired in January 2009.^[20] Ryan led the team to back-to-back AFC Championship appearances during his first two years.^[21]

Ownership[link]

Wismer[link]

Harry Wismer, a colorful businessman, had been interested in sports for much of his life when he was granted a charter franchise in the American Football League.^[22] 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.^[22] Undeterred, Wismer began his career as a broadcaster originally with Michigan State and become a pioneer of the industry. Later, as the Titans owner, Wismer formulated a league-wide policy which allowed broadcasting rights to be shared equally amongst the teams.^[22]

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.^[22] Unfortunately, his efforts began to accrue debt as the Titans' first two seasons were mediocre with attendance dropping in the team's second year.^[22] 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.^[22]

Werblin syndicate[link]

Sonny Werblin graduated from Rutgers University and was employed by the Music Corporation of America, eventually becoming president of the company's television division.^[23] With a vast knowledge of media, Werblin was determined to put the spotlight on the team.^[23] His first order of business, after changing the team's name and jerseys, was to sign Joe Namath to an unprecedented contract.^[23] Werblin's gamble would later pay off as Namath, who become a public star, led the Jets on to victory in Super Bowl III, though by then Werblin had sold his stake in the team.^[23]

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.^[24] Though Werblin initially resisted their ultimatum to dissolve the partnership,^[24] Werblin agreed to be bought out in 1968.^[23] 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.^[23]

Hess[link]

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.^[25]

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.^[26] Hess began to buy out the remaining partners in 1981 when he bought Martin's 25% stake for $5 million.^[27] Hess bought Dillon's stake three years later for another $5 million, acquiring sole control of the team.^[27]

Hess had a passion for his team and took losses hard.^[25] 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.^[25] 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.^[25] He did not live to see his dream realized as he died on May 7, 1999.^[25]

Woody Johnson[link]

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.^[28] Johnson was unknown amongst the other NFL owners at the time of his $635 million purchase of the franchise.^[28] However, Johnson has a passion for sports according to former Knicks general manager Ernie Grunfeld and desired to own his own team.^[28] Johnson has been considered to be an enabler who wants the best from his employees.^[28]

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.^[28][29][30]

Stadiums[link]

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 New York Giants vacated the stadium in 1957.^[31] The Titans played their first four seasons at the stadium—in the final season they were renamed the Jets.^[31] The Titans shared the stadium with baseball's new expansion team, the New York Mets, for two years before both teams moved to Queens in 1964.^[31] 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.^[31]

Shea Stadium, 1964.

Wismer hoped the Titans could play in what would become known as Shea Stadium beginning in 1961.^[32] However, funding difficulties and legal problems delayed construction of the stadium.^[32] Wismer signed a memorandum of understanding in late 1961 to secure the Titans' new home.^[32] 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.^[32][33]

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 2nd game at Shea.^[34]

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.^[35] 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.^[35] When negotiations reached an impasse, the Jets announced their intention to depart for New Jersey.^[35] On December 10, 1983 the Jets played their final game at Shea and lost to the Steelers 34–7.^[33] As fans pillaged the stadium for mementos, the scoreboard read "N.J. Jets" in reference to the Jets's departure to the Meadowlands.^[33]

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.^[36] 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.^[36] The Jets were featured in the first NFL playoff game in the stadium's history, falling to the Patriots on December 28, 1985.^[36]

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.^[37][38] 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.^[37] 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.^[37]

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.^[39] 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.^[40] 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.^[40][41]

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.^[42] The stadium, known as MetLife Stadium, became the first in the history of the NFL to be jointly built by two franchises.^[43] 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.^[44][45] 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.^[46] Team owners voted to have the stadium host Super Bowl XLVIII, to be held in 2014.^[44]

Rivalries[link]

Division rivals[link]

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.^[47] 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.^[48] 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.^[48]

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.^[47] The following year, the Jets signed Pro Bowl running back Curtis Martin from the Patriots.^[47] After the Jets declined during Parcells' third year, Parcells decided to resign as head coach. His assistant, Bill Belichick, infamously resigned the next day in order to become the head coach of the Patriots instead.^[49][50]

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 three Super Bowl titles.^[51] In 2006, Eric Mangini, an assistant under Belichick, left New England to join the Jets as their head coach. Under Mangini, the infamous Spygate incident took place, further escalating tensions between both clubs.^[52] 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.^[48][53]

New York has maintained a rivalry with the Miami Dolphins since the Dolphins's inception in 1966. One of the most infamous 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 infamous years under Rich Kotite.^[54] 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.^[55] 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.^[55]

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.^[56] The rivalry continued between both teams when Sal Alosi, then the strength and conditioning coach of the Jets, tripped Dolphins cornerback Nolan Carroll.^[57] Carroll was not seriously injured and Alosi resigned nearly two months later.^[57]

Historical rivals[link]

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.^[58] 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.^[58] The Giants, considered a mediocre team at the time, were regarded as underdogs and were under much scrutiny by the media and their fans.^[58] Ultimately, the Jets bested their rival 37–14, this would result in the firing of Giants coach Allie Sherman.^[58]

The Jets met the Giants in 1988 during the final game of the regular season.^[59] The Jets, with a 7–7–1 record, had little to lose as their hopes for playoff contention had vanished.^[59] The Giants, however, were contending for a playoff spot and a victory would have secured their spot and their division title.^[59] Although the six point favorites,^[59] the Giants were unable to overcome the Jets defense which saw the Jets sack quarterback Phil Simms eight times.^[60] With the Jets' victory and victories by the Rams and Eagles, the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention and the Jets gained what many considered respect.^[60][61]

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 twenty six years and MetLife Stadium, a venture in which both teams own a fifty percent share of the stadium.^[42][58][62] 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 week 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.^[63]

Upon the formation of the American Football League, the Jets developed a heated rivalry with the Oakland Raiders.^[64] Al Davis had an enlarged photo of Joe Namath at Oakland's headquarters that depicted the quarterback sprawled out on the ground following a vicious hit from Raider defender Ben Davidson; the photographed play was said to have broken the quarterback's jaw (though Namath stated he had broken it on a tough piece of steak, and some claim it was Raiders defensive end Ike Lassiter who injured Namath).^[65][66] Former Jets linebacker Larry Grantham believed that the Raiders' defense often took every opportunity to cheap shot Namath.^[64]

In 1968, the Jets suffered a stunning loss against the Raiders in the Heidi Game. However, New York went on to defeat the Raiders in the AFL Championship to advance to Super Bowl III where the Jets won what would come to be known as the Lombardi Trophy much to the fury of Raider fans.^[67] Following the merger, the rivalry waned in intensity as meetings between both teams were less frequent.^[68] There was a brief period between 2000 and 2003 when the rivalry was renewed due to regular season games each year and playoff meetings that saw the Raiders remove the Jets from contention.^[69][70]

The Jets have maintained a rivalry with the Indianapolis Colts since 1969 when the Jets and the Colts, known then as the Baltimore Colts, faced off in Super Bowl III. Though the Jets were viewed as the inferior team, Joe Namath publicly guaranteed New York's victory; his prediction became immortalized as the Jets defeated the Colts 16–7.^[71] Following the merger, the Jets and Colts became division rivals in the AFC East. In 2002, the Colts were realigned into the new AFC South division;^[72] the Colts went on to lose to the Jets in the wild card round that same year 41–0. Though regular season meetings have been infrequent since then, the teams have met two more times in the playoffs, including in 2009 when the Colts and Jets met in the AFC Championship Game. The Colts, considered the favorites, struggled early in the game as the Jets led at halftime. However, a comeback in the second half saw the Colts down the Jets 30–17.^[73] In 2010, the Jets faced the Colts, this time in the wild card round. The Jets exacted revenge on their opponent when they eliminated the Colts in a narrow 17–16 victory that saw Nick Folk kick the game-winning field goal for New York as time expired.^[74]

Logos and uniforms[link]

The Jets have undergone three significant uniform changes with minor alterations throughout the years. As the Titans of New York, the team wore blue and gold uniforms similar to that of Notre Dame's.^[75] The well-known green and white uniforms came about in 1963 when the team was renamed.^[76] The franchise introduced Titans of New York throwback uniforms in 2007 to commemorate their heritage.^[77]

Statistics[link]

This is a partial list of the last six completed seasons by the Jets, and the current season. For the full season-by-season franchise results, see List of New York Jets seasons.

Note: The Finish, Wins, Losses, and Ties columns list regular season results and exclude any postseason play.

Notable players[link]

Current roster[link]

Pro Football Hall of Famers and retired numbers[link]

Joe Namath, Hall of Famer

John Riggins, Hall of Famer

Ewbank, Maynard, and Namath are recognized based upon their achievements with the Jets, although Ewbank previously coached the Baltimore Colts to NFL championships in 1958 and 1959. Riggins is recognized primarily for his seasons with the Washington Redskins (1976–79, 81–85), as is Monk (1980–93), 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.^[78]

Ring of Honor[link]

The Jets established a Ring of Honor on July 20, 2010, to commemorate former alumni.^[79] 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.^[79]

American Football League All-Time Team[link]

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:^{[80][81][82][83]}

All-Time Four Decade Team[link]

New York announced their official All-Time Four Decade team in 2003 which, was determined by the fans of the team.^[84]

Notable first-round draft picks[link]

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.^[85] His physical talents on the field helped improve the Jets' fortunes, leading them to victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.^[85] 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."^[85] Namath was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1985.^[85]

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.^[86] 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.^[86] Thomas ran for only 620 yards in 1990, and failed to meet the high expectations.^[86] 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.^[86] The 2008 first round pick, defensive lineman Vernon Gholston led a similar path, failing to record a sack during his three year tenure with the team.^[87]

Coaches and staff[link]

Head coaches[link]

Current staff[link]

Cheerleading squad[link]

The team originally established the Jets Flag Crew in 2006 to enhance the overall fan experience.^[88] In 2007, the group underwent an expansion and was appropriately renamed the Jets Flight Crew.^[89] The squad regularly performs choreographed routines during the team's home contests. Auditions have been held annually since their inception to attract new members.

The Jets Junior Flight Crew was established in 2010 offering children the opportunity to train with the Flight Crew while improving their "talent and abilities in a non-competitive environment."^[90]

Radio and television[link]

The Jets' current flagship radio station is WEPN, 1050 ESPN with Bob Wischusen, as the play-by-play announcer and former Jet Marty Lyons of the Sack Exchange, as the color analyst.^[91][92]

Any preseason games not nationally televised are shown on WCBS-TV.^[93] SportsNet New York, which serves as the official home of the Jets, airs over 250 hours of "exclusive, in depth" material on the team in high definition.^[94]

References[link]