I loved the Gastineau teams. And the Chrebet teams too. Lately I really love that Sam Darnold and Denzel Mimms kids. Looking ahead, those two won our 2nd SB!!
My avatar, Toon, Walker, Klecko, Chrebet, Johnny Mitchell (for a brief minute), Abraham, McNeil, Victor Green, Vinny T, C Mart, Kris Jenkins.
Joe Namath - the reason I became a Jets fan, and of course Snell and Boozer from the SB team. The Jets have drafted a ton a players who should have been good/great, but as we all know, just flopped badly here. So I tend to like the player that came here with little fanfare and did well. (Not in any chronological order.) Freeman McNeil John Riggins Mark Gastineau Al Toon Lance Mehl Mickey Shuler Victor Green Kerry Rhodes Kevin Mawae Keyshawn Johnson Vinnie Testaverde Pete Kendall Jerrico Cotchery Eric Smith Leon Washington Braylon Edwards Stephen Hill Damon Harrison Edit: Meant Brad Smith not Eric. Also would include Laveranues Coles and Thomas Jones. Good thread!
Glad someone finally mentioned him because my favorite players to watch haven’t been our best players, but guys that always seemed to produce big plays at the right times. Two that come to mind the most are Leon Washington and Brad Smith, a severely underrated freak athlete that could do everything, but like others with similar skill sets, never got the ball enough.
He hasn't been mentioned and I understand why, but I'm gonna throw an honorable mention to Brad Baxter and his nose for the end zone. Baxter also played a prominent role in one of my favorite Jets regular season wins, the under-discussed 24-17 win in Buffalo a week after Dennis Byrd's injury. The Jets were 17 point underdogs on the road and came together for Byrd. Baxter had 2 short touchdown runs. Brian Washington had 2 INTS of Kelly including the game winning pick 6. there ya go 3 new names- Baxter, Byrd and Brian Washington
Loved watching Wayne Chrebet, Victor Green, Bryan Cox, Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, Aaron Glenn, Ray Mickens, Chad Pennington, Lava Coles, John Abraham.
He was rock solid. A great 3rd down WR and in the big game against Denver in 98 he showed up when a lot of guys didn't. He had a terrific year in 98 which was probably the best team we have fielded since the SB team. The guy ran great routes, knew how to beat a zone and make himself an easy target for the QB. He did all the dirty work inside. A complete WR. Key did Wayne dirty when his offseason book was released calling Wayne "the team mascot" Parcells came in and got into Key's head Key became a real NFL WR doing all the dirty work. They were a perfect tandem. They both did all the things good WR do in the NFL. Key coming in as a 1st round pick and Wayne coming in and having to earn his way one down at a time. There's room in the NFL for guys who know how to play, are smart and tough and are willing to do all the dirty work to develop their kraft. Chrebet was all of that. He had a great career and he took a beating doing it. You have to love guys like that if you love the team you root for.
I read everybody's answers and agree with so many. One of my favorite guys who has not been mentioned yet (I don't think) was only with the jets for four years (1990-1993) but did a great job--offensive guard Dwayne White. A 7th round pick in 1990 (back when there was a 12 round draft) from Alcorn State, White was nicknamed the "road grader." He was a perfect fit for Coach Coslet's horizontal blocking schemes, and started his last 3 1/2 years with the jets. He was short for a lineman, but was wide and used great leverage to really open up the holes. In 1991, then-BROWNS coach Bill Belichick called White "the best run blocker in the league." White signed a huge free agent deal with the St. Louis Rams in 1994, hurt his knee, and was out of football a short time later. But he gave the jets some damn good run blocking when he was with us.
Good stuff. This brought me back to the day just starting HS during Baxter's best year (1991). Brad was an old school bruiser. Another name from that era who was solid was Marvin Washington.
Two interior DL men John Elliot, super talent, quick as a cat, who had HOF talent played on the SB team and was absolutely one of the quickest guys of his era. Abdul Salaam. Great run stopping interior lineman who played next to Lyons on the Sack Exchange. As a "soldier of peace" he never gave anyone the business. Drafted in the 7th round in 1976 as Lary Faulk.
Ray Mickens getting a lot of love. He is one of my all-time favorite New York Jets for being such a solid performer her for such a long time, but I can't remember ever, even once, watching a game and thinking "that Ray Mickens sure is fun to watch".
The guy caught 2 TD's in his pro debut and looked all world. Later dropped a easy one and we never heard from him again. I just feel that he was mishandled by the CS. Even Wesley Walker dropped easy ones his first few years. I just think if there had been a conscious effort by the CS to build his confidence back which can be done with short passes, the Jets may have had something here.
I'm not an older fan, but I loved watching Leon Washington play. He was a Jet for only 4 years with the last being cut short due to injury, but it felt like he was a threat to take it the distance whenever he had the ball in his hands.
Speaking of 7th round picks, another guy who played great for us was Jason Ferguson DT ('97.) Later went with Parcells to Dallas.
