New York Jets: 5 Greatest wide receivers in team history (Updated)
Nov 27, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) runs the ball against the New England Patriots during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Who are the five greatest wide receivers in New York Jets history? An updated look at the best to ever take up the mantle catching passes for Gang Green.
For the New York Jets, there have been a lot of years where wins have been at a premium. After all, the team is 76 games under .500 over their history. They do have a perfect 1-0 record in the Super Bowl, but that game is nearly 50 years old. Since then, there have been some close calls, there have been multiple title game appearances, but no return to the big game. There also have been too many losing seasons to count.
But the constant through the years has been talent. From way back in the 1960s and the days of the Titans through the current team, there have been talented players. Even today, with a roster that is considered one of the worst in the league, has promising young players. The wide receivers are particularly interesting, starting with Robby Anderson (above). One potential bright spot in this upcoming season will be the play of this young group.
However, they don't qualify for the list in the upcoming pages. At least not yet.
What list are we talking about? Well, today, we are going back through the annals of Jets history and talking about the very best. Specifically, we are counting down the five best wide receivers in franchise history. I've looked at this before, but as we all know things change — including opinions. Thus, the list has shifted and features another player making the cut.
Oct 23, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; A New York Jets helmet on the bench displays a sticker with the number 90 in memory of former New York Jet Dennis Byrd who was killed in a car accident last week. The Jets face the Baltimore Ravens today at MetLife Stadium. The Jets are wearing Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
5. Art Powell
For our No. 5 choice we dive way back into the archives. So far back, in fact, that the team wasn't even called the New York Jets yet. We head back to 1960 when the team was known as the New York Titans.
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The late Art Powell actually first played in the league in 1959 after being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 11th round. After a year in the NFL Powell was released he joined the Titans as part of the new league, the AFL. That year, Powell was first team All-Pro and led the AFL with 14 receiving touchdowns. He posted 1,167 yards that year for New York, his first of two seasons where he went over the 1,000-yard mark. The second was 1962 when his 1,130 receiving yards led the AFL.
That rookie season, Powell posted a truly special three-game stretch towards the end of the year. During a three-game winning streak that included wins over the Dallas Texans (later known as the Kansas City Chiefs), the Denver Broncos, and the Oakland Raiders, Powell averaged eight receptions, 137 yards and two touchdowns per game. That is one heck of a stretch.
Powell was only in the organization for three years, but during that time, his weekly impact was huge. Take a look at 1962. He averaged 80.7 yards per game, leading the AFL. Over his career in New York, his 75.7 yards per game leads the franchise all-time. He also averaged over 1,000 yards per season during his time in New York.
4. Wayne Chrebet
This guy doesn't need a whole lot of introduction with any Jets fan. When talking about Wayne Chrebet, we are talking about a guy that is regarded as the one good thing to come out of the Rich Kotite era.
Now there is a name Jets fans would like to forget. Kotite replaced Pete Carroll as the head coach to begin the 1995 season. He led the team for the next two years and to only four wins. But Wayne Chrebet, an undrafted free agent out of Hofstra University, earned his chance to play. During the final game of the 1996 season, Chrebet gave Kotite a big hug to thank him for the opportunity. What he didn't know was how beloved in Jets history he was going to become.
Chrebet was never a guy that opposing coaches expected a lot from in the early going. At 5-10, he wasn't exactly tall. Truth be told, he could get lost in a crowd of defenders based on his size. The difference was Chrebet would outwork everyone and it showed in his performance on the field. He never feared going over the middle to make a catch, and he never feared doing whatever he had to in order to make a clutch catch. That is what endeared him to Jets fans everywhere.
His numbers were never flashy. Chrebet went over 1,000 yards only once. But it was his prowess on third down that made him one of the most beloved players in recent memory. 379 of his 580 career interceptions were third down conversions (per Chrebet bio page). Anyone under center during his career knew who the guy to go on third down was. It was Wayne Chrebet and he always delivered.
It was Chrebet's lack of fear that ended up doing his career in. He suffered quite a few concussions, including the one that ended his career. During a 2005 game against the Chargers, Chrebet caught a pass from Brooks Bollinger during a drive attempting to lead the Jets to a come from behind win. Of course, it was third down and Chrebet went full extension on the sideline to make the catch and the conversion.
He was laid out, on the ground unconscious for several minutes as Giants Stadium went from cheering to extreme worry. Knowing it was likely his final play of his career, the crowd chanted his name as he was helped off of the field the crowd chanted his name, and that was his final career reception. His 7,365 yards in his career are good for third in franchise history, and he remains close to the heart of Jets fans everywhere.
3. Al Toon
If you didn't know better, you would have thought fans were booing. Actually, the Giants Stadium faithful were screaming "Tooooooooooonnnn", and doing so with good reason.
Al Toon was selected by the Jets in 1985 with the 10th overall pick in the draft. He didn't start right away, but he still posted three catches for 67 yards in his first game, a September win over the Buffalo Bills. Toon came on strong mid-season, posting back-to-back 100-yard performances in Weeks 10 and 11. Week 10 was a season high 10 catch, 156-yard performance in a loss to the Dolphins , and Week 11 was a six catch, 133-yard performance in a win over the Buccaneers. He finished his rookie year with 46 receptions for 662 yards and three touchdowns.
The next year was the first of two 1,000-yard seasons for Toon. 1986 yielded 85 receptions for 1,176 yards and eight touchdowns. 1988 was the second year he went over 1,000 yards, posting a league-high 93 receptions for 1,067 yards and five touchdowns. Sandwiched in the middle was a 976-yard performance and this three-year span sent Toon to the Pro Bowl in each season. He posted one more big season in 1991 when he posted 963 yards and 74 receptions.
Toon's greatest attribute, however, is the same thing that ended his career prematurely. Toon was the quintessential possession receiver, never afraid to go over the middle. He caught everything, but also caught big hits. Unfortunately, those hits led to concussions, at least nine of them. Because of the repeated head injuries, Toon retired after the 1992 season at the age of 29. If he hadn't retired early, he may have enjoyed a larger place in NFL history.
Even so, his 6,605 yards rank him fourth on the franchise's all-time list. And just for goo measure — Al Tooooooooooooonnnnnn!
2. Wesley Walker
This player was a fun one to watch. For younger readers that didn't see him play, ask your parents. It's worth it, and they will be able to tell you some stories.
Wesley Walker was chosen in the second round of the 1977 draft. This draft was a good one for the Jets, as it yielded two long-time offensive linemen in Marvin Powell and Dan Alexander. It also yielded Joe Klecko, a guy that all Jets fans would agree should be in the Hall of Fame. But this guy was just as valuable to the Jets nearly a decade and a half.
Walker was the quintessential deep threat. In his rookie year, he averaged over 20 yards per catch (21.1). That was the first of eight times he would average over twenty yards per reception. For his career he averaged 19 yards per reception, good for 12th on the all-time list. Any time Walker was lined up to the outside, he was a threat to catch a long one.
Some of Walker's best days came at the end of his career. 1986 marked a career-high for him with 12 touchdowns that season. One of his most memorable games came early that year when the Jets faced off against Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins at Giants Stadium. The two rivals engaged in a shootout that afternoon, and Walker caught four of his touchdown passes, one tying the game and one winning it in overtime as the Jets topped their divisional mates by the score of 51-45.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice. His receiving yards (8,306) and touchdowns (71) are both good for second in franchise history.
1. Don Maynard
It's hard to argue with this guy being at the top of this list.
Don Maynard was drafted by the New York Giants in 1958. After one year in the NFL and then one in the CFL, Maynard became the first member of AFL's New York team, known as the Titans until 1963. After it was all said and done, Maynard was one of 20 players to play in the AFL for its entire 10 years of existence, and one of seven to play their entire AFL career with one team.
His first year in New York proved to be one of his best. The year was 1960 and Maynard caught 72 passes for 1,265 yards and six touchdowns. That year he went over 100 yards five times, and went over 170 yards twice. That was the start of a 13-year career that put Maynard at the top of the team's list in receiving yards (11,732) and touchdowns (88).
Maynard hit the prime of his career in 1965, which happened to coincide with the arrival of Joe Namath. Over the next four seasons, Maynard posted double-digit touchdowns in three of those seasons. In 1965, he led the AFL with 14 touchdowns. In 1967, Maynard was tops in receiving yards (1,434) and yards per game (102.4). He again led in yards per game (99.4) as well as yards per reception (22.8) in 1968.
In the 1968 AFL Championship Game, Maynard played a huge part in taking the Jets to the Super Bowl. That afternoon at Shea Stadium, Maynard caught six passes for 118 yards and two very big touchdowns. The first opened the scoring, and the second proved to be the game winner. He led them off to Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts, and we all know what happened that day.
He was selected to the Pro Bowl four times and first team All-Pro once. He's a member of the Hall of Fame and the only choice for the top spot on this list.
