Klecko Stops by Camp for a Visit

Klecko Stops by Camp for a Visit


On February 4, 2006, the National Football League’s Hall of Fame Board of Selectors met in Detroit and elected the Class of 2006. Six irrefutable legends of the gridiron were chosen to join the Canton fraternity of eternal eminence and were enshrined in August. Names like Harry Carson, Troy Aikman, John Madden and Reggie White are now set in stone as some of football’s greatest, but the name Joe Klecko was set aside once again.

Klecko was listed as one of the 112 Hall of Fame nominees, yet didn’t make the 25 player semi-final cut. Now 18 years out of the league, Klecko has come to terms with the voters’ judgment. For him, the prestigious honor would certainly be one to remember, but the decision is nothing to lament.

“I don’t relish the thought of the Hall of Fame - never. I don’t lose much sleep over it,” said Klecko who is a representative of construction factories in New York City. “If it does happen, that will be wonderful and it will be a fantastic thing. It would really be great for my family and the kids. My young guys have never seen me play, so that would be great.”

Just a minimal glance at Klecko’s tale of the tape makes his HOF omission a tough pill to swallow. The Temple alum currently stands as the only defensive player in League history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at three different positions: defensive end, defensive tackle, and nose tackle.

Paul Zimmerman (“Dr. Z”), the renowned Sports Illustrated columnist and member of the HOF Selection Board, has been an avid supporter of a Klecko enshrinement since day one.

“I have been in Joe Klecko’s corner ever since he became eligible for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame,” Zimmerman told newyorkjets.com in 2004. “As a selector, I have spoken on his behalf every time his name has come up, which believe me, has not been often enough.”

Even after a career that included 761 tackles and 77.5 sacks (the second-most in team history) in 140 regular season games, Klecko is still hesitant when asked if he personally feels he belongs in the HOF.

“It is based on what you did,” Klecko said, referring to his thoughts on the selection process. “I believe the one thing that I did was played in three different positions - I have never seen anybody accomplish it or do well with it. I think it’s an accomplishment that not too many are going to reach.”

While the invite to Canton remains undated, unsealed and unsent, Klecko still has one particular honor that can closely relate to that of a HOF induction. In 2004, he became just the third player in Jets’ history to have his jersey retired. Klecko’s number 73 was hung alongside Joe Namath’s 12, Don Maynard’s 13 and coaching great Weeb Ewbank’s jacket.

“There is no way that they had to do what they did to retire my jersey, but they did do it. That shows that they have a lot of class,” he said. “They didn’t really know me because I didn’t have much to do with the people that are here now. I think the organization now has taken it that much further.”

The Jets front office and organization is not the only group to truly embrace and distinguish their hero. The fans fell in love with the famous “New York Sack Exchange,” one of the most celebrated defensive battalions in NFL history. Klecko, who lined up alongside Abdul Salaam, Mark Gastineau and Marty Lyons, led the fearsome foursome in 1981 with a league-leading 20.5 sacks, his first Pro Bowl selection, and consensus NFL Player of the Year honors.

“The one thing you knew about Joe Klecko is that when it was game day, you didn’t worry about anything. I always came to play,” Klecko said. “I was a guy you wanted to stand shoulder to shoulder with and you relied on. I may have not made all the friends in the world, but I came to play on Sunday and coaches never worried about me.”

Klecko and the Jets made a switch to a 3-4 arrangement in 1985, pushing him to the nose tackle position for the first time and he totaled a team-high 96 tackles. Ironically, the 3-4 setup is making headway in the media nowadays, with Eric Mangini planning to stress the alignment more in his first year as Jets head coach.

In no surprise, Klecko is a fan of the first year coach and was in attendance at last Wednesday afternoon’s training camp session. Both Mangini and Klecko are straightforward, blue-collar type guys who embody focus, work ethic, and authority.

“Discipline is the only thing that will make things work and he’s been with two guys - Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick – who have proven that,” Klecko said, after signing hundreds of autographs at the Jets Shop Tent at Hofstra. “Discipline is the only way to make it work. Discipline is what you absolutely need - I agree with that 100%.”


^ 17a's Uncle :lol:

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