Can someone tell me a little bit about John Riggins, former Jet and SB MVP for the Redskins? Would need some of long time Jets fans to help out with some insight as this is before my time and he barely gets talked about with Jets fans I see he had a great start to his career, was Jets team MVP twice including his final year with us. Why didnt we make a bigger push to re-sign him? The guy made the freaking hall of fame, cant help but imagine he would have made a difference in the Mud Bowl. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Riggins DAT FRO!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rUlgf8pSPtQ Great piece on John Riggins. He says in the video that he felt like the No. 2 guy in town behind Joe Namath. Riggins wanted to be the No. 1 guy in NY, and couldn't be that with Namath. Also as a runningback, he wanted to run the ball more than pass it. But in the video you'll even see Emerson Boozer state that NY was a passing team.
another genius move by the jets....geez could u imagine riggins AND gastineau on the team at the same time.... riggins was slightly before my time becoming a fan. i remember my uncle mentioning his name a few times.
As with most things it was predominately about money why he didn't return. That one year there was actually true free agency just like today because of a court ruling which took away compensation for lost free agents. The Redskins swooped in at just the right time. Hindsight certainly shows it to be a bad move by the Jets but Riggins was definitely a fruit loop and the team didn't know what they were going to get from him (this coming from a huge fan of his). If he had resigned with the Jets I don't think he would've become a hall of famer, but that's just my opinion. Here's a bit more info http://www.redskins.com/news-and-ev...the-Jets/98291729-5667-4f73-81a2-54ecc3e58241
He was very uneven for the Jets - pretty much 4 yards and a cloud of dust - but had a couple of very good seasons. He was also somewhat injury-prone. The biggest issue the Jets had with him, however, was that he was a definite free spirit, and enjoyed thumbing his nose at the very conservative Weeb Ewbank. He showed up to camp once with a Mohawk to protest his contract: He hated losing, and wanted to get paid the way Namath was getting paid, and that wasn't going to happen (he wasn't going to get paid like a quarterback in any event, even though Namath's career was almost over), so he left as a free agent. If you don't like Revis' antics, you would have hated Riggins - he sat out an entire season in 1980 because he wanted more money. He actually had his best seasons even later, getting 38 touchdowns in 1983 and 1984, but he would have been long gone from the Jets at that point anyway.
Good article But Riggins is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame not only as a Redskin, but also as a member of the New York Jets. After the Jets drafted him in the first round out of Kansas in 1971, he played his first five seasons wearing green and white. The 6-2, 235-pound back, a rare combination of size, speed and power, led the Jets in rushing and receiving as a rookie. Injuries slowed his progress in the coming years. But in 1975, he logged 1,005 rushing yards, caught 30 passes for 363 and made the Pro Bowl for the first and only time in his career. This really hurts Upon retirement, he stood in the top five in all-time NFL rushing yards (11,352), carries (2,916) and touchdowns (104).
This pretty much sums it up - Riggins career with the Jets. One thing left out was that Riggins took himself out of that Dallas game in '75 sitting at 995 yards telling coaches he 'was done'. A front office stats guy had to come down to the bench and literally beg Riggins to get back in the game to get the 5 yards he needed to become the Jets first ever 1000 yard rusher. So it appears Riggins mind was already made up at that point to leave the team. Even if he had stayed I don't think he would of lasted another 10 seasons as he did with the Skins...
^This. I remember seeing that in a video as I read the OPs post and post #2 was the video i was thinking about. The jets have lost a lot of people who went on to be great afterwards but that happens to a lot of teams...it just seems to happen to the Jets more often. Riggins is tough to swallow, Keyshawn, Dave Foley, Moss, McKenzie, Abraham, and Vilma. All hard to see them have great careers after the Jets (although admittedly, I wasn't even born when Foley was drafted). The one that got away that still pisses me off to this day is James Farrior. Not that he's a spectacular player, but the fact that the Jets could have had stability at a linebacker position for 15 years...with a single pick. Same for Abraham except he's a baby like Revis when it came to the money.
You guys have to read this blog post on Riggins by this guy...Apparently he also thought him Riggins during the Mud Bowl http://infinitejets.blogspot.com/2010/05/ny-jets-44-john-riggins-contd.html
Curtis Martin: 14,101 yards; 3,518 carries; 90 TDs. Can't complain too much considering he is 4th all time. Combined net yards (17,421) was 10th all-time.
Good site. Nice find. Although I'm kinda pissed at you for making me waste another hour + at work...So thanks for that! lol
While I don't wish anything bad on anyone, here's hoping his injury prevents him from becoming the Revis of past form so finally the Jets look like they made the smart move...
I have a feeling that wherever Revis ends up during his career, that he will never win a Super Bowl. I know most people here will disagree with me, but he's gonna go for the money, not the supporting cast.
