Countdown to Camp: 66
As we look ahead to training camp in late July, we're going to take a daily retrospective look back at some random people, moments and games from Jets history...
The Current 66
Mychealon Thomas is an undrafted rookie from Texas Tech who'll be competing for time on the defensive interior this offseason. Realistically, his best chance is to play well enough in preseason that the team sees the potential in him and carries him on the practice squad. However, he should get a lot of reps if healthy.
The Greatest
With the nickname of Mr. Jet, Randy Rasmussen was a long-term stalwart on the Jets' offensive line. His 15-year career spanned the Joe Namath Super Bowl team of the late 60's and the birth of the Sack Exchange in the early 80's. Not bad value for a 12th round pick.
Rasmussen leads the way for a last-minute game-winning touchdown here:
The other 66's
Willie Colon, Alan Faneca, Pete Kendall...
The '66 season
Still a few years away from being a contender, the 1966 Jets finished up with a 6-6-2 record, although they fell apart after entering week six with an unbeaten record (4-0-1).
Running backs Matt Snell and Emerson Boozer, wide receiver George Sauer, guard Sherman Plunkett, defensive end Verlon Biggs and linebacker Larry Grantham were all AFL all-stars.
Sauer had a thousand yard season, while Snell had 990 yards from scrimmage and eight scores. Cornerback Johnny Sample paced the team with six interceptions.
66 as a rookie
Undrafted rookie Wayne Chrebet exploded onto the scene in 1995 with a 66-catch season. Over a decade later, he had established himself as a fan favorite and still stands second in team history in pass receptions and third in yards and touchdown catches.
Here he is in action:
Let us know if there's any connections to 66 that we missed...