New York Jets History

After watching their team make it to the second round of the AFC Playoffs in the 2004 season, New York fans are buying Jets tickets at a fever pace.  With 2004 rushing leader Curtis Martin in the backfield and the return of wide receiver Laveranues Coles, Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands is sure to be packed for every home game, as the New York Jets look to continue their winning ways in 2005.  Quarterback Chad Pennington’s shoulder injury is still a major problem for the team, but veteran Vinny Testaverde has signed on with his former team and promises to show opposing defenses that, as the fourth oldest quarterback ever to start an NFL game, he still has what it takes to win.

The Jets began their history in 1960 as the Titans of New York in the American Football League.  After a dismal opening and near bankruptcy, they were bought in 1969 by a group, including Sonny Werblin and Leon Hess, and renamed the New York Jets.  Weeb Ewbank was named head coach and shortly thereafter in 1965 the great Joe Namath signed on as quarterback.  In 1967, Namath became the first quarterback in professional football to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season. Two years later in 1969, Broadway Joe led the Jets to Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts.  During the week before the game, Namath famously guaranteed Jets ticket holders a Super Bowl victory, despite the popular belief that the Jets, along with the AFL as a whole, were inferior to the NFL teams.  Namath made good on his promise and shocked the world when the Jets upset the Colts 16-7.

The team enjoyed only occasional success after Super Bowl III, but more often than not slipped into mediocrity until Bill Parcells arrived as head coach in 1996.   Parcells quickly added wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson with the first overall pick in the draft.  Free agents Curtis Martin and Vinny Testaverde were signed the next season, and the Jets began to look like the Jets of the glory days of 1969.  In the 1997 season, Testaverde threw 29 touchdowns, Martin ran for 1,287 yards, and Johnson and Wayne Chrebet both had more than 1,000 yards in receiving.  Jets ticket holders were heartbroken as their team was knocked out of the playoffs in the AFC Championship game against the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.  Parcells stepped down as head coach after the 1999 season.  Herman Edwards took over the head-coaching job with the Jets in 2001 and immediately took the Jets to the playoffs.  In 2002, after an injury to Testaverde, Chad Pennington was named the starting quarterback and lead the Jets to the AFC East title.  Unfortunately, Pennington was injured in a 2003 pre-season game and has struggled ever since. 

Jets fans are undeterred, however.  Curtis Martin, despite his age, is an explosive runner and a powerful weapon for the Jets.  Martin has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first 10 seasons, a feat shared with only Hall of Famer Barry Sanders.  With one more 1,000-yard season, Martin will be the only professional football player to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his first 11 years in the league.  He entered the 2005 NFL season fourth on the all-time rushing yardage list.  With the return of Vinny Testaverde to the team, New York Jets ticket holders expect to see the “old-timers” return to their past form and take the Jets all the way to the playoffs once more.

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