New York Jets all-time Mount Rushmore

EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - SEPTEMBER 08: Retired NFL Player Joe Namath on the field during the first quarter at a game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 08, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – NOVEMBER 7, 1965: Wide receiver Don Maynard #13 of the New York Jets catches a touchdown pass in front of defensive back Fred Williamson #24 of the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter of a game on November 7, 1965, at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. JV00439 (Photo by John Vawter Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images) /

WR Don Maynard (1960-72)

The AFL turned into a proving ground for many elite players and Don Maynard was no exception. Maynard was a ninth-round draft pick of the New York Giants in 1958, but he wasn’t given much of a chance to succeed there.

That changed in the AFL, when the New York Titans signed Maynard as their first-ever player. Maynard would make an immediate impact, teaming with Art Powell to become the first teammates to each go over 1,000 yards receiving in a single season.

Things went to another level for Maynard in 1965 when the Jets drafted Joe Namath out of Alabama. The pair formed an immediate connection, with Namath throwing 14 of his 22 touchdowns to Maynard in his rookie year.

Maynard was an integral part of the Jets’ first title-winner in 1968, catching 57 passes for 1,297 yards and 10 touchdowns during the regular season. Namath hooked up with Maynard six more times in the playoffs for 118 yards as the Jets topped the Oakland Raiders and Baltimore Colts to become pro football champions.

Maynard departed in 1972 as the Jets’ all-time leader in catches (627), receiving yards (11,732) and touchdowns (88), marks that still stand to this day. The Jets have since retired Maynard’s no. 13 and he was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

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