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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EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ – NOVEMBER 17: Defensive lineman Joe Klecko of the New York Jets looks on from the sideline during a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Giants Stadium on November 17, 1985, in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Jets defeated the Bucs 62-28. (Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images) /

DL Joe Klecko (1977-87)

Perhaps the most underrated defensive lineman in football history, Joe Klecko was a no-brainer inclusion on the Jets’ Mount Rushmore. Klecko was a sixth-round pick out of Temple in 1977, but he quickly earned a roster spot.

In his rookie year, Klecko made an immediate impact, fitting right in on the defensive line with Abdul Salaam. The pair took off when they were joined by Mark Gastineau and Marty Lyons, forming the New York Sack Exchange, which terrorized opposing defenses in the early 1980s.

Gastineau drew all the praise for setting the NFL sack record, but Klecko was the group’s most important player. Klecko was named the AFC’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1981 and was a four-time Pro Bowler.

That last stat may not seem super impressive, but Klecko actually made his Pro Bowls at three different positions: defensive tackle, defensive end, and nose tackle. Frank Gifford is the only other player in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl at that many positions.

Despite Klecko’s versatility and recognition from offensive linemen at the time of his brilliance, the Hall of Fame has repeatedly snubbed Klecko. The Jets retired his number early on and the team’s fans still argue to this day that Klecko’s absence from the Hall of Fame is one of the biggest signs of disrespect for the franchise in NFL history.

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