10 biggest snubs from the Pro Football Hall of Fame

6. Hall of Fame snubs: Joe Klecko

A Pro Bowler at three different positions. Enough said.

It didn’t matter what the defensive front looked like for the New York Jets. Be it the four-man “Sack Exchange” when Abdul Salaam and Marty Lyons manned the inside and he and Mark Gastineau and brought the heat from the end spots. Or inside at either defensive tackle or nose tackle in the 3-4. And there’s at least one member of the Hall in Canton who believes a certain sixth-round draft choice in 1977 from Temple University deserves some recognition.

“I think it’s time for Joe Klecko to get that nod. I really believe that,” said former Raiders’ defensive end, Howie Long, to the Jets official website in 2019. “This is not something I’ve been saying over the last four or five years. It’s something I said in the year 2000 when I was inducted. I am a big believer in his impact on the game, and that he was dominant, and that he did it at three different positions is pretty remarkable.”

In 12 NFL seasons, the first 11 with the New York Jets and the last with the Indianapolis Colts, Klecko made his presence felt to the tune of four Pro Bowl nods and All-Pro recognition in 1981 and ’85.