Jets Icon Gerry Philbin, Super Bowl III Star, Dies at 83
Former New York Jets star Gerry Philbin died at age 83, the team announced Friday. His fierce play at defensive end led the Jets to their historic Super Bowl III victory. His…
Selective focus photo of the pylon and touchdown line on a football field. Low angle view from the end zone in an indoor stadium
Former New York Jets star Gerry Philbin died at age 83, the team announced Friday. His fierce play at defensive end led the Jets to their historic Super Bowl III victory.
His family confirmed per ESPN that dementia took his life.
On that unforgettable January day in 1969, Philbin's defense smothered the Baltimore Colts. The Jets snatched five turnovers in their shocking 16-7 win. Not once all season had the mighty Colts scored so few points.
Born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, he spent nine years with the Jets. From 1964 to 1972, he stepped onto the field 110 times. Although the NFL didn't track sacks back then, the Jets claim he took down quarterbacks 64.5 times, the fourth-best mark in team history.
After starring at the University of Buffalo for three years, the Detroit Lions picked him in round three of the 1964 NFL draft. Yet he chose the Jets and the upstart AFL.
His skills shone bright in New York. He made the All-AFL team twice, and in 2011, the Jets put his name in their Ring of Honor, where it glows today.
That Super Bowl win changed everything. It showed the AFL could beat the NFL's best. Within a year, the leagues became one.
When his time in New York ended, he played one final season. The Philadelphia Eagles gave him a home in 1973.
