8 Most Unlikely Stars in New York Jets History

Many have walked onto the NFL draft stage as the newest addition to the New York Jets franchise, heralded as the second coming of Joe Namath, Curtis Martin or Mark Gastineau.

History has proven, though, that the most famous Jets of all time have been, more often than not, the most unpolished diamonds in the rough.

Here is a quick look at eight of the greatest Jets players ever to put on the hunter and white, that Gang Green never saw coming.

Vinny Testaverde

An 11-year veteran journeyman before even stepping foot in the Metropolis, Vinny Testaverde would find new life as a member of the Jets organization in 1998.

Under the guidance of legendary coach Bill Parcells, Testaverde led the Jets to a 12-4 record, an AFC East title and the Jets' first appearance in an AFC Championship game in 30 years.

Testaverde and Company accomplished these feats just two seasons after the Jets logged an embarrassing 1-15 performance in 1996.

A torn Achilles tendon early in the 1999 season abruptly ended a Jets push to repeat their 1998 success, and while Testaverde would return for the Jets in 2000, they were unable to repeat their unexpected '98 run.

Wayne Chrebet

Standing all of 5’10” and 188 pounds, the little man from Hofstra may go down in Jets history as one of, if not the greatest Jet ever to play the game.

For all of Wayne Chrebet’s incredible contributions to the Jets organization during his decade in the Meadowlands, it is hard to fathom that the superstar that should never have been was undrafted by any NFL team in 1995.

It is truly a story made for television.

The future two-time Jet of the Year arrived at Jets training camp in 1995 as a walk-on, only to be restrained by training camp security guards, who were not convinced Chrebet could even be a football player.

While Chrebet may have not looked the part of the prototypical professional football player, he undoubtedly performed like one of the best.

His 6,526 receiving yards and 39 touchdowns in his first eight seasons in New York remain among the best in team history.

Joe Klecko

A member of the vaunted New York Sack Exchange of the early 1980s, the 144th selection in the 1977 draft from Temple University was perhaps the most versatile defender in Jets history.

The ability to shift (and perform well) from nose tackle to an end alignment, and then again to three-technique, shows a level of flexibility and versatility that not even today’s defensive linemen possess.

Joe Klecko played every one of those unique positions and became a four-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time first-team All-Pro while doing so.

Klecko amassed 6.5 sacks as a three-tech in 1983 and 7.5 sacks as a nose in 1985.

Mo Lewis

Another Jets defender found late in the NFL draft, former Georgia Bulldog Mo Lewis was selected by Gang Green in the third round of the 1991 draft and continued on to a standout 13-year career with the Jets.

Like many of his counterparts on this list, Lewis’ performance on the field was often overshadowed by a lackluster Jets team that did not finish the season with a strong record.

Lewis became synonymous with great, consistent play at linebacker, amassing 52.5 sacks during his time with the Jets, including a 1994 campaign that saw Big Mo on the receiving end of four interceptions and two touchdowns in addition to his respectable six sacks and a team-high 10 sacks in 2000.

Don Maynard

The sad fact of the matter for Jets fans is that there are few alumni of their beloved franchise enshrined in Canton.

The visage of eight former members of Gang Green currently reside in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and half of those eight (Ronnie Lott, Art Monk, Bulldog Turner and John Riggins) are there primarily for their more notable play with other teams.

Don Maynard, however, is a tried and true Jets legend.

Selected as a lowly ninth-round pick in the 1957 NFL draft by the Giants, Maynard quickly made the move to the AFL and the Jets, while amassing one of the most influential careers in team history.

The former four-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro was instrumental in the Jets' run to Super Bowl III, catching six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns in the AFL championship.

Maynard racked up five seasons of over 1,000 receiving yards, including a 1967 campaign that saw him catch 71 passes for 1,434 yards and a 102.4 receiving-yards-per-game average.

Laveranues Coles

It is one thing to be a great Jets player.

You overcome the stigma of a team that has been snake-bitten for almost a half-century. You become a standout performer on a team that more often than not behaves like quicksand, pulling you down more, the harder you struggle.

It is a completely different achievement to overcome the Jets curse on three different occasions.

Taken by the Jets with the 78th pick in the 2000 draft, Coles would return to the Jets after being cast aside on two different occasions in 2003 and 2010.

True, the Jets sacrificed Coles before opening day in 2010 to make roster space for the returning Darrell Revis, but Coles’ performance during the preseason camp documented in the HBO series Hard Knocks, showed that Coles may have had the talent to get the job done one more time.

Coles amassed over 8,600 receiving yards during his 11 seasons as a pro, with the vast majority of these yards coming as a Jet. Coles became a favored target for quarterback Chad Pennington, connecting with Pennington for 16 touchdowns and 2,400 yards in three seasons as a tandem.

Leon Washington

The explosive power that Leon Washington gave the Jets special team forces over his three complete seasons made the former 117th selection in the 2006 draft invaluable to their cause.

Washington’s ability to tilt a football field with his incredible kick and punt returns, and his intermittent contributions as a tailback, allowed Washington to be an overlooked weapon in the Jets' arsenal.

Jerricho Cotchery

Not only is Jerricho Cotchery one of the two active players to make this list, he may be the only one that would be welcomed back with open arms today.

The former member of the N.C. State Wolfpack did not find a home in the 2004 draft until late in the fourth round, but Cotchery’s contribution to the Jets organization since 2004 are some that this current Jets incarnation sorely needs.

In spite of several nagging lower-body injuries in the 2010 season, the emotional leader of the Jets offense often took the field hobbled and slowed by pain, but completed some of the most inspirational plays the Jets have seen in ages.

Cotchery was often ignored by opposing defenses as his time in New York came to an end, often allowing him to find small creases and open spaces on the field and providing young Mark Sanchez with a security blanket as the Jets moved the ball.

Cotchery always seemed to play a secondary role to whomever the Jets considered the primary receiver, not named Jerricho, at the time.

Whether it was Coles, or Braylon Edwards, or even Santonio Holmes, Jerricho never received the accolades his desire and determination deserved.

Other than the rarest of late-season targets, Cotchery certainly did not fare any better this past season in Pittsburgh, only catching 16 passes for 237 yards, the lowest numbers since his rookie season.

I do believe that while he may be one of the most unheralded Jets stars in recent team history, he is one member on this list who needs to make one more trip home.