JETS HISTORY

1959 On August 14, New York City is granted an AFL Charter franchise. December 18th, Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh was hired to be the first coach of the New York franchise.

1960 In early 1960, owner Harry Wismer announced that his team would wear blue and gold and be known as the New York Titans. He also signed a skinny wide receiver out of Texas Western, Don Maynard. On September 11th, Titans beat Buffalo 27-3 in their first game played at the Polo Grounds. They finished the season 7-7.

1961 On December 2nd, after another 7-7 campaign, the Titans drafted University of Minnesota quarterback Sandy Stephens.

1962 Titans began the season with a new head coach, Clyde Turner and a new quarterback, Lee Grosscup. The Titans finished in last place with a record of 5-9.

1963 On March 28th, a five-man syndicate that included Leon Hess, purchased the New York franchise for 1 million dollars. On April 15th of that same year, the new ownership announced that Weeb Ewbank, former coach of the Baltimore Colts, was hired as the new head coach and that the team will now be known as the New York Jets. September 22nd, Jets defeat Houston 24-17 for the first victory under Weeb Ewbank and the new ownership. In that game, Marshall Starks electrified the Polo Grounds crowd with an AFL record 97-yeard TD return of a missed field goal. On November 24, 1963, the game was cancelled on day of national mourning for President John F. Kennedy. Jets shutout Kansas City on December 1, 17-0, for first shutout in franchise history. Jets end season in last place with a 5-8-1 record. Jets signed their first number one pick, Ohio State RB Matt Snell.

1964 On September 12, 1964, Jets defeated Denver 30-6 in their first game at Shea Stadium. 60,300 fans showed on November 8th, the first sellout at Shea and watched the Bills defeat the Jets 20-7. Matt Snell was honored as the AFL Rookie of the Year

1965 On January 2, 1965, the Jets signed rookie QB Joe Namath to a contract worth $427,000. Joe Namath started his first game for the Jets on September 26th. Namath threw for 287 yards and 2 TD's, but the Jets were defeated 33-21 by the Bills. Joe Namath was voted AFL Rookie of the Year.

1966 On June 8, 1966, the AFL and NFL agreed to merge and to play a world championship following the 1966 season. Pete Rozelle was named commissioner of the NFL. Jets finished the season 6-6-2.

1967 Jets sold out all seven home games on the way to setting an AFL attendance record of 437,036. They finished the season 8-5-1.

1968 On November 17, 1968, with the Jets leading the Raiders 32-29 and 1:05 remaining in the game, NBC cut to the children's special "Heide" and missed one of the great come from behind victories. The Raiders scored two touchdowns in the final 42 seconds to defeat the Jets 43-32. Jets defeated
Oakland 27-23 for their first AFL title on December 29th. Joe Namath passed for 3 touchdowns. On January 12,1969, the Jets became the first AFL team to win the Super Bowl by beating the heavily favored Colts 16-7. Weeb Ewbank became the first coach to win titles in both leagues and Joe Namath was chosen Super Bowl MVP. The Jets finished the 1968 season with a record of 11-3.

1969 Joe Namath's short-lived retirement from pro football ended after he resolved a dispute about his ownership of a Manhattan bar by selling the bar. On December 20, 1969, Jets were defeated 13-6 in the playoffs by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. The Jets completed the season with a record of 10-4.

1970 The Jets and Giants played their first regular season game on November 1st. The Giants pulled out a 22-10 victory. The Jets ended the season 4-10.

1971 The Namath to Sauer era ended as the all-pro receiver, George Sauer, announced his retirement on April 16, 1971. They finished their season 6-8.

1972 On September 24th, Namath passed for 496 yards and six touchdowns as the Jets defeated the Colts 44-34. Jets set club-rushing record of 333 yards as they defeated the Patriots 41-13 on October 15th. John Riggins (168 yards) and Emerson Boozer (150 yards) became the first tandem in history to hit the 150-yard mark in a game. On Dec. 11, 1972, Don Maynard's 632nd reception made him professional football's all-time leading receiver. They finished the season 7-7.

1973 The Jets played their first six games on the road because the Mets were playing in the World Series. Ewbank finished his coaching career with a 4-10 season, a career record of 71-77-6, and a Super Bowl victory.

1974 Charley Winners' squad ended the season with a six-game winning streak to finish the season 7-7.

1975 On December 21st, John Riggins became the first Jet to surpass the 1,000-yard barrier. The Jets finished the season 3-11.

1976 Lou Holtz became the new head coach on February 10th. The Jets drafted University of Alabama quarterback Richard Todd. After a disappointing 3-11 season Lou Holtz resigned to return to college coaching.

1977 Walt Michaels was named head coach on January 5, 1977. Joe Namath was put on waivers and eventually signed with the Rams. Leon Hess became the CEO of the Jets. They finished the season 3-11.

1978 On February 27th, the Jets unveiled new uniforms and a new logo. The youngest team in the NFL finished the season 8-8. Walt Michaels was named AFC Coach of the Year.

1979 Jets finished the season with an 8-8 record.

1980 Richard Todd completed an NFL record 42 passes in a game. The Jets finished the season 4-12.

1981 On December 20, 1981, Jets clinched their first playoff berth since 1969 with a 10-5 record. Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau, the heart and soul of the New York Sack Exchange, finished 1-2 in the NFL with 20  and 20 sacks, respectively.

1982 Freeman McNeil finished the strike-shortened season as the first Jet to lead the NFL in rushing. He averaged 5.2 yards per carry and ran for 786 yards on 151 carries. On January, 23, 1983, Dolphins defeated the Jets in the AFC championship game 14-0. Walt Michaels retired and the following day, Joe Walton was hired as the new head coach on February 9th. The Jets finished the season with a losing record of 7-9.

1983 Joe Walton's first season ended with a 7-9 record. Marvin Powell, Mark Gastineau and Joe Klecko were selected to play in the Pro Bowl.

1984 Leon Hess assumed full ownership of the Jets. The Jets' season ended with a record of 7-9. Mark Gastineau culminated a great individual season by winning the MVP award at the Pro Bowl. Joe Klecko and Freeman McNeil played with Gastineau in Hawaii.

1985 On January 29th, Joe Namath became the first Jet elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His number "12" was the first Jet number to be retired. Jets lost 26-14 to the Patriots in the playoffs. They ended the regular season 11-5.

1986 Jets finish the season 10-6 after beginning the season 10-1. They defeated the Chiefs 35-15 in the Wild Card game on December 28th. The Jets suffered a tough double-overtime, playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns 23-20.

1987 On January 27th, Don Maynard became only the second Jet to ever be elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Al Toon, the AFC leading receiver, was named to a starting spot in the Pro Bowl. Jets finished the season with a record of 6-9.

1988 Erik McMillan was elected the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after leading the league with 8 interceptions. The Jets finished the season 8-7-1.

1989 Joe Walton was dismissed as head coach on December 26th. The Jets finished the season with a record of 4-12.

1990 Bruce Coslet was announced as the new head coach on February 6th. The Jets finished the season 6-10.

1991 Jets defeated by Houston in the AFC Wild Card game 17-10. The Jets record for the season was 8-8.

1992 After suffering another concussion, Al Toon announced his retirement on November 27th. On November 29th, Dennis Byrd was partially paralyzed in a freak collision with a teammate. The season ended with a record of 4-12.

1993 On February 12th, with the aid of two canes, Byrd walked into a press conference to announce his intention to return to Oklahoma and continue his rehabilitation. On March 8th, Jets signed free agent Ronnie Lott. QB Boomer Esiason was traded to the Jets on March 17th. Freeman McNeil retired after a stellar 12 - year career April 21st, 1993. The Jets finished the season 8-8.

1994 Pete Carroll was hired as the new head coach on January 7th. The Jets finished the season 6-10.

1995 Rich Kotite replaced Pete Carroll as head coach on January 5th. They finished with a miserable record of 3-13.

1996 The Jets signed quarterback Neil O'Donnell on February 28th. On April 20th the Jets selected WR Keyshawn Johnson as first pick in the NFL Draft. Rich Kotite resigned as head coach after the team finished the season 1-15.

1997 Bill Parcells replaced Rich Kotite as head coach. Aaron Glenn became the first cornerback in Jets history to be named a starter in the Pro Bowl. The Jets ended the season 9-7. It was their first winning record in 9 years.

1998 On February 3rd, the Jets announced that the team would return to using their original logo and uniforms. On June 24th, Vinny Testaverde signed with the Jets and fulfilled his lifetime dream of playing with the Jets. The Jets were defeated 23-10 by the Denver Broncos in the AFC championship game. They finished the season 12-4.

1999 After coming off a great season, the Jets were expected to be a powerhouse coming out of the East. Riddled with injury, the Jets were not the Super Bowl contenders that everyone expected. Although they ended the season on a high note, winning their last 4 games, the Jets missed the playoffs and ended the season with an 8-8 record.

2000 Getting off to a 4-0 start, the Jets looked to be a powerhouse in the AFC East early on in the season. With some amazing fourth-quarter comebacks, the luck was on their for the first half of the season as they completed the first eight games with a 6-2 record. It didn't take long for their luck to run out as the Jets had control of their own fate needing only to win just one of three reamining games in their regular season schedule to make the playoffs. The Jets lost all three and ended another disapointing season with a record of 9-7. After the season was over, and after just one year with the team, head coach AL Groh decided not to return as coach for the Jets in 2001. Also leaving the team was the team's legendary General Manager, Bill Parcells, who was quickly replaced by Terry Bradway. Bradway and the Jets waisted no time in hiring Tampa Bay assistant coach Herman Edwards to fill the coaching position.

2001 The Jets, led by first year coach Herman Edwards, performed admirably with a 10-6 record and reached the playoffs for the first time since 1999. During the regular season, the Jets recorded a team record seven victories away from home. Those wins were a result of several terrific individual performances. The most notable member on the team was running back Curtis Martin, who posted career numbers which included rushing for over 1,500 yards while picking up his third team MVP award as well as his third invitation to the Pro Bowl. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw 15 touchdowns on the season, engineered five fourth quarter comeback wins and capped off the year with a three touchdown effort against the Raiders to propel the Jets into the playoffs. Although the defensive unit was shaky at the beginning of the season, defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell turned his defense into a formidable group in the final 10 weeks. Led by Pro Bowl defensive end John Abraham, the defense allowed just five touchdowns, forced 20 turnovers and recorded 21 sacks during that time. After a solid regular season, the Jets took on the Oakland Raiders in the first round of the playoffs. Unfortunately, the Jets were defeated by a score of 38-24 to end their promising season. With a solid nucleus of players and coaches returning next season, greater success seems to be in the Jets' forecast in the upcoming year.

2002 The Jets season did not look promising after a disappointing 1-4 record at the beginning of the season. Ironically, the turning point of the season came when seldom-used backup quarterback Chad Pennington replaced the injured Vinny Testaverde in Week Five and helped spark the Jets to an AFC East division title. Pennington had a stupendous year, throwing for 3,120 yards and 22 touchdowns, while leading the Jets to win 9 of their last 12 games including a 41-0 win over the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. Curtis Martin led the Jets ground game and had his eighth straight 1,000-yard season while also rushing for seven touchdowns. The primary benefactor of Pennington’s emergence was Laveranues Coles who emerged as the Jet’s most potent receiver by amassing 1,204 yards as well as 5 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, defensive end John Abraham picked up exactly where he left off last year and led the club with ten sacks and was selected to the 2003 Pro Bowl along with center Kevin Mawae. A solid foundation has been laid and the club should have most of its core nucleus returning for 2003. Perhaps most importantly, the franchise has found their quarterback and receiver of the future in Pennington and Coles, both of whom should provide Jets fans with much excitement and big plays for years to come.

2003 After consecutive trips to the postseason, the New York Jets had high expectations for 2003 but instead of making a playoff run, the Jets finished the season with a disappointing record of 6-10. Injuries plagued the Jets this season, but players refused to use that as a crutch. The Jets suffered no bigger injury than when quarterback Chad Pennington fell in a preseason game. Pennington would not re-join his teammates on the field until Game Seven in Philadelphia. New York Jets defensive end Shaun Ellis and center Kevin Mawae were able to play well enough to represent the American Football Conference in this season's Pro Bowl. Improvements to the defense and the addition of a big receiver to compliment the exciting Santana Moss are necessary if the Jets hope to contend for the AFC Championship next season. The Jets own the 12th pick in the NFL Draft.

2004 After finishing last season with a 6-10 record, the Jets underwent a drastic turnover (particularly on the defensive side of the ball) and improved to 10-6. The Jets bettered their record by four games, tying the club’s fourth-best season-to-season improvement. The 2004-05 season also marked the third time the team has gone from being out of the playoffs one season and into the Big Dance the next season. In addition, Head Coach Herman Edwards became the first coach in Jets’ history to direct the team to the playoffs in three out of four seasons.

On the field, Pro Bowl RB Curtis Martin earned the crown as the NFL’s rushing king with 1,697 yards in 2004. Martin edged Seattle’s Shaun Alexander, 1,696 yards, by one yard in his quest for the mantle. Martin’s accomplishment represents the second time in the history of the franchise that a Jet has accomplished the feat, with the only other time occurring in 1982 when Freeman McNeil rushed for 786 yards in nine games in the strike-shortened campaign. Martin’s 1,697 yards were the most ever in a single-season by a Jet, surpassing his previous mark of 1,513 yards in 2001. Defensive end John Abraham was named to his third Pro Bowl in the last four years and center Kevin Mawae was named to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl.

After defeating the San Diego Chargers in a thrilling 20-17 victory in the AFC Wild-Card round, the Jets were not able to advance to the AFC Championship, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers by an overtime score of 17-20.

2005 Coming off of a promising 2004-05 season in which the Jets finished 10-6 on their way to an overtime loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Championship, the Jets faced an tumultuous 2005-06 season plagued by injuries and line-up inconsistencies. Starting quarterback Chad Pennington incurred a season-ending shoulder injury early in the season and backup quarterback Jay Fiedler was injured shortly thereafter leaving third-string quarterback Brooks Bollinger as the Jets starter for most of the season. The Jets finished the year with a disappointing 4–12 record, solidifying their spot in last place in the AFC Eastern Division. Despite their struggles, there were some bright spots for the Jets. Safety Ty Law was named to the NFL Pro Bowl with 10 interceptions and many of the Jets younger players, such as linebacker Jonathan Vilma, received much needed experience. During the offseason, the Jets will look to recover from their injuries and add new talent and depth through free agency and the draft with the 4th-overall selection.

2006 The 2006 New York Jets season marked the first for rookie head coach Eric Mangini, who led the Jets to an impressive 10-7 record (including victories in five of their final six games) and the team’s first playoff appearance in two years. Chad Pennington, having suffered an injury-plagued 2005 season, came back in 2006 to throw for 3352 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions on his way to winning the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Rookie Leon Washington surprised many by leading the Jets in rushing with 650 yards and stood out as the possible long-term replacement for future Hall-of-Famer Curtis Martin, who sat out the entire year with a knee injury. Laveranues Coles and Jerricho Cotchery led an outstanding receiving crew with 1,098 and 961 receiving yards, respectively. The lone Jets representative in the Pro Bowl is return-specialist Justin Miller, who returned two kickoffs back for touchdowns this season. Unfortunately, the Jets storybook season came up short as they fell in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the division-rival New England Patriots by a score of 37-16.