None should be retired unless they get in the Hall. If I had to pick a few, in order I'd pick: Wayne Chrebet Al Toon Dennis Byrd Freeman McNiel Erik McMillian
I think Wayne will be, eventually. Has there every been a player (other than Namath) so loved by the fans like him? He put up great numbers with Jets and spent his entire career with them and was always the hardest worker on the team. I can't see anyone wearing #80 again.
It should be retired because he finished his career as the 4th all-time leading rusher and was a high character player. Are you aware of some of the numbers that have been retired? Here are some notable ones (compare these to Martin's 28 being retired by the Jets someday): Seahawks- 12 (fans/the 12th man) Saints- 31 (Jim Taylor- played bulk of career with Packers) Saints- 81 (Doug Atkins- played bulk of career with Bears) Lions- 85 (Chuck Hughes) Cardinals- 88 (J.V. Cain) Titans- 43 (Jim Norton) Patriots- 89 (Bob Dee) Patriots- 79 (Jim Hunt) Patriots- 57 (Steve Nelson) Chiefs- 36 (Mack Lee Hill) Chiefs- 33 (Stone Johnson) Broncos- 18 (Frank Tripucka) Browns- 46 (Don Fleming) Bengals- 54 (Bob Johnson) Browns- 45 (Ernie Davis) Note: some of the above players died during their playing careers, hence the retiring of their numbers. However, with the other players, along with more I did not post did not accomplish half as much as what Martin accomplished in the NFL.
The player's jerseys that should be retired by the Jets are Curtis Martin, Dennis Byrd, Winston Hill and Larry Grantham. Close but no cigar would be Joe Fields, Freeman McNeil, Wesley Walker, and Wayne Chrebet. A SB victory by the Michaels/Walton Jets may have been the ticket for Fields, McNeil, and Walker (longevity and a few pro bowls). Chrebet was a hustler, fan favorite and solid player, but a tad short on stats and remember he was mostly a 3rd receiver, albeit a good one. Martin will be a Hall of Famer, Hill was an all-pro like eight times, similar numbers for Grantham and Byrd should have his number retired also, not so much for the numbers of his tragically shortened career, but for his grit and determination in beating paralyisis and the hope and inspiration he gave not only to us fans but disabled people everywhere. A class act who should be treated as such....
Obviously Curtis will have his jersey retired aybe within the next 5 years. I don't think the organization will waste too much time for that. I'm surprised that Wesley Walker's name wasn't metioned as he is probably the 2nd greatest WR this franchise has had and certainly although it ain't happenin Mickey Shuler and Lance Mehl are legit names as well.
Curtis and basically that is it. I can not see any other player in the last few years being worthy of having a Jersey retired. Curtis is the only sure fire HOF'er. If another Jet was selected to make the HF maybe but I can not see anyone else in the near future making it.
Martin is going to the hall and will be retired without a doubt. I think any long term Jets lifer should be considered. Chrebet and Lewis should receive consideration.
If that was the criteria then we wouldn't have any retired #s and Weeb wouldn't be honored either. Namath, Maynard and Klecko all played for teams besides the Jets as well. As long as the players best years were w/ the jets and they were here a bulk of their career they should be eligible. If it's a case where they spent 3-4 years here and 6 somewhere else then I agree they wouldn't deserve it no matter how good they were ut Curtis is a Jet and always will be, he spent 8 years here compared to 3 in NE. Wayne doesn't deserve it but he's a fan favorite and I understand why people would mention him, Toon was reat but areer was cut short, Byrd for obvious reasons, McNeil was grat but hurt BUT Erik McMillan????? Come on:lol: Wayne didn't put up great #s(neither did Namath but he won a SB), retiring #s is not a popularity contest, Wayne was a good player for us but he was never great and no way should his # be retired. A day in his honor? Absolutely, a retired #? No way. Other teams criteria dhouldn't mean anything. Curtis deserves his # retired b/c he earned it not b/c other teams retired lesser players #s.
If Gastineau had not retired/quit on the team in the middle of the season, and had finished out another year or two, he would've been a candidate for the wall. He would've finished with the alltime record in sacks. To hang Klecko's jersey alone is really only telling half of the story of the 80's Jets. Klecko was a great player and deserving of all his accolades, but the truth is, (much like Keyshawn and Chrebet) it was the two of them that made each other special.
I disagree. You get into the Hall based upon your on-field performance first, character second. If the Lions had a guy who was a mediocre WR but did wonders for controlling the pet population by offering free spay/neauter services, and he opened up a few free clinics, should he get in as well?
First of all, I didn't say anything about Dennis Byrd going into the Hall, I said the Jets should retire his number... Second of all, what does the scenerio of a Lions WR opening a free clinic to control pet populations (making Bob Barker very happy) have to do with football? Byrd was paralyzed playing football in front of the home fans and while his career was ended he managed to beat paralyisis - a feat in itself. I just think it would be a nice gesture on the Jets part. If not his number retired at least a plaque or statue or something.....
My mistake in thinking you said he would go to the Hall. As it relates to the injury on the field, what I was trying to convey was that what's happened off the field (Byrd working with foundations for those paralyzed) or my guy spaying and neutering animals, it's all secondary to football. True, he was hurt on the field, and retiring his # has a very "Rudy-esque" feel to it, but you only retire the # of the player who has actually proven himself as being a complete athlete, the kind of guy who comes around once in a lifetime- Byrd isn't it. If we retire Byrd's # wouldn't it come to reason that you just retire Chrebet's # because multiple concussions forced him from the game, and not even consider his in-game performance?
Keep in mind, the Jets have been hesitant to give any other players # 90 -I think Wiltz wore it for a couple of years after Byrd. While the Byrd and Chrebet situations are similar in a way, Byrd's was a little more traumatic. When someone mentions the game or the date only 11/29/92 - Dennis Byrd is the first thing you think of. With Chrebet it was a continuing thing...kind of like Toon. That's just my opinion anyway, for the record I doubt the Jets ever retire the number, I just think it would be nice......
You misrepresented what I wrote a bit. My opening sentence contained the reason I feel Martin's number should be retired.
Earlier in the thread I posted the names of several players who died during their playing careers and then had their numbers retired. Some of them never played a down in the NFL (Stone Johnson, Ernie Davis) and some were scrubs (Chuck Hughes). In that post I failed to indicate which of those players died during their careers. Those players are Chuck Hughes, J.V. Cain, Mack Lee Hill, Stone Johnson, Don Fleming, and Ernie Davis. (Jerome Brown is another guy who would apply here.) The other guys listed in that post (Jim Taylor, Doug Atkins, Jim Norton, Bob Dee, Jim Hunt, Steve Nelson, Frank Tripucka, and Bob Johnson) had full careers.
