On Tuesday the Jets announced that Super Bowl III hero Matt Snell has passed away. He was 84 years old.
Snell scored the Jets’ only touchdown in their Super Bowl III upset win over the Baltimore Colts, which is widely considered to be one of the most important games in the history of professional
football.
Beyond the Super Bowl, Snell had an outstanding career. A first round pick out of Ohio State, he was the AFL’s Rookie of the Year in 1964. Through his career, he was honored on the All-AFL First Team in 1969 and on the All-AFL Second Team on three other occasions. Snell was also a three time AFL All-Star.
The Jets inducted Snell into their Ring of Honor in 2015.
From the Jets’ official website:
Snell, who was born on Aug. 18, 1941, grew up in Locust Valley on Long Island and starred in high school for Carle Place, where he won Newsday’s Thorp Award in 1959 as the best high-school running back in Nassau County. He was said to have the heart of a linebacker but is more widely known in professional football circles for his prowess as a running back,bowling over would-be tacklers while also serving as one of quarterback Joe Namath’s knighted protectors when it came to blocking.
“I’m really sad to hear that he passed,” Namath said. “Matt was not only a hell of a player — he was a terrific teammate and without him we wouldn’t have had a chance to win a championship.”
