Players of note

The very first New York Titan, Don Maynard (born 1935) of Texas Western College (now University of Texas at El Paso) was an example of the lack of player-evaluation skills of NFL teams in the 1960s. Released by the Giants, he was signed by the Titans in 1960 and became an American Football League All-star and Super Bowl champion. With 72 pass receptions in his first year as a Titan, he had 5 seasons with 50 or more catches and 1,000 yards receiving. Maynard held the pro record for total receptions and yards receiving. A 4-time AFL All-star, he is 6th in all-time pro football td receptions. Maynard is member of the All-time All-AFL Team.

In the 1968 AFL Championship game against the defending American Football League Champion Oakland Raiders, Maynard caught 6 passes for 118 yards and 2 tds. That made the Colts so wary of him in Super Bowl III that, though he played injured and didn't have a reception, his very presence on the field opened up the Jets' offense. One of only 20 players who were in the AFL for its entire 10-year existence, and only 7 players who played their entire AFL careers in one city. Maynard is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame

Jets Background

The Jets began as the Titans of New York, a charter member of the American Football League in 1960. When a group including Sonny Werblin bought the team from Harry Wismer in 1963, the team was re-named the New York Jets.
In 1965, the Jets signed Alabama quarterback Joe Namath after the NFL passed on Namath in the amateur draft. Under Namath's guidance, the Jets rose to the top of the AFL and in 1969 represented that league in the Super Bowl. They were pitted against the "best team in the NFL", the Baltimore Colts. At the time, the AFL was considered to be inferior to the NFL and most people considered the Jets to be heavy underdogs. In the week leading up to Super Bowl III, Namath famously "guaranteed" a victory and the Jets went on to complete one of the greatest upsets in football history by defeating the Colts 16-7. This victory showed that the AFL was capable of competing with the NFL and eventually led to the merging of the two leagues in 1970.

Jets : Team News

The thought of having a talented linebacker like Sam Cowart play outside of a middle linebacker like Marvin Jones made Herman Edwards and then-defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell excited. But Cowart never got comfortable playing on the outside, and the statistics showed. Now that Jones has been released, Cowart is happy to be back in the middle and working with new coordinator Donnie Henderson. "What we're asking him to do fits his personality because he's very good at running inside out making plays," Edwards said. "He has no fear when the hole opens up, and he's hitting the gaps and making some plays in the backfield." Cowart, Henderson and Edwards will get to see the first true glimpses of their overhaul on defense when the Jets play the Saints tonight in New Orleans. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.