After an extended wait, former Jets defensive star Joe Klecko is one step nearer to being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Klecko was certainly one of three Senior finalists named to the Hall of Fame Wednesday afternoon. Chuck Howley, a former exterior linebacker for the Chicago Bears (1958-59) and the Dallas Cowboys (1961-1973) and former Bengals cornerback Ken Riley (1969-1983) had been the opposite two senior finalists.
Now that Klecko, Howley and Riley have emerged from the group of 12 senior former into consideration, they’ll every be thought-about together with 15 modern-era gamers and a coach and contributor, to be inducted into the Pro Football Class of 2023 Hall of Fame class in January. Klecko shall be elected if he receives 80% approval through the balloting course of. However, for senior finalists, that’s normally thought-about a formality.
It has been an extended watch for Klecko to get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was eligible in 1988, first as a Modern Era candidate and as a senior candidate however has by no means superior to the finalist stage till now.
After being chosen within the sixth-round choice within the 1977 draft out of Temple, Klecko had an illustrious profession with the Jets. In 11 seasons, Klecko registered 78 sacks as he together with Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons, and Abdul Salaam fashioned the group “New York Sack Exchange.
Klecko’s finest season got here through the 1981 marketing campaign as he recorded 20.5 sacks as he was runner-up for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. During his time with the Jets, Klecko was named to 4 Pro Bowls and earned two first-team All-Pro honors – as soon as at defensive finish and as soon as at nostril guard.
The 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame class may very well be particular with Klecko and former Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis, who shall be eligible for the primary time. During his profession with the Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs, Revis was a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, and successful Super Bowl XLIX with the Patriots.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com