2017 NFL Countdown to kickoff

I was at the University of Iowa in 1988 when Gastineau had that brief resurgence and then quit the team halfway through the season. He was a hero to the young players on the team and then walked away because Brigitte Nielsen said she had cancer. She didn't.

 

I also rember the football year of 99'.

Vinny goes down on opening day and out for the season. Went from SB dreams and contending hopes to "same old Jets". On one play. Back in 99'. It was awful.

P.S: I love it when you create these yearly NFL countdown threads mr17. Football is in the air and i can almost smell it.

 

Man. That team was stacked. Coming off an AFC Championship Game appearance against Elway and the Broncos. With a great leader of men in Parcells on the sidelines. I was 13 years young. I'll never forget that team/those years. I loved those players as a kid. We were a team on the rise. 1-15 & then came the Big Tuna. From 1-15 to 9-7 instantly. Talk about good coaching. 12-4 the following season. Then it happened. Just like that. "Down goes Broadway Vinny". In came a stinkin' punter. That squad under Bill could have been an All-Time great Jets/NFL team. All they needed was a quarterback.

Story of our Jet lives. And to make it worse Tom Tupa came in, threw a TD and gave a young kid false hope lol all you can do is laugh.

I guess i never learned because I've always contnued to follow these NYJ teams. Year after year regardless of letdowns. 1998 losing to Denver with a 12-4 team followed by Vinny week one of 99' were my two biggest football heartbreaks. Indy & Pittsburgh hurt too. Last year was my most frustrating. I threw in the towel midway through. It was ugly & hard to watch.

 

I know next to nothing about our newest #98 in NT Mike Pennel.

 

Parcells screwed the team in '99. In his arrogance, he thought he didn't need a backup QB. Then when Vinny went down, Tupa played well, but Parcells didn't leave him in at QB. He put Mirer in and Mirer proceeded to throw two interceptions and was only 4 for 10 passing, and the Jets lost a game that they should have won. Parcells then stuck with Rick Mirer too long. Parcells also went in to a self-pity funk for about 4-5 games. Finally, he went with Ray Lucas. but it was too little, too late.

 

He never made an All-Pro or even a Pro-Bowl team but as an NYJ fan... Calvin Pace has been the best #97 that I've been around.



• 8 years (as a Jet).
• 120 games (116 starts).
• 6 postseason games (4 playoff starts).
• 316 tackles.
• 19 postseason tackles.
• 46 sacks.
• 3 postseason sacks.
• 16 forced fumbles (7 recovered).
• 2 postseason fumbles Forced.
• 2 INT's.

I remember like yesterday when we signed Calvin Pace as a big name Free-Agent coming from Arizona. NY signed Pace long term, shortly after Pace himself turned down the Miami Dolphins offer. At the time, I'll never forget that moment. I posted on JI's forum the second i heard ESPN announce Calvin Pace to the Jets. Back in 2008. So i was young 20's. 23 (now 32). And as the defensive minded fan in which I've always been (DWC); damn did i love the addition of landing a prized FA OLB as our future outside pass rusher.

 

Speaking of 1997. 97' was a pretty damn good football season for gang green and our Franchise.

We might've missed out on the playoffs due to a week 17 loss @ Detroit (in which Barry Sanders went over the 2,000 yard mark against us) but overall we seen a culture change back in 97'. I'll never forget that year (was only a kid 12-13 years young).

Bill Parcells came in replace of Rich Kottie during 1997 and instantly changed the dirrection of our team. From 1-15 under Kottie in 1996 to 9-7 under Parcells come 1997. One of the greatest football turn arounds of All-Time.

James Farrior was our starting Rookie OLB. The likes of Neil O'Donnell, Ray Lucas, Adrian Murrell, Leon Johnson, Richie Anderson, Kyle Brady, Keyshawn Johnson, Dedric Ward, Wayne Chrebet, Jumbo Elliot, Hugh Douglas, Rick Lyle, Jason Ferguson, Mo Lewis, Pepper Johnson, Marvin Jones, Aaron Glenn, Ray Mickens, Otis Smith, Victor Green and John Hall are players i remember most.

Would've loved to see that team beat DET & advance to the playoffs.

 

I think we could and perhaps should have won that Detroit game. Parcells hated O'Donnell and took the ball out of his hands reoeatedly, subbing in Ray Lucas and also calling a halfback option pass inside the Detroit 10, almost as if he wanted to prove the Jets could win without O'Donnell. Lucas threw a pick inside the 30 and Leon Johnson threw one from the nine. Game, season and O'Donnell's time as a Jet over.

 

I've always loved big Mo Wilk. It's been pretty fun watching this man climb the ranks of some of my All-Time favorite Jets. #96 is one of my favorites.














▪ 1st round out of Temple (30th overall).
▪ 27 years of age.
▪ 5 seasons of play.
▪ 359 tackles.
▪ 41.0 sacks.
▪ 24 pass deflections.
▪ 10 forced fumbles.
▪ 1x Pro Bowler.
▪ 2x Second-team All-Pro's.

When truly focused and fully healthy he's one of the most dominant defensive lineman in today's NFL.

 

1996 was an ugly, ugly year. 96' was the worst season of Jets franchise history. The word I'm looking for is 'disastrous'.

I was only 11 or 12 years of age and as a kid I can't recall which specific week it was, but i remember these words like it were yestetday. We were in my moms living room. I was right next to my older brother on the couch. He looked over to me and I'll never forget the saying. "I already can't wait until next year". Those were my older brothers exact words. He was only young 20's himself.

I can't remember the exact week but i just remember it being against the NY Giants because of my brothers childhood friend Alfonzo who i remember watching the game with us in his Giants shirt & Giants hat. And kept laughing at my older brothers frustration until the point where my brother got up, left & finished watching from the basement.

A moment I've never fotgotten.

 

I know, I stuttered. Back to #96.