Jets’ Matt Snell
Super Bowl III Legend
Dead At 84
Published
Former New York Jets running back and Super Bowl III winner Matt Snell has died at the age of 84.
ESPN was first to share the news, reporting that Snell’s son — Beau — said he passed away Tuesday morning on Long Island. No cause of death was given.
Snell spent his entire playing career with Green Gang — joining the team in 1964 and remaining until his retirement in 1972. In his first season, he took home the AFL Rookie of the Year honors, as well as being named an AFL All-Star.
One of his many career highlights came in January 1969 … when the Jets took on the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
Despite playing on a bad knee, Snell rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries, scoring the Jets’ only touchdown on the day.
New York would go on to win 16-7 … it remains the Jets’ only Super Bowl appearance.
After his playing days, his relationship with the team took a turn, as Snell developed a grudge with the team — but for a long time no one knew what it was about.
In a 2018 book titled “Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl Team That Changed Football,” it was revealed that it stemmed from then-part-owner Sonny Werblin telling him that he would have a spot with the team for life — only for that not to happen after Werblin sold his stake.
“I don’t know if Sonny ever communicated what he had promised me to the other owners. I know there were people around the organization that were not happy that Sonny and I were friends, and some of them jumped on the opportunity to say bad things about me when Sonny was gone,” Snell said.
“It may be that no one in Jets management knew about Sonny’s promises to me, but in 1974, there was a recession and I was in line for a construction job. I asked the Jets for a reference. They told me they didn’t do that for players. They said they couldn’t do it! Can you believe that? I can’t prove it, but I don’t think any of that would have ever happened if Sonny were in charge.”
Despite his grudge, the team inducted him into their Ring of Honor in 2015. Over the course of his nine-year career … he racked up 4,285 yards with 31 touchdowns in 86 games.
RIP