Joe Klecko has been ready for his second for the reason that former Jets defensive star was first eligible to be elected to the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame.
The second lastly got here on Wednesday as Klecko, now 68, discovered he was a finalist on the senior poll and can seemingly be headed to Canton, Ohio as a part of the 2023 Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame class.
However as an alternative of being at house ready for the official announcement, Klecko was getting a scheduled MRI executed within the afternoon. He discovered he had made the reduce by checking his telephone after the process.
“I by no means knew your telephone may catch on fireplace,” Klecko joked when he talked to the media Thursday at Jets coaching camp. “I had 65 textual content messages on my telephone and I don’t suppose I’ve ever seen that in my life.”
Klecko, together with former Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley and former Bengals cornerback Ken Riley have been introduced because the three senior finalists for the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame Wednesday.
Klecko might be elected to the Corridor of Fame if he receives assist from 80% of the voters in January, which is usually a formality for senior candidates. Then he would then be enshrined subsequent summer time with the remainder of the ‘23 class.
Klecko says he's enthusiastic about the opportunity of being inducted, however he received’t change into overjoyed by the second till it turns into official.
“I’ve been within the development enterprise all my life and I've had occasions the place I’ve had the job and I walked within the door to get the contract to signal and I get the excuse one thing went flawed and it's going one other manner,” Klecko stated. “You be taught to take the rejections in enterprise and it's one thing I didn’t wish to let myself rise up for.
“I’ve discovered to not get enthusiastic about something except the examine is within the financial institution. That is type of a kind of conditions, however not as adverse. Everybody is aware of the final hurdle of this factor is available in January when you must get 80% of the vote amongst 48 voters.
“That could be a fairly tall mountain to climb. Till the examine is within the financial institution, I’m going to keep up my civility about this and reside my regular life.”
Throughout his 11 seasons with the Jets, Klecko was a mainstay on the staff’s line of defense as he dominated at three positions — defensive finish, defensive sort out and nostril sort out. He was an All-Professional twice, together with in 1981, when he unofficially led the NFL with 20.5 sacks.
He completed second to Giants nice Lawrence Taylor within the AP Defensive Participant of the Yr voting and received the Professional Soccer Writers of America Defensive Participant of the Yr. Sacks didn’t change into an official stat till 1982.
Throughout the Eighties, he teamed up with Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam to kind the “New York Sack Change.”
Klecko ended his profession with 78 sacks. That's good for second in Jets historical past, trailing solely Gastineau’s 107.5.
After a season with the Indianapolis Colts in 1988, Klecko ended his 12-year profession. On the time, some Jets followers might need thought Klecko could be within the Canton, Ohio shrine as early because the minimal 5 seasons after he retired. Nevertheless, that proved to not be the case.
A Corridor of Fame snub for years, Klecko was a Trendy-Period candidate earlier than turning into a senior candidate. He had by no means superior to the finalist stage till this yr.
“[Hall of Fame offensive guard] Joe DeLamielleure makes an important case for me,” Klecko instructed the Each day Information earlier this yr. “He stated if I simply stayed at one place I’d be within the Corridor. However what’s the distinction? I nonetheless dominated at each place.”
On Thursday, Klecko — who has his No. 73 retired by the Jets and is a member of staff’s Ring of Honor — additionally talked concerning the pleasure he obtained from taking part in within the greatest media market within the nation.
“Enjoying in New York is among the biggest issues you are able to do,” Klecko stated. “Successful in New York is the following smartest thing. I keep in mind after we have been the Sack Change and we have been doing this picture shoot down at Wall Road and we drove down there and we turned the nook and it was mobs of individuals.
“It was that thrilling. It's New York, they do every thing large. Once we obtained out of the automobile, it was a surreal second however a long-lasting second.”
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