Gerry Philbin, Jets Ring of Honor member and Super Bowl champ, dead at 83
Former Jets defensive end Gerry Philbin has died, the team announced Wednesday. He was 83.
The Pawtucket, R.I., native was the Jets' third-round choice in the 1964 AFL draft out of the University of Buffalo.
3 Gerry Philbin #81of the New York Jets looks on during player introduction before an AFL football game circa 1969.
Getty Images
Advertisement
He also was a Detroit Lions third-round pick in the NFL draft. At 6-foot-2, 245 pounds, he went on to win a Super Bowl with Gang Green in 1969 when they defeated the Baltimore Colts 16-7.
Philbin was also inducted into the team's Ring of Honor in 2011, and earned two Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods in his career, along with being named to the all-time AFL team.
'I do remember when we played the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoff game [after the 1969 season] — he had a separated shoulder,' said John Schmitt, a Jets center from 1964-1974, on Wednesday, per the Jets. 'They made up a leather harness that was a half-inch thick that was wrapped around his chest, and they had chain-link fence holding the leather arm piece to the chest piece. You never saw such a barbaric thing. And he played the whole game against Kansas City. … He was a damn tough player and I loved the man.'
Advertisement
Former head coach Rex Ryan also released a statement after Philbin's passing. 'When you talk about a relentless motor and that Jet mentality, that was Gerry Philbin,' said Ryan, who has Philbin listed as one of his three all-time favorite Jets from that team.
3 Gerry Philbin #81 of the New York Jets pursues quarterback Bob Griese #12 of the Miami Dolphins during an AFL football game at Shea Stadium October 10, 1970 in the Queens borough of New York City.
Getty Images
Ryan used to hang with the 1968 team while his father, Buddy, coached the Jets D-line as an assistant coach for the Super Bowl team.
Advertisement
While sacks were not an official statistic until 1982, Philbin unofficially recorded 64.5 sacks, fourth most in Jets history. Philbin and Verlon Biggs are the only players in Jets history with 10-plus sacks in four straight seasons.
3 Gerry Philbin #81 of the New York Jets pursues quarterback Rick Norton #11 of the Miami Dolphins during an AFL football game at Shea Stadium.
Getty Images
Philbin played 110 games, including 106 starts, with the Jets over nine years.before leaving for one final NFL season with the Eagles in 1973.
He ended his playing career with the New York Stars in 1974 as part of the short-lived World Football League.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
UPI
25 minutes ago
- UPI
Buccaneers sign coach Todd Bowles, GM Jason Licht to extensions
Head coach Todd Bowles (R) led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to NFC South titles each of the last three seasons. File Photo by Steve Nesius/UPI | License Photo June 26 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multi-year contract extensions, the NFC South franchise announced Thursday. Bowles led the Buccaneers to a 27-24 record and three division titles over the last three seasons. "I am excited to continue working with Jason for years to come as we build on the success we've enjoyed and keep reaching for even bigger and better goals," Bowles said. "My family loves Tampa and we're looking forward to delivering more great moments for our fans in the coming seasons. "I also appreciate the confidence that the Glazer Family has shown in my abilities to lead this football team. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly and am honored to have." Bowles owns an overall record of 53-65 in eight years as an NFL head coach, including previous stops with the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. Licht joined the Buccaneers in 2014. They went 2-14 under former coach Lovie Smith in his first season, but went on to win a Super Bowl while led by coach Bruce Arians and quarterback Tom Brady in 2020-21. "Jason and Todd's leadership has been critical to our organization's success," Buccaneers owner Joel Glazer said. "The winning culture they have established has us well positioned for the future. "The continuity and stability they provide will play a large role in our ability to compete for additional championships." Bowles is the fourth coach to work under Licht, joining Smith, Arians and Dirk Koetter. The Buccaneers went 51-33 over the last five seasons, which all included postseason trips. They won their division four times during that span. "I am very grateful to the Glazer Family for the trust and belief they have shown in what we are doing here," Licht said. "I am also very excited to continue working alongside Todd well into the future as we continue our mission of finding and developing talented players and chasing additional championships for our fans."
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Buccaneers extend contracts of GM Jason Licht, head coach Todd Bowles
Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles have some added job security. The Bucs announced today that both Licht and Bowls have signed multi-year contract extensions. "Jason and Todd's excellent leadership and vision have been critical to our organizational success, and the winning culture they have established has us well positioned into the future," Bucs owner Joel Glazer said in a statement. "Jason has evolved into one of the top talent evaluators and general managers in the NFL, while Todd has led us to three consecutive division titles and is one of the league's leading defensive minds. Under their guidance, we will continue building towards another championship." Advertisement Tampa Bay hired Licht as GM in 2014, and while there were some early struggles, the Bucs won a Super Bowl with quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bruce Arians, and have stayed in contention with quarterback Baker Mayfield and Bowles. Arians originally hired Bowles as defensive coordinator and then stepped down in 2022, when Bowles was promoted to head coach. The Bucs have made the playoffs five years in a row and won their division four times in a row, both firsts in franchise history. The Bucs are the only NFC team to make the playoffs each of the last five years.
Fox Sports
31 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Bucs Extend Head Coach Todd Bowles, GM Jason Licht
As the Bucs seek to continue the best sustained success in franchise history, the team announced multiyear extensions Thursday for head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht. Tampa Bay is going after a fifth straight NFC title, all the more impressive considering the Bucs had never won so much as back-to-back division titles in their first 45 seasons. A foundation of that success is continuity, and they'll have that moving forward, both in the coaching staff and front office. "Jason and Todd's leadership has been critical to our organization's success," team co-chair Joel Glazer said in a statement. "The winning culture they have established has us well positioned for the future." Bowles, 61, was the defensive coordinator on Tampa Bay's Super Bowl championship team in the 2020 season, and took over as head coach after Bruce Arians retired in March 2022. The Bucs are 27-24 in his three years as head coach, improving from 8-9 to 9-8 to 10-7 along the way. "I am excited to continue working with Jason for years to come as we build on the success we've enjoyed and keep reaching for even bigger and better goals," Bowles said in a statement. "My family loves Tampa and we're looking forward to delivering more great moments for our fans in the coming seasons. I also appreciate the confidence that the Glazer Family has shown in my abilities to lead this football team. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly and am honored to have." Licht, 54, is in his 12th season as general manager, making him one of the league's longest-tenured GMs, and he's made the Bucs one of the NFL's most homegrown organizations. Of the team's 29 draft picks over the past four years, 27 remain on Tampa Bay's current roster, and Licht has worked to retain the team's best free agents, making players like tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield the highest-paid players at their positions when they re-signed. "I am very grateful to the Glazer Family for the trust and belief they have shown in what we are doing here," Licht said in a statement. "I am also very excited to continue working alongside Todd well into the future as we continue our mission of finding and developing talented players and chasing additional championships for our fans." Bowles and Licht kept the Bucs atop their division despite the retirement of Tom Brady after the 2022 season, with significant salary-cap limitations because the team had borrowed from future seasons to surround Brady with top-level talent in his three years in Tampa. Signing Baker Mayfield on a bargain contract and re-signing him to a three-year extension were key parts of that success, and Mayfield is in line for another new deal, perhaps after the 2025 season, after throwing for career bests with 41 touchdowns and 4,500 yards last year. Bowles has won despite losing first-year offensive coordinators to head coaching positions in each of the past two offseasons. Dave Canales left to be Carolina's head coach a year ago, and Liam Coen left to become the Jaguars' head coach this offseason. Bowles promoted Josh Grizzard to be the offensive coordinator, again citing continuity as a key factor. Licht, much the same way, saw his top assistant leave as John Spytek was named general manager of the Raiders. Continuity hasn't always been a hallmark of the Bucs' franchise. After the 2025 season, Bowles will have the fourth-most games ever for a Bucs head coach, behind only John McKay, Jon Gruden and Tony Dungy. His .529 win percentage ranks third-best in team history, behind Arians and Dungy. The Bucs are now favored to win the NFC South, continuing the longest active playoff streak in the NFC, behind only the Chiefs (10) and Bills (six) in all of the NFL. Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports. He previously spent a decade covering the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Times and The Athletic. You can follow him on Twitter at @gregauman . Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account , and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
