Joe Klecko

Infobox NFLretired
position=Defensive Lineman
number=73
birthdate=birth date and age|1953|10|15
Chester, Pennsylvania
debutyear=1977
finalyear=1988
draftyear=1977
draftround=6
draftpick=144
college=Temple
teams=
* New York Jets (1977-1987)
* Indianapolis Colts (1988)
stat1label=Sacks
stat1value=24
stat2label=Fumble recoveries
stat2value=9
stat3label=Games played
stat3value=155
nfl=KLE138430
highlights=
* 4x Pro Bowl Selection (1981, 1983, 1984, 1985)
* 2x All-Pro selection (1981, 1985)
* New York Jets #73 retired

Joseph Edward Klecko (born October 15, 1953 in Chester, Pennsylvania) is a former American football player as a defensive lineman for the New York Jets from 1977 to 1987, and the Indianapolis Colts in 1988. He co-anchored the Jets formidable defensive line known as the "New York Sack Exchange" with Mark Gastineau, Abdul Salaam and Marty Lyons. The four combined for 53.5 sacks in 1981, including a league-leading 20.5 by Klecko, who was named the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). Klecko is second to Gastineau on the Jets all-time leading sack leaders (as of the 2008-2009 season).

Klecko played at Temple under legendary college coach Wayne Hardin (the former Navy coach who coached 2 Heisman Trophy winners in Bellino '60 and Staubach '63). While at Temple University, Klecko also played semi-pro football for the Aston (Pa.) Knights and kept his eligibility by playing under an assumed name (Jim Jones) and a fake university (Poland University). He also won two NCAA club boxing titles in the heavyweight division. Klecko played high school football at St. James Catholic High School for Boys in Chester, Pa.

On December 26, 2004, during a halftime ceremony, the Jets honored Klecko by retiring his #73 jersey. Klecko became just the third New York Jet to have his number retired, joining Hall of Fame QB Joe Namath and Hall of Fame WR Don Maynard. He was the first player in professional football history to be selected to the Pro Bowl at three different positions (DE, DT and NT).

In 1992 Klecko was indicted in a case involving 67 people in all who were involved in insurance fraud targeting a Sunoco refinery by falsely claiming that they were victimized by car damage caused by emissions from the refinery. Two of the men involved who were friends of Klecko made false claims on a pickup truck owned by Klecko; Klecko perjured himself to the grand jury by vouching for their claim. He was sentenced to three months in a federal penitentiary in Allentown, Pennsylvania and three more months under home detention, plus a fine of $3,000 and 150 hours of community service. [Eskenazi, Gerald (1998). GANG GREEN: An Irreverent Look Behind The Scenes At Thirty-Eight (Well, Thirty-Seven) Seasons Of New York Jets Football Futility (New York: Simon & Schuster), pp. 194-5.]

Klecko had a small role in the 1981 Burt Reynolds film Cannonball Run, as well as Reynolds' Smokey and the Bandit and Smokey and the Bandit II and appeared on EWTN Life On The Rock show. Among other pursuits, he is a member of Catholic Athletes for Christ and speaks on the subject of manhood and faith.

Fred Smerlas is pushing for his election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

His son, Dan, plays for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Klecko and his wife have been residents of Colts Neck Township, New Jersey

Klecko currently coaches his son, Josh,'s football team

He currently fabricates metal stairs in the Tri-State Area. [Holt, Shannon. [http://www.nflplayers.com/news/news_release.aspx?id=3171 "Joe Klecko - Blue Collar Player"] , National Football League Players Association press release dated December 22, 2004. Accessed February 17, 2008. "Klecko and his wife, Debbie, currently reside in Colts Neck, NJ, where Joe serves as a representative for various construction companies."]

References