RIP Gerry Philbin, former NY Jet and UB Bull

[Sierra Foothills]

The day of Gerry Philbin's passing cannot pass without acknowledgement of his greatness as a player.

 

His gridiron accomplishments:

 

• 4-year starter at the University of Buffalo Bulls
• Only the 4th UB player drafted by an NFL team and the first to play in a regular season game in the NFL
• 3rd Round pick in 1964 by both the NFL (Detroit Lions) and the AFL (NY Jets)
• AFL and Super Bowl Champion (1969)
• 2-time All-AFL
• 1968 AFL sack leader (unofficial, before they became a stat) with 14.5 in 14 games
• 66.5 career sacks (he's still 4th all-time in sacks for the Jets with 65)
• NY Jets Ring of Honor member
• Member AFL All-time Team as voted in 1970 (he and Tom Sestak were first team, Tom Keating and KC's Buck Buchanan were second team)

 

John Schmitt, the center for those Jets teams of yore, reflected today on Philbin's toughness. "I do remember when we played the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoff game [after the 1969 season] — he had a separated shoulder. 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."

 

"He was one of the best teammates I ever had with the Jets, and I played right beside him," said Ralph Baker, the Jets' left-side LB at the time. "I really believe he should've been a Hall of Famer. He was just a good guy, a regular guy who worked hard and shared his feelings. When teammates needed to be set straight, Gerry was the guy to do it."

 

After his playing career, he sold real estate in Florida, moved back to the Northeast and to New Hampshire, then back to Long Island, where he owned a sand and gravel business, before returning to the Sunshine State and Palm Beach Gardens to be near to his children in his golden years. Schmitt, one of the on-field and emotional leaders of the Jets' Super Bowl era, put it well when he said of Philbin: "He was a man's man, he was a good father, he was a great teammate. And he was one of the leaders on our team."

 

 

RIP Gerry.

 

 

[Chandler#81]

Very good player but not a HOFer level. I never cared for the guy. He hated Buffalo because we didnt draft him in the 1st 3 rounds. No problem Gerry, we hated you too.

R.I.P. 

[Stranded in Boston]

1 hour ago, Chandler#81 said:

Chan, I know I shouldn't laugh at your "obituary", but I sort of spat out my coffee ...

 

[Chandler#81]

1 hour ago, Stranded in Boston said:

 

15:19 mark Phibin talks about it

 

[Gugny]

Final answer.