Don Maynard, 1935-2022

It's easy to forget just how much time has passed. Tomorrow marks the 53rd Anniversary of the New York Jets' one and only appearance, and victory, in the Super Bowl. And the number of players from that game who are still alive just got a little smaller.

Donald Rogers Maynard was born on January 25, 1935 in Crosbyton, in the Texas Panhandle. His father worked in the cotton industry, and moved around a lot, settling in Colorado City, still in West Texas. At Colorado City High School, he lettered in football, basketball and track -- not surprising, given the element of speed in all 3.

He started at Rice University in Houston, then transferred to Texas Western University. (In 1967, that school became the University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP.) He was drafted by the New York Giants, and played in the 1958 NFL Championship Game, which the Giants lost in overtime to the Baltimore Colts at Yankee Stadium. It has been called "The Greatest Game Ever Played."

But in a truly dumb move, the Giants cut him during the next season's training camp. Given the fact that Frank Gifford missed the end of the 1960 season and all of 1961, and returned only to retire again in 1964, they really could have used a prime Don Maynard.

Instead, Don went to the Canadian Football League, and played a season for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. In 1960, the American Football League was founded, with the New York Titans. Their 1st head coach was Sammy Baugh, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, and a Texan. Having been head coach at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, he had coached against TWU, and knew how good Maynard was.

Despite drawing pathetically small crowds to the Polo Grounds, the Titans were a respectable 7-7 that 1st season, and, with Baugh contributing to the early AFL's reputation as a pass-happy league, Maynard and Art Powell were the 1st professional receiving pair to both gain over 1,000 yards on receptions in a season. They did this again in 1962.

In 1963, the Titans were renamed the New York Jets, and in 1964, they moved to Shea Stadium in Queens. In 1965, the Jets drafted and signed quarterback Joe Namath, and they combined for 68 passes for 1,218 yards. In 1967, Namath became the 1st pro quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, with Maynard contributing 1,434 of them on 71 catches.

In 1968, the Jets advanced to the AFL Championship Game against the Oakland Raiders. Namath completed 6 passes to Maynard for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns, and the Jets won, 27-23. This advanced them to Super Bowl III. Namath told the media, "We're gonna win, I guarantee it!" The Jets did, 16-7. However, a hamstring injury sustained in the AFL Championship Game limited Maynard's success, as he caught no passes. Instead, George Sauer was the biggest recipient of Namath's largesse, and Matt Snell rushed for their only touchdown.

Maynard remained with the Jets for the entire 10-year run of the AFL, 1 of only 7 men to play all 10 years for only 1 team. He stayed through 1972, played the 1973 season with the football version of the St. Louis Cardinals, and played in 1974 in the World Football League, with the original version of the Houston Texans.

He retired after that season, having caught 633 passes for 11,834 yards, making him the 1st receiver ever to surpass 10,000 yards, scoring 88 touchdowns. He said, "I don't really look at it like I'm the greatest receiver. After you play a while, anybody can break certain records. Longevity is the key. The record I'm proudest of is being the first guy to get 10,000 yards in receptions. Others may do it, but I'm the first, and only one guy can be the first."  

After playing, he taught math and industrial arts in El Paso. While in college, he married a woman named Marilyn Weaver, who predeceased him. They had a son and a daughter.

In 1987, he became the 2nd Jet to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, following Namath in 1985. He was a 4-time AFL All-Star, and was named to the AFL All-Time Team. The Jets retired his Number 13, and named him to their Ring of Honor. He published a memoir, You Can't Catch Sunshine; and attended anniversary celebrations for the Super Bowl III winners, at Giants Stadium for the 25th in 1993, and at MetLife Stadium for the 50th in 2018.

Don Maynard died yesterday, January 10, 2022, at his home in El Paso. He was 86 years old.

With his death, there are now: 

* 8 living men who played in the 1958 NFL Championship Game. For the Giants: Rosey Grier and Al Barry. For the Colts: Lenny Moore, Raymond Berry, Dick Horn, Jack Call, Leo Sanford and Andy Nelson.

* 16 surviving players from the original 1960 New York Titans/Jets: Dewey Bohling, Leon Burton, Dan Callahan, Ken Campbell, Ed Cooke, Charlie Dupre, Pete Hart, Blanch Martin, Nick Mumley, Joe Pagliei, Bob Reifsnyder, Dave Ross, Rick Sapienza, Gerhard Schwedes, Bob Scrabis and Hall Whitley.

* 27 surviving players from the Jets' win in Super Bowl III: Joe Namath, Bob Talamini, Matt Snell, Emerson Boozer, Jim Turner, Bake Turner, Mark Smolinski, Lee White, John Schmitt, Randy Rasmussen, Dave Herman, Jeff Richardson, Gerry Philbin, Steve Thompson, Carl McAdams, Ralph Baker, Al Atkinson, John Neidert, Randy Beverly, John Dockery, Earl Christy, Jim Richards, Michael Stromberg, Bill Baird, Mike D'Amato, Cornell Gordon and Karl Henke.

* And 10 living players from the AFL All-Time Team: Namath and Philbin from the Jets; Lance Alworth, Ron Mix and Paul Lowe from the San Diego Chargers; Jim Otto from the Oakland Raiders; Billy Shaw from the Buffalo Bills; and Johnny Robinson, Bobby Bell and Ed Budde from the Kansas City Chiefs.