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bizarre quarterback history
By Jerry Eskenazi
Special to NFL.com
(Sept. 30, 2005) -- Losing two quarterbacks within a few plays in the same game merely continues an odd -- long-time New York Jets fans might even call it bizarre -- tradition at the position. But at least the shoulder injuries to Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler, in the Sept. 25 loss to Jacksonville, came in a game. Consider these other situations that afflicted Jets quarterbacks over the years:
*Joe Namath tore a hamstring while water-skiing in the Bahamas. While his contract prohibited sky-diving, it never imagined the more benign offseason activity of water-skiing. However, a tow-rope broke and so did his "hammy," as players call it. That injury, before the 1974 season, effectively heralded the beginning of the end of Joe's career. He wound up with a herniation "the size of a grapefruit," said the team trainer, and never approached even the limited mobility of his earlier years. In his final three Jets seasons, he tossed 66 interceptions to 39 touchdowns, and his 20 carries over the span netted all of 12 yards. Because of his more noted knee operations, fans just assumed they had taken their toll. After all, how many quarterbacks get sacked on water skis?
*Matt Robinson beat out Richard Todd as the starter before the 1979 season. The Jets were looking forward to the mustachioed Robinson's riverboat-gambler ways. He loved to throw long. But a few days before the opening game, Robinson was wrist-wrestling with teammate Bobby Jones -- and suffered a sprained right thumb. But Robinson hid the details of the injury from coach Walt Michaels, telling him he hurt the thumb "reaching for a doorknob." His weakened thumb prevented him from throwing long, and his underthrown pass was intercepted in overtime and the Jets lost to Cleveland. Michaels was furious when he learned what really had happened to Robinson. He never permitted Robinson to throw another pass for the Jets -- not even to come in and mop up for Todd.
*Richard Todd was watching television in his darkened Long Island condo late in the 1980 season, when the phone rang. He left his chair to answer it and, in the dark, broke his little toe. The toe was splinted and he was able to practice. After the practice, I noticed he was limping. "Still bother you?" I asked. "No," he said. "You're not going to believe this, but one of my teammates stepped on the other little toe." He laughed, ruefully. He wound up wearing splints on both little toes, but was able to play.
*Neil O'Donnell attempted to come back following a separated-shoulder injury during the Jets' 1-15 season of 1996. He had missed six games. As he warmed up at the Meadowlands, he took a mis-step on the word "Jets" on the painted artificial turf and winced. "I thought someone in the stands threw a ball at me," he was to say later about the pain. No one had thrown anything. He had pulled a muscle in his right calf, ending the rest of his season. There wouldn't have been anyone to throw at him, in any event. The Jets set a league record by generating 55,985 no-shows for the game against the Oilers
By Jerry Eskenazi
Special to NFL.com
(Sept. 30, 2005) -- Losing two quarterbacks within a few plays in the same game merely continues an odd -- long-time New York Jets fans might even call it bizarre -- tradition at the position. But at least the shoulder injuries to Chad Pennington and Jay Fiedler, in the Sept. 25 loss to Jacksonville, came in a game. Consider these other situations that afflicted Jets quarterbacks over the years:
*Joe Namath tore a hamstring while water-skiing in the Bahamas. While his contract prohibited sky-diving, it never imagined the more benign offseason activity of water-skiing. However, a tow-rope broke and so did his "hammy," as players call it. That injury, before the 1974 season, effectively heralded the beginning of the end of Joe's career. He wound up with a herniation "the size of a grapefruit," said the team trainer, and never approached even the limited mobility of his earlier years. In his final three Jets seasons, he tossed 66 interceptions to 39 touchdowns, and his 20 carries over the span netted all of 12 yards. Because of his more noted knee operations, fans just assumed they had taken their toll. After all, how many quarterbacks get sacked on water skis?
*Matt Robinson beat out Richard Todd as the starter before the 1979 season. The Jets were looking forward to the mustachioed Robinson's riverboat-gambler ways. He loved to throw long. But a few days before the opening game, Robinson was wrist-wrestling with teammate Bobby Jones -- and suffered a sprained right thumb. But Robinson hid the details of the injury from coach Walt Michaels, telling him he hurt the thumb "reaching for a doorknob." His weakened thumb prevented him from throwing long, and his underthrown pass was intercepted in overtime and the Jets lost to Cleveland. Michaels was furious when he learned what really had happened to Robinson. He never permitted Robinson to throw another pass for the Jets -- not even to come in and mop up for Todd.
*Richard Todd was watching television in his darkened Long Island condo late in the 1980 season, when the phone rang. He left his chair to answer it and, in the dark, broke his little toe. The toe was splinted and he was able to practice. After the practice, I noticed he was limping. "Still bother you?" I asked. "No," he said. "You're not going to believe this, but one of my teammates stepped on the other little toe." He laughed, ruefully. He wound up wearing splints on both little toes, but was able to play.
*Neil O'Donnell attempted to come back following a separated-shoulder injury during the Jets' 1-15 season of 1996. He had missed six games. As he warmed up at the Meadowlands, he took a mis-step on the word "Jets" on the painted artificial turf and winced. "I thought someone in the stands threw a ball at me," he was to say later about the pain. No one had thrown anything. He had pulled a muscle in his right calf, ending the rest of his season. There wouldn't have been anyone to throw at him, in any event. The Jets set a league record by generating 55,985 no-shows for the game against the Oilers
