NY Jets: Remembering each member of the New York Sack Exchange

Back in the late 1970s and into the early 1980s, the NY Jets assembled not only one of the strongest defensive lines of that era but one of the best of all time.

Going back even further in team history, the Super Bowl-winning team of 1969 also had a very strong defensive front four.

Led by defensive ends Gerry Philben and Verlon Biggs along with defensive tackle John Elliott, the late 1960's team was a very formidable group of perennial All-Pro defensive linemen.

However, when we look back on the greatest defensive lines of all time we think about the "Fearsome Foursome" of the Los Angeles Rams, the "Purple People Eaters" of the Minnesota Vikings, and of course, the "Steel Curtain" of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

From those great defensive units evolved Hall of Fame players like Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Carl Eller, and "Mean" Joe Greene.

The Jets also had a defensive line worthy of being in the conversation of all-time greats in the "New York Sack Exchange." This unit was known for being a disruptive force and for terrorizing the opposition's quarterback.

They set several pass-rushing records both individually and as a group and were somewhat responsible, along with the NY Giants' Lawrence Taylor, for the quarterback sack becoming an official statistic.

In 1981, the Sack Exchange combined for 53.5 sacks. In 1982, the quarterback sack became an official statistic and the group continued their league-wide dominance.

The name New York Sack Exchange originated from a contest in which a fan by the name of Dan O'Connor submitted the nickname to a team magazine and they were forever immortalized when all four players were called upon in 1981 to ring the ceremonial opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

All four linemen were drafted by the Jets in the 1970s and complemented each other with a diversified skill set. Let's take a look back now at each of these guys and their significance to the legacy of the New York Sack Exchange.

Abdul Salaam, DT, NY Jets

Abdul Salaam was drafted in the seventh round of the 1976 NFL Draft. Originally named Larry Faulk, he changed his name in 1977 to Abdul Salaam (Soldier of Peace) as the massive defensive tackle was looking for more serenity in his life.

Salaam played his college football at Kent State University and was both a nose guard and a defensive end. He earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors for three straight years.

In 1975, the Jets had given up the most yards per carry in the NFL and drafted Salaam with the intention of stabilizing a weak defensive line. Salaam played for the Jets from 1976 to 1983. He played in a total of 97 games and started 85 of them.

For his career, Salaam had four fumble recoveries and is credited officially with 2.5 sacks. However, prior to 1982 when sacks were not an official statistic, Salaam had several more. In 1981 alone, he had seven sacks for the season.

Salaam called football "a game of survival" and even though his gritty style of play went somewhat unnoticed, his physicality allowed other members of the Sack Exchange to flourish.

Salaam was traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1984 but, due to injuries, never played in a game for the team. He now lives in Cincinnati and in 2013 he retired from the city's school district as both a football coach and an officer.

Marty Lyons, DT, NY Jets

Marty Lyons was selected by the NY Jets in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He played his college football at the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Lyons was the only member of the Sack Exchange to be drafted in the first round.

Lyons earned Consensus First Team All-American honors and was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 1978. He compiled 202 tackles and 20 sacks for the Crimson Tide and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Given his success at Alabama, Lyons' arrival to the Jets was met with great expectations. He would prove to be a very solid player for the team and, like Salaam, was viewed as a guy who was tough in the trenches and a dominant run-stopper.

Marty Lyons was selected to the Pro Bowl twice and during his tenure with the team, he helped lead the Jets to the playoffs four times. In seven playoff games, Lyons registered six sacks as well.

Off the field, Lyons was very well respected and, in 1984, was named the Walter Payton Man of the Year. In 2013, he was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor and has been part of the Jets radio broadcast team since 2002.

Marty Lyons remains an active presence for the Jets and continues to represent the team in an exceptional manner. He has been running The Marty Lyons Foundation for 27 years and the organization has granted over 6,000 wishes for terminally ill children.

Mark Gastineau, DE, NY Jets

Mark Gastineau played for the Jets from 1979 to 1988 and was one of the quickest and most feared pass rushers in the NFL.

With Lyons and Salaam, the main objective was to stop the run, but with Gastineau, the goal was clearly to get to the quarterback. NFL Network even rated Gastineau as one of the top ten pass rushers of all time.

Gastineau started his college career at Eastern Arizona Junior College and then he spent one season at Arizona State before settling in at Eastern Central Oklahoma State. Gastineau became ECO's first-ever draft pick when the Jets selected him in the second round of the 1979 NFL Draft.

Gastineau was originally projected as an eighth-round draft pick but on the recommendation of Connie Carberg, who was the league's first female scout, the Jets decided to select him with their second-round pick.

Mark Gastineau would go on to have an illustrious career with the green and white. He made the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons from 1981 to 1985 and was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1982. He also led the league in sacks in both 1983 and 1984.

Gastineau set the single-season sack record as well in 1984 with a total of 22. The record stood until 2001 when it was broken by the NY Giants' Michael Strahan. For his career, Gastineau collected 74 official sacks. Unofficially, dating back to the beginning of his career, he actually had 107.

Gastineau retired abruptly seven weeks into the 1988 season and at the time of his retirement, he was the NFL's all-time official sack leader. He was selected to the Jets All-Time Four Decade Team and was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor in 2012.

Mark Gastineau was famous for creating the "sack dance" which rubbed many players the wrong way, but there's no denying the fact that he was one of the fiercest pass rushers of his generation.

Joe Klecko, DE/DT/NT, NY Jets

Joe Klecko played for the Jets from 1977 to 1987. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1977 NFL Draft after playing his college football at Temple. He led the Owls in tackles from 1974 to 1976 and also won two NCAA boxing titles in the heavyweight division for the school.

While playing for the Jets, Klecko personified grit and toughness and was the true example of a blue-collar player. What set him apart from the other members of the Sack Exchange was his ability to excel at both stopping the run and rushing the quarterback.

Klecko was selected to four Pro Bowls and in 1981 was named the AFC Defensive Player of the Year. In that same year, he led the league with 20.5 sacks. Overall, Klecko started 131 games for Gang Green, but what stood out the most was his ability to excel at multiple positions.

In 1983, Klecko was moved from defensive end to defensive tackle and in his first year at his new position, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. In 1985, Klecko was moved again this time from defensive tackle to nose tackle and he earned All-Pro honors while registering 96 tackles and 7.5 sacks.

Joe Klecko became only the second player in league history after Frank Gifford to be selected to the Pro Bowl at three different positions. In 2004, the Jets retired his number 73 and in 2010, Klecko was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor.

Klecko was an outstanding football player and it still remains a mystery as to why he has not been selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Perhaps, had Klecko excelled at just one position, it would have enhanced his chances of selection into the Hall of Fame, but many believe that it was his versatility at multiple positions which made him most deserving of this honor.

Hopefully, one day in the near future, Joe Klecko will get the recognition that he so rightly deserves.