Close Encounters of a New York Jet Kind

I have three stories about encounters with members of the New York Jets. The first is from my father, who sells real estate on Staten Island. When Rich Kotite was hired as the head coach, he began looking for a house to purchase with his wife. Ultimately, Kotite decided not to buy but to rent, as he wasn't sure how long his job would last (good foresight, I suppose). My father has told me that Kotite was a very nice man, but didn't appear to have the temperament necessary to be a head coach (make of that what you will).

The second story involves Joe Namath. I've told this story a few times here. When I was seven, I met Namath at a March of Dimes event where he showed me his Super Bowl ring. He gave me numerous autographs and showed me how to throw a football with a nice spiral on it. That's when I became a fan of the team, and I still have a photo of the two of us, me clearly in awe of his majestic ring.

My third story is from a few months ago, when I was at a bar in Miami, Florida, and met Braylon Edwards. He was sitting there with his crew (I later found out it was his brother's birthday), and he was rocking a Jets hat. I didn't want to tell him that I thought he was washed up and useless at this point, but I had to say hello. So I went up to him, introduced myself, and shook his hand. Lied and told him I was a big fan. Nice guy, very soft spoken.

So, those are my (and my father's) encounters with members of the team. What about you? When have you encountered a player outside of a game or sanctioned team event?