Building A GGN All Time Jets Team: Running Back

We have the 44th position filled on the GGN All Time Jets Team. The winner of the second vote at Running Back is: Freeman McNeil!

Freeman McNeil played 12 years in the NFL, from 1981 through 1992, all with the Jets. McNeil was in the conversation for best running back in the NFL during the Jets’ best run of four playoff teams in six years from 1981 through 1986. He led the NFL in rushing yards and yards per carry in 1982, when he earned Pro Bowl honors and was named first team All Pro. McNeil also earned Pro Bowl honors in 1984 and 1985. He is 40th all time in the NFL in career yards per carry, 50th in rushing yards, and 50th in career touches. He is the Jets all time leader in yards per carry for players with 400 or more rushing attempts, and second to Curtis Martin in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage. The only thing keeping Freeman McNeil out of the Hall of Fame was a lack of durability, as he rarely made it through a full season unscathed. Between McNeil and Martin the Jets were fortunate to have a Hall of Fame caliber back for all but five years of the 25 years between 1981 and 2005. McNeil and Martin also teamed up for a perfect passing record, going a combined three for three passes completed, with all three going for touchdowns. For those who remember the glory years between 1981 and 1986, Freeman McNeil was an electrifying presence on an always exciting Jets offense.

From now until mid July I’ll be putting up a daily poll asking GGN to vote on the best Jets players of all time. The idea here is to build a 55 man roster of the best players ever to wear the Green and White. The roster will consist of 26 offensive players, 26 defensive players, and three special team players.

OFFENSE

Quarterback: 3

Wide Receiver: 6

RUNNING BACK: 4

CURTIS MARTIN

FREEMAN MCNEIL

TIGHT END

MICKEY SHULER

RICH CASTER

JEROME BARKUM

OFFENSIVE TACKLE

WINSTON HILL

D’BRICKASHAW FERGUSON

MARVIN POWELL

JASON FABINI

INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE

KEVIN MAWAE

NICK MANGOLD

RANDY RASMUSSEN

JOE FIELDS

DAVE HERMAN

JIM SWEENEY

DEFENSE

SAFETY

JAMAL ADAMS

VICTOR GREEN

KERRY RHODES

ERIK MCMILLAN

CORNERBACK

DARRELLE REVIS

AARON GLENN

JAMES HASTY

ANTONIO CROMARTIE

JOHNNY SAMPLE

BOBBY JACKSON

LINEBACKER

DAVID HARRIS

LARRY GRANTHAM

MARVIN JONES

LANCE MEHL

KYLE CLIFTON

GREG BUTTLE

EDGE

MARK GASTINEAU

JOHN ABRAHAM

GERRY PHILBIN

SHAUN ELLIS

MO LEWIS

INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINE

JOE KLECKO

MARTY LYONS

DAMON HARRISON

JOHN ELLIOTT

ABDUL SALAAM

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker

PAT LEAHY

Punter

TOM TUPA

Returner

LEON WASHINGTON

Every day I will be putting up a poll at one position. The choices will be limited to players who were on the Jets roster for at least three seasons. I will not be including players who were great for other teams but not great for the Jets (for example, guys like Matt Forte or LaDainian Tomlinson will not be included in the polls, though both those guys would be excluded for not meeting the three year rule as well). Each day we will close the previous day’s poll and the candidate with the most votes will be added to the GGN All Time Jets Team. In the event of a tie vote both players will be added to the team.

In the event I have made an egregious omission and a name you think should be on the poll is not there you can write in candidates in the comments section. If a player gets support in the comments section I’ll add him to the next day’s poll.

So let’s get to it. Today we continue to vote on the running back position. Who will it be? Vote early, vote often, and let’s hear who you think are the best players ever to have played for the New York Jets.