Matt Snell, the bruising running back who powered the New York Jets to their iconic moment in a shocking Super Bowl III victory, died Tuesday morning on Long Island at the age of 84, the team announced.
Snell’s role in Jets history is closely linked to the upset that changed professional football. In the 16-7 victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, he carried the ball 30 times for 121 yards and scored New York’s only touchdown, a 4-yard run that put the Jets ahead, a lead they never lost.
“Matt Snell will forever hold a special place in the history of the New York Jets,” chairman Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the embodiment of toughness, selflessness and belief — traits that defined our organization’s proudest moments. His performance in Super Bowl III was nothing short of legendary.”
Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath credited Snell as essential to that title run.
“I’m really sad to hear that he passed,” Namath said. “Matt was not only a hell of a player — he was a terrific teammate and without him we wouldn’t have had a chance to win a championship.”
The third overall pick in the 1964 AFL Draft, Snell made an immediate impact, winning AFL Rookie of the Year honors. He became one of the franchise’s foundational players, leading the Jets in rushing in five of his first six seasons.
Snell finished his career with 4,285 rushing yards, still fourth in team history, with 24 touchdowns. He added 1,375 receiving yards and seven more scores and earned All-AFL second-team honors three times and first-team once.
A three-time AFL All-Star, Snell was inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor in 2015.
