One of the reasons the 1977 draft is considered the greatest in New York Jets history is because it produced the franchise's best defensive player -- Joe Klecko, chosen in the sixth round. He's one of the best defensive linemen not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a talent so versatile that he made the Pro Bowl at three different positions -- nose tackle, tackle and end. Many of Klecko's peers, including Hall of Famer Howie Long, have said he deserves to be enshrined in Canton as a senior candidate.
Klecko's path to the NFL was unusual.