FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — The Jets opened training camp Tuesday with a sense of optimism, the way you’re supposed to feel at this time of year in the NFL. Yet the shadow of Greg Knapp’s tragedy nevertheless hung over the team as the coaches and players reported for a new season.
The Jets’ passing game coordinator died Thursday from injuries he suffered when he was struck by an automobile while riding a bicycle the previous Saturday in San Ramon, California. It was a horrific accident that claimed the life of one of the NFL’s most popular assistant coaches, a man who’d spent a quarter century helping players get better at their craft and a man whose infectious personality was as keenly developed as his football acumen.