Bill Mathis, the New York Jets‘ first great player, has passed away at the age of 81.
Mathis, who was born in Rocky Mount, NC, was drafted in the eighth round of the 1960 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, but opted to begin his professional career with the newly-formed New York Titans of the AFL.
In 1961, he earned first-team All-AFL honors by rushing for 846 yards and seven touchdowns on 202 carries (4.2 yards per carry, 14 games). The fullback followed that impressive outing up two years later with an AFL All-Star appearance in 1963.