On April 8, 1976, a young fan sat in the balcony of the Roosevelt Hotel on 45th street, clutching a sign with “N.Y. Jets don’t blow it! Take Todd in the 1st” written in green and red bubble letters.
When NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle got to the microphone to announce the Jets’ pick, he started with, “New York Jets first-round selection,” and then he paused and looked up at that young fan with a smile, pointed and made a clicking sound with his mouth, “Richard Todd, quarterback, Alabama.”
That was 42 years ago, and it marked the beginning of the Jets’ search for a replacement for Joe Namath.