Larry Grantham‘s death this past Saturday at 78 leaves behind a legacy that even the biggest fans of the New York Jets don’t know as much about as they should.
His professional career was inextricably tied to head coach Weeb Ewbank. A 15th round draft pick in 1960 of the Baltimore Colts (who were coming off back-to-back NFL championships), Colts general manager Don Kellet and Ewbank told the All-America end/lineman coming out of U Miss that they would keep only a rookie or two for the 1960 season. That all but made Larry’s decision to join the AFL’s New York Titans for him.