Former Jets running back and Super Bowl III star Matt Snell died Tuesday at the age of 84, The Post has confirmed.
Snell made waves in his debut in 1964, winning AFL Rookie of the Year honors in a season that included a franchise single-game record 180 yards in a win over the Oilers.
Jets quarterback Joe Namath hands off the football to Matt Snell during Super Bowl III in Miami, Fla., on Jan. 12, 1969. AP
His star rose further when he spurred an upset win over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, rushing for 121 yards on 30 carries and scoring the team’s only touchdown — while playing on an injured knee.
“Matt Snell will forever hold a special place in the history of the New York Jets,” said Jets chairman Woody Johnson said in a statement. “He was the embodiment of toughness, selflessness, and belief — traits that defined our organization’s proudest moments. His performance in Super Bowl III was nothing short of legendary. Against the odds, Matt set the tone with his physical running, delivering the Jets’ lone touchdown and helping secure one of the most important victories in sports history.”
Matt Snell’s Jets headshot. New York Post
Further injuries stalled out his career, limiting him to just 12 games over his final three seasons before retiring in 1972 at the age of 31.
“I’m really sad to hear that he passed,” iconic Jets quarterback Namath said, via the team. “Matt was not only a hell of a player — he was a terrific teammate and without him we wouldn’t have had a chance to win a championship.”
Things between Snell and Gang Green famously soured in the days after his career ended in a grudge that he continued to carry to the very end.
“Those people there now don’t owe me anything,” Snell told The Post’s Brian Costello in 2015 when he was inducted into the franchise’s Ring of Honor. “I’ll be gone soon, too.”
The mystery behind that grudge was revealed in Bob Lederer’s 2018 book, “Beyond Broadway Joe: The Super Bowl Team That Changed Football,” in which Snell said then-part-owner Sonny Werblin promised him a place with the team for life, but felt the organization didn’t follow through after Werblin’s stake was bought out.
“I don’t know if Sonny ever communicated what he had promised me to the other owners. I know there were people around the organization that were not happy that Sonny and I were friends, and some of them jumped on the opportunity to say bad things about me when Sonny was gone,” Snell said. “It may be that no one in Jets management knew about Sonny’s promises to me, but in 1974, there was a recession and I was in line for a construction job. I asked the Jets for a reference. They told me they didn’t do that for players. They said they couldn’t do it! Can you believe that? I can’t prove it, but I don’t think any of that would have ever happened if Sonny were in charge. That’s why I don’t get along with the organization now.”
The Jets — with a new front office from ownership on down — attempted to right the wrong with Snell, but to no avail.
He remains in the record books, however, with his 4,285 career yards ranking fourth in franchise history, with his 24 touchdowns 10th among Gang Green rushers. He added 193 receptions for 1,375 yards and seven scores through the air. For his efforts, he was a three-time Pro Bowler and thrice named an All-Pro, earning First-Team honors in 1969.
Snell is survived by his wife Sharon, son Beau and daughter Jada, as well as grandson Donte.