Hall of Fame tackle Anthony Muñoz said about Klecko, "In my 13 seasons, Joe is right there at the top of the defensive ends I had to block, up there with Fred Dean, Lee Roy Selmon and Bruce Smith. Joe was the strongest guy I ever faced" Hall of Fame guard Joe DeLamielleure added that "You can’t think of this ten year period without him. I had to block Joe Greene and Merlin Olsen when I was playing and, believe me, Joe Klecko was equal to those two guys. If Joe Klecko had played one position for ten years, he’d have been considered one of the top two or three players at that position, whichever one it was. There’s not another player who went to the Pro Bowl at three different positions. You take a defensive end and put him at nose tackle and he’s just as good there, that’s a great player. We need to get Joe Klecko in the Hall of Fame." taken from his wikipedia page
As a long time Raiders fan --Mr. Klecko was long overdue to be inducted to the HOF. A helluva player and person! Now he's getting his roses and I am glad that the younger generation of football players and fans will get to see the big impact he made on the game when he's inducted in August. #Salute
@@zackhicks5320 Jets and Raiders have a rivalry going as far back as the AFC league days. It's a sign of respect to acknowledge a rival's impact on the game.
@@linkercasas1004 had* that rivalry is long dead now. Also, it doesn’t matter. You should be able to recognize a great player regardless of what team you’re a fan of. Again, it’s irrelevant to Joe Klecko being a great player or not.
Man great to hear Howie Long continually praise Joe Klecko! I truly believe he along with Gary Myers helped secure the Hall of Fame for Joe! Well done!
Damn straight he belongs in the HOF! I’ve been a fan of his before the sack stats even started. He deserves that gold jacket and golden bust. Can you imagine, with all of these quarterbacks throwing up these crazy stats these days, what Joe would do to the sack records? Shit, c’mon man!
Smedleywallacekennedy Sadly, guys like Joe would be crippled by penalties in the way the league favors offenses these days. Somewhere along the way to league forgot that defenses play football too.
perennial All Pro Joe D and HOG Hog Hannah vouching for him! And these LAME HOF selections of this past decade? By all recall accounts of seeing this guy play, NFL segments on him, and all those NFL magazine of him in the early 80s' ----demonstrates how Badd this dude was. Especially the notation of that kind of level of play at DE, DT and NT! ---like Howie!? My All-Time team has DT Manster and Howie, and I had Hampton and Klecko as backup. NOW I think Klecko is greater than Manster.
As an avid Bills fan throughout my youth and young adult life,....the Jets were not my favorite of course.... but Joe Klecko was a guy I loved to watch! This guy was one of my favorite players and it didn't matter if he was lining up against the Bills or not. Hall of Famer? Of course!!!! Give the man his due! He didn't have to open his mouth like the idiots of today do,...his actions spoke volumes over anything he could have wanted to say. Joe,....if by chance you are reading this,....just hang on and I can assure you that you will be in the HOF soon enough!
Joe Klecko not being in the. Hall of Fame is an outrage and an injustice.- the. man was SO INCREDIBLY DOMINANT against. triple teams on almost every play and still either made the tackle for a huge loss or the. sack. - 3 different. Positions. at all pro - he was relentless.- HOF center Dwight Stephenson was quoted as stating beyond a shadow of. a doubt that Joe was the hardest man to block in his entire carreer! ! Cmon now , do what is soo long overdue and put this man where he belongs- THE PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF. Fame ! !
I was fortunate to be with Mr Klecko at Men’s Day Conference in NYC some years ago he sighed my jersey and granted me a photo. As young teen watching Jets from Namath to present. Mr klecko was my favorite after Namath of course. The energy he displayed as the “Main Speaker’. Brought chills of the sack exchange! Man he can orate as well as his game WOW! THIS MAN DEFINITELY BELONGS AND WAY OVER DUE FOR INDUCTION TO THE HOF! THANKS JOE FOR THE MEMORIES…. GO JETS!
As a kid growing up during the height of the NY Sack Exchange, I got to see Joe play often. As the years have gone by, you start to wonder why he isn't in the HoF. You just wonder why this guy was never seriously considered for induction. He is as great a talent as ever played defensive football. One of the very best.
Great, great man. Watched him play as a kid back in NY. My mom met him and he was nothing but a gentleman. Signed autographs, stayed for lunch at he work. It's about time he got in.
You should go to the next induction ceremony and debate your theory about the HOF being a joke, with all of the HOF'ers. I am sure they would all concur with you
@@bauerj3398 , you miss the point! Dosen't suprise me. Why do i care what they think?. The fact that Joe Kleco is not in, shows that the VOTING process is a joke! It lessens the importance of any HOF when deserving players are left out, but other lesser players with more friends and connections get in!!! See the point, Sparky?
@@robmorrison1043 Doesn't surprise me that you would say something ludicrous and then try to pass it off as 'not your point'. "Why do I care what they think"? THAT is MY point. The HOF, and the NFL players don't give a sh1t what some anonymous nobody thinks about the NFL and HOF. Good luck dealing with your irrelevance on the matter and frustration and anger that is at play.
@@bauerj3398 , Exactly, imbicile! The fact that they don't care what someone outside their inner circle thinks, IS THE PROBLEM. They should be concerned when someone who deserves to be in, is NOT!!!!! I get the feeling your knowledge if football and sports in general, could fit in a THIMBLE!
I'm 65 years old and have seen all the greats from the mid 1960's and on. As a Giants fan Klecko was the one Jet I wanted on my Giant team. What a player Joe was. I used to imagine playing tackle on those great Defensive clubs from 84-93. What do think, they switch to a 4-3 or leave Klecko in the middle of the 3-4. Does it really matter,na beast is a beast!!! WOW, LT, LEONARD Marshall, Jim Burt, Carl Banks, Pepper Johnson ETC ETC, ETC!!!!
About time for 73 my favorite player from my favorite team 2022 will go down as a incredible year 73 and Revis Island going into the Hall of Fame !!! 🏆🏆
Yes I’m a Jets fan but it’s criminal he isn’t in the hall of fame the guy was a beast and without him Mark G would have never had even close to that many sacks he was doubled team every play even as a nose tackle .
It’s insane to watch these back now, Joe is my uncle on my dads side, and Dan is my cousin. It’s insane that I’m able to be related to two amazing football players and Joe for sure deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
Joe Kleco totally deserves tobe in the hall of fame. He the reason i played those same positions and i played like him. I want to a social media frenzy to send him to the NFL HALL OF FAME. THANK Mr. Klecko for you awesome ability to the game the way it needed tone played. Im tip my hat to sir for some awesome playing and skills unmatched.
Yep not being a jets fan .. I so enjoyed what Klecko did .. so strong, quick and smart too.. He impressed me all the time and I started tuning into jets games just to watch Joe.. When he went to nose tackle.. I told others to watch.. and many did..The things Joe could do and the excitement he created was so fun to see.. As a raider and Steelers fan since 1961.. and a fan of Howie long and Joe Greene.. Klecko was a giant who just out did everyone.. Joe was amazing as Butkus and just as effective.. Long live joe and all that saw him play.. So strong..
HE WILL ALWAYS BE MY FAVORITE BALLPLAYER. HOW CAN CANTON CONTINUALLY PASS OVER THIS MAN THAT HAS MORE ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAN ANY OTHER. MICHAEL STRAHAN DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE THERE BEFORE JOE KLECKO... GIVE THIS MAN HIS DUE... LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE THAT PLAYED AGAINST HIM AND WITH HIM... PUT HIM WHERE HE DESERVES TO BE...
Can we please go back to these 80’s Jets uniforms? Hands down considered a HOF player by his HOF peers. Could you imagine Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau playing today? They would be unstoppable. They both should be in the HOF.
Klecko is the man I wanted to be like most when I was playing look up to and admire Joe being a guy from Philly that played at temple like him he was it that was the man.
About time DAMMMMMMMM they don't even mention the injuries he played with or the comeback from the injuries. Dominate and dominated three positions on the defensive line. NEW YORK SACK EXCHANGE. PROUD STRONG EXCELLENCE💪💪👊👊
Love it! Seen this video like ten times!! So happy Joe is finally getting into the Hall of Fame!! Long over due! I somehow gotta get to the induction ceremony! He is one of my two favorite Jets of all time!! The other is Darrelle Revis! What a year for being a Jets Fan!! LEEETTTTTTTSSSSSSS GGGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Politics Absolutely Joe Klecko should be in Canton. During the prime of his career John Hannah struggled to block him.The film supports the argument for him to be In Canton
I wore a Klecko jersey to games back in the day when he played. Joe was one of the most dominant defensive interior linemen ever. He wrecked so many game plans. I remember being at the bears game when Walter Payton came in with a long 100 yard game streak & their all pro center Jay Hilgenberg tried taking Joe on one-on-one. Joe was in the backfield on almost every run play. Payton had like 20+ runs for only like 50 yards. My friends and I agreed we would never visit the HOF in Canton OH til Joe was voted in... well, now we are in our 60s and we may be finally making the trip this summer !
Was fortunate enough to attend a charity dinner with my father and sit at a table with Joe. At one point, he reached under my father's chair (my dad was over 200 pounds) and lifted him in the chair above his head, with one arm. A one arm press of over 200 pounds. And he did it like he was lifting a child. The guy was super nice, but was stronger than a bull.
Loved Klecko! An amazing player that has yet to be recognized by the HOF committee. My reasons for having HOF coaches and players have a vote on the induction of HOF selectees. The writers, mist of which have never played the game, should not have the final say on who is selected into the HOF period.
Thank God the long overdue list for the Hall has gradually dwindled in recent times because it was too damn long a list while some who got voted or received votes weren't as worthy! That is certainly not the case when it comes to Joe Klecko! He was a combination of the worthy and long overdue! Way to go Joe! I've been watching the NFL on a regular basis since I was a first grader in 1979 and I remember watching him regularly growing up on TV because being from Central PA, the regions' teams were on frequently! Gastineau was the freak/nut on that Sack Exchange Line but Klecko was the difference maker because most of what would happen revolved around him! He'd be doubled teamed a lot and still made plays because of his savvy mind and lateral ability! Without Klecko the Sack Exchange would have had the value of pennies or less change anyway! As a group they all brought strengths, but Klecko was the centerpiece! Like Cliff Branch a few years ago, this was decades in coming to fruition!
My father took us to training camp practices often. I loved it. It was Joe Klecko and Mark Gastineau who once actually remembered my brothers, sister and I as “the kids from Canada.” I still have all those autographs.
Many Hall of Famers had said that Klecko was their hardest block. He was shorted in fame because while sacking the QB, it wasn't a stat back then. He is also the only player to make the Pro Bowl in 3 different defensive positions!!
He was a boxer and he had **great** 'Karate Kid' 'wax on-wax off' skills at the line of scrimmage. Offensive lineman weren't going to block him by getting their hands square on his chest or shoulder pads. I would not respond 'WTF?' to wake up and find him in Canton.
I don't know why it took so long for Klecko to get in, he was a complete game stopper. I remember watching him and Marty Lyons back in the late 70s early 80s.
That Smokey and the Bandit 2 appearance almost makes him a Hall of Famer already. He was a great player. Shouldn't have taken this long for him to get in.
Enough said, Joe Klecko should be in Canton's NFL hall of fame. He deserves a second look by the senior committee. I mean i am just a fan, look at what stars from his era are saying. They're recommending him for the hall of fame. As fans we should keep the pressure on, hurt the NFL by not watching their games and do not visit their hall of fame.
The man was an absolute beast pure strength and heart Been lucky enough to watch him through his career live no matter where he lined up he was dominant if he was on a winning team he would have been there in the hall a long time ago
Back in the day, ESPN did a blood relationship tandem thing in the nfl. No mention of multiple pro bowler Joe Klecko, or his son Dan, who won 2 superbowl rings. -with the patriots & colts respectively.
Klecko was one of those relentless players where even if an offensive lineman kept him off his quarterback, that lineman took an awful beating in doing so. Strong like ox.
Two of my favorite players Howie Long and Joe Klecko. THIS GUY WAS DOMINANT AT 3 DEFENSIVE LINE POSITION. When you have other HOF players like Howie Long, John Hannah, Anthony Munoz stating this guy belongs in the HOF then the voters better take notice and vote this guy in!
