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Tribune News Service
Tribune News Service
Sport
Antwan Staley

Former Jets Darrelle Revis, Joe Klecko elected to Pro Football Hall of Fame

Gang Green will be well represented at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in August later this year.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis and defensive lineman Joe Klecko were both elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Revis was one of the five modern-era inductees along with former Browns tackle Joe Thomas, former Cowboys and Broncos linebacker DeMarcus Ware, former Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber, and former Dolphins linebacker Zach Thomas. He played eight seasons for the Jets as he retired in 2018 after also playing for the Buccaneers, the Patriots and the Chiefs. After being selected 14th overall in the 2007 NFL Draft, Revis lived up to expectations and then some.

During his 11 seasons in the league, Revis became one of the greatest shutdown corners in NFL history as he registered 29 interceptions, 832 combined tackles and 139 passes defended. He only allowed 0.93 yards per cover snap and a 64.5 completion percentage during his career. The shutdown corner was a four-time First Team All-Pro selection, was chosen to seven Pro Bowls and was a Super Bowl winner in 2014 with the Patriots.

Revis was so good Jet fans gave him the nickname “Revis Island.”

During the 2009 season, when the Jets made it to the AFC Championship before losing to the Colts, no receiver caught more than five receptions and 34 yards against him as he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting to Charles Woodson, who is also in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Revis is the 11th cornerback to be selected to the Hall on the first ballot.

Klecko was one of three finalists named to the Hall of Fame by the Seniors Committee in August, along with Chuck Howley, a former outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears (1958-59) and the Dallas Cowboys (1961-1973) and former Bengals cornerback Ken Riley (1969-1983). He played 11 seasons for the Jets as he excelled at defensive end, defensive tackle and nose tackle.

Klecko was a two-time All-Pro, leading the NFL with 20.5 sacks in 1981 when the stat was unofficial (it became an official league statistic in 1982).

Along with Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam, Klecko is a charter member of the New York Sack Exchange. His 78 sacks are second in Jets history only to Gastineau (107.5). Klecko finished second to Giants outside linebacker Lawrence Taylor in voting for the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, but he won the Pro Football Writers of America Defensive Player of the Year while helping lead the Jets to the playoffs for the first time since 1969. He is the only player in NFL history to be selected for the Pro Bowl at three different positions.

Both Revis and Klecko will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio on August 5.

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