Former New York Jets receiver Richard Caster passed away on Friday, Feb. 2 after battling Parkinson’s disease. He was 75 years old. In the days since the Jets community has come together in its remembrance of one of the Jets’ best from the 1970s.
On Monday, New York owner Woody Johnson took to social media to remember the icon.
“Richard Caster was a three-time Pro Bowler and all around great player,” Johnson posted. “He will be dearly missed by the entire Jets family.”
Caster spent the first eight years of his NFL career with New York. In that time, he earned Pro Bowl honors three times. He caught 245 passes in the green and white for 4,434 yards and 36 of his 45 career touchdowns.
Perhaps Caster’s longest-lasting impact on the field was the hybrid role he played in New York’s offense. He blurred the lines between receiver and tight end, but at 6-5, 228 pounds, he posed a threat to defenders at any position.
“The general approach from most teams defensively was to try to cover the tight end with a linebacker,” Caster said in a 2018 interview with the Jets. “And I could outrun most linebackers or any linebacker that I ever ran into, really. But it was pretty much not a secret. ‘OK, let’s see how this matches up, if it holds up.’ It didn’t hold up.”
Caster became a Super Bowl champion during the final season of his professional career, with Washington.
According to the team’s official website, Caster also left an extensive mark off the field. He spent time with the Bronx Boys Club, New York Urban League, and Dimes Walkathon. He also served on the board of the Joe Namath Foundation, one of his several off-field endeavors meant to help the vulnerable and underserved.
Caster is remembered by older Jets fans for his impact on the field and by his teammates and community members for the man he was. He is survived by his wife, Susan, and five children.
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