Jets legend Matt Snell passes away at 84

In what comes as tragic news, former New York Jets star and the defining figure of Super Bowl III, Matt Snell, has passed away at the age of 84 on Wednesday. Snell, who played a pivotal role in the Jets’ 1969 championship win, died on Long Island, as confirmed by his son Beau Snell per a post on X by ESPN’s Rich Cimini.

The rugged 6-foot-2 back produced 121 rushing yards on 30 carries and scored the only Jets touchdown in their 16–7 upset of the heavily favored Baltimore Colts, a game widely regarded as one of the most significant in league history because it legitimized the AFL ahead of its merger with the NFL in 1970. Snell’s performance in that championship game remains one of the most influential single-game efforts in Super Bowl history.

His 121 rushing yards were the first 100-yard rushing performance ever recorded in a Super Bowl, and his 4-yard touchdown run in the second quarter gave New York a lead it never relinquished. While quarterback Joe Namath famously guaranteed the victory and captured the game’s MVP award, Snell was also crucial in the game.

In total, he accounted for 161 yards from scrimmage (121 rushing and 40 receiving) in the game. Overall, Snell’s career with the Jets spanned nine seasons from 1964 to 1972, during which he established himself as one of the American Football League’s most complete backs.

He rushed for 4,285 yards and 24 touchdowns, added 193 receptions for 1,375 yards and seven scores, and appeared in 84 games, finishing fourth on the Jets’ all-time rushing list. Snell’s impact began immediately after he entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick in the 1964 AFL Draft, despite also being selected by the New York Giants in the NFL draft before the leagues merged their draft process.

In his rookie season for the Jets, he rushed 215 times for 948 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 4.4 yards per carry, while also catching 56 passes for 393 yards. That earned him AFL Rookie of the Year honors, with his best years coming in the late 1960s.