[ginge01]

I got a new Jets auto today in the mail, good ol USPS.
The card has two autos on it, the 1985 overall 1st rd pick (QB Vinny Testaverde) and a 1983 1st rd pick, also a QB.

For the older football fans, or draftniks, 1983 was an incredible draft, to date there are 6 first round picks who are in the Hall of Fame, a 7th HOF is Richard Dent drafted later.
In 1982 the Jets lost in the AFC Championship, Richard Todd had thrown 5 interceptions, Jets management decided they needed a new QB, and would draft one 1 in the 1983 1st round. So the picks went
1 QB John Elway Baltimore Colts, traded to Denver HOF (Hall of Fame)
2 RB Eric Dickerson Los Angeles Rams HOF
7 QB Todd Blackledge Kansas City Chiefs
9 OT Bruce Matthews Houston Oilers HOF
14 QB Jim Jelly Buffalo Bills HOF (Get well soon, Jets fans wish you well)
15 QB Tony Eason New England Patriots

24 QB Ken O'Brien New York Jets
After that, the remainder of the 28 pick 1st round went
25 C Dave Rimington Cincinnati Bengals
26 C Don Mosebar Los Angeles Raiders
27 QB Dan Marino Miami Dolphins HOF
28 CB Darrell Green Washington Redskins HOF

so here's my 1983 QB auto card




















I can't believe it, we picked the wrong QB, he had epic battles against Ken O'Brien (1984-1992) including the Jets 1986 51-45 OT win when O'Brien threw 4 TD's including the winner, Marino threw 6 TD's, he battled against Boomer Esiason (1993-95), and Vinny Testaverde (1998-99).

Now I'm a Jets fan who owns a Dan Marino Dolphins auto in my Jets collection. It is a beautiful card but it feels strange, a Dan Marino Miami Dolphins auto in my Jets collection. What if the Jets had drafted him when they had the chance, no Browning Nagle, no Neil O'Donnell.

The Jets had a habit of picking the wrong player at a position in the same year,
1985 WR picked Al Toon, Jerry Rice was available
1990 RB picked Blair Thomas, Emmitt Smith was available.
1991 QB picked Browning Nagle, the Jets could not get a trade to move up in the 2nd round, so were left picking one pick after Atlanta who drafted who the Jets wanted, QB Brett Favre. The assistant GM who wanted him was Ron Wolf, who left after that year to be the Green Bay Packers GM in 1992, he gave up the 1992 Packers 1st round pick to get Favre, the rest is history.

The Jets could have had the triplets, never mind Troy, Emmitt and Michael, we could have had Dan, Jerry and Emmitt. That should have been worth a Super Bowl visit or two.

What might have been.

Enjoy

J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets

[yankeesjetsfan]

That's a sweet card. I just wish you didn't remind me of our draft mistakes, lol.

Mike

[jaykayzee]

It was always one of my favorite parts of the draft watching the Jets pass on some sure-fire guy, and the Jets fans loosing their honking minds over it in the balcony!! Just always seems like the fans in Old New York have better instincts on guys than the team staff.....

I mean, what other team has a coach who's wife is sporting a tattoo referencing the biggest QB bust this side of Ryan Leaf (and that includes Tebow)..

This pretty much says it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZxNeFLuY98

[estuaryman]

I've seen that card floating around on ebay...a nice pickup but a bit...not right in a Jets PC?!!!

I became a Jets fan in 1984, a year after the 1983 draft. Football had just come to these shores in England and I fell in love with the game.

As a kid I had a Ken O'Brien jersey. I knew a little about the '83 draft, but back then we had limited coverage. A weekly newspaper and a one hour highlights show.

To be fair, Ken O'Brien wasn't THAT bad. He made the Pro Bowl twice. And he always seemed to step up his game against the Dolphins.

Anyway, I stumbled across this recently. It's the ESPN 30 for 30 story about the 1983 draft. I'll leave the link below.

Honestly...I think we let Marino slide because of the rumours of drug taking. Scouts rate "character" as a big factor regardless of talent. Sometimes it comes back to bite them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk89BTxcBAk

[robsvideos]

I guess when all is said and done. They both have the same number of superbowl rings.

[sconnienation3]

Yeah, but you've got to remember that Al Toon coming out of college was a world-class athlete and basically couldn't be covered. Rice came from a small school and was still somewhat of an unknown. Not that he would have challenged Rice's records, but the concussions certainly shortened what was a very good career.

Plus, is O'Brien over Marino better or worse than Mandarich over Barry Sanders? lol

[ginge01]

It was always one of my favorite parts of the draft watching the Jets pass on some sure-fire guy, and the Jets fans loosing their honking minds over it in the balcony!! Just always seems like the fans in Old New York have better instincts on guys than the team staff.....

I mean, what other team has a coach who's wife is sporting a tattoo referencing the biggest QB bust this side of Ryan Leaf (and that includes Tebow)..

This pretty much says it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZxNeFLuY98

I'm not a Mark Sanchez apologist, but he got quickly picked up after the Jets released him as there is potential, the need for improved accuracy is obvious. He has 4 road, yes road playoff wins, beating Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Philip Rivers. That is not the biggest bust since Ryan Leaf, names like Tim Couch, Akili Smith, Joey Harrington, David Carr are further up that list, and I have not mentioned JaMarcus Russell who was a 1st overall pick. Just saying

[ginge01]

I've seen that card floating around on ebay...a nice pickup but a bit...not right in a Jets PC?!!!

I became a Jets fan in 1984, a year after the 1983 draft. Football had just come to these shores in England and I fell in love with the game.

As a kid I had a Ken O'Brien jersey. I knew a little about the '83 draft, but back then we had limited coverage. A weekly newspaper and a one hour highlights show.

To be fair, Ken O'Brien wasn't THAT bad. He made the Pro Bowl twice. And he always seemed to step up his game against the Dolphins.

Anyway, I stumbled across this recently. It's the ESPN 30 for 30 story about the 1983 draft. I'll leave the link below.

Honestly...I think we let Marino slide because of the rumours of drug taking. Scouts rate "character" as a big factor regardless of talent. Sometimes it comes back to bite them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wk89BTxcBAk

I'm also English, starting watching football on British channel 4 in 1982, the Jets went to the AFC championship game, I've been a Jets fan since.
Agreed Ken O'Brien was not that bad, he took too many hits in 1985 & 1986, he had got the highest QB rating in the AFC in 1985, he was never the same after 1986. He had several great games against the Dolphins, home in 1986 & 1988, a big win in Miami in 1989, Marino throwing 5 ints. Unfortunately the 1983 QB's are compared and Elway, Kelly, Marino and Eason went to the Super Bowl, so not that bad hurts when we never took Marino. I've seen the 30 for 30, my friend has met Ken O'Brien and says he's a nice guy. The Marino rumors, with drugs in college, who knows where they came from, but the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New York Jets missed on Marino.

---

Yeah, but you've got to remember that Al Toon coming out of college was a world-class athlete and basically couldn't be covered. Rice came from a small school and was still somewhat of an unknown. Not that he would have challenged Rice's records, but the concussions certainly shortened what was a very good career.

Plus, is O'Brien over Marino better or worse than Mandarich over Barry Sanders? lol

No, it's nowhere near Mandarich over Barry Sanders, Derrick Thomas or Deion Sanders who were the next 3 picks in 1989.

Al Toon was a college start world class athlete, that is true, Jerry Rice was not an unknown, the 49ers had won the Super Bowl so picked 28th in the 1985 NFL draft. The great head coach of the 49ers Bill Walsh knew about Rice and they traded up to 16 to get him, in front of the Dallas Cowboys. Walsh was a drafting guru and he knew Rice's capabilities. Sad to see the cheap head shots that Al Toon took, one from Jerry Glanville's Oilers, that concussion were brutal. It's good to see he's in a lot better health today. In 1986 & 1987 he was a genuine Pro Bowler before those concussions.

[phinzphan1372]

sooo???? Im a dolphins with 2x jets autos in my dolphins pc……

this one in my Thomas PC




And this ones in my marino PC !

/10



not as good of a story …. but I do feel your pain….

[ginge01]

sooo???? Im a dolphins with 2x jets autos in my dolphins pc……

this one in my Thomas PC




And this ones in my marino PC !

/10



not as good of a story …. but I do feel your pain….

It's a good story, the Namath / Marino card is a beautiful card, thanks for sharing.