The Life And Career Of Joe Klecko (Story)

Joe Klecko speaks during the 2023 Pro Football Hall of Fame — (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)

In the early 1980s, the New York Jets had one of the NFL’s most talented and terrifying defensive lines.

Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Mark Gastineau, and Joe Klecko made up the “New York Sack Exchange” and were responsible for 66 combined sacks in 1981 alone.

Klecko was the group leader and consistently played outstanding football during his decade in the Big Apple.

Joe Klecko – Leading the “New York Sack Exchange” Joe was a monster when playing three different positions. With having his jersey retired by the Jets and being a two-time first team All-Pro, Joe will be enshrined into Canton forever. #Jets pic.twitter.com/3vmLqDLd7R

— NFL Alumni (@NFLAlumni) July 11, 2023

By the time he retired, Klecko had become just the second NFL player in history to make the Pro Bowl at three positions.

However, as pro football fans now know, Klecko’s natural ability and inclination for sacking the quarterback almost didn’t happen.

Not heavily recruited by colleges after high school, he was content to start working a 9-5 job.

Fate intervened and Klecko played semi-pro ball before matriculating to Temple University.

While in college, Klecko developed his speed and power and became a two-time All-American before being drafted by the Jets in 1977.

Then, in 2023, Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, cementing his legacy forever.

This is the story of Joe Klecko.

Apprehensive Prep Athlete

Joseph Edward Klecko was born on October 15, 1953, in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Born #OTD 10/15/1953 Joe Klecko (1977-87 #Jets, 1988 #Colts). #NFL pic.twitter.com/r1m8jSvAoy

— Ken Crippen (@KenCrippen) October 15, 2016

It’s hard to imagine now, but the future Pro Football Hall of Famer had no interest in the sport as a youngster.

Klecko’s father had competed in semi-pro football but did not push his son to play.

Instead, Klecko joined a local baseball team and spent the rest of his time running from bullies.

“Man, I was a terrible sissy, always, always getting beat up,” Klecko said in 1979.

As a freshman at St. James High School, Klecko decided to make his father proud by going out for the football team.

His first day of practice didn’t go so well.

“I had gone out when I was a freshman in high school and I had lined up against one of the big guys. They had a plank drill to see who was the toughest and who would knock who off the board,” he said. “I lined up and one of the coaches told me to get out of there before I got hurt. I was so shy. I got embarrassed and I left.”

Klecko returned home and was met by the disappointment of his father.

He then spent the next two years tinkering with cars and working at his uncle’s gas station.

No Interest in College

During his sophomore and junior years, Klecko grew significantly in size and weight and he decided to try his hand at football again as a senior.

This time, he fared well in the plank drill and made the team as a defensive lineman.

After seeing limited playing time at the beginning of the season, Klecko soon became a starter and ended his senior year as an All-County and All-League selection.

Joe Klecko was cut as a high school freshman and never returned to the field until his senior season at St. James in Chester, Pennsylvania. According to the Delaware County Daily Times was a “bench-warmer” for the first games of his high school career. pic.twitter.com/XPHit9evhg

— High School Football America (@HSFBamerica) August 5, 2023

A number of colleges contacted Klecko about playing for their programs, but were worried about his poor grades.

Some of the programs suggested that Klecko attend a prep school to get his grades up.

However, that was the last thing he wanted to do.

“Listen, I couldn’t go through another year of Jane Eyre,” he said. “And I didn’t need college. I already had a good job driving a truck.”

Shortly after his senior year, Klecko started driving 18-wheelers.

He was good at what he did and Klecko proved adept at handling challenging loads.

“I once fought my way across the country carrying a propeller for a supertanker,” he said. “The thing weighed 130,000 pounds and was 22 feet across, wide as most roadways.”

Klecko continued to drive trucks across the country and was resolved to continue doing so for the rest of his life.

That’s when fate intervened.

Aston Knights

To keep himself busy when he wasn’t working, Klecko played on a local softball team.

During one of the games, a fellow player asked Klecko to try his hand at semi-pro football.

“I went to a softball game one day,” he said, “and one of the guys who was there was the coach of the Aston (Pa.) Knights (a semi-pro football team), and he said ‘Joe, a lot of the guys come out to play. Why don’t you come out?’ I missed it (football), and I liked it. And I had grown a lot more by now.”

Klecko wasn’t quite sure about playing for the Knights and he drove over to watch a practice with his girlfriend.

When they got to the practice field, Klecko took one look at the rag tag team and decided to go home.

Hall of Famer Joe Klecko, from a Pro! Magazine profile in 1978. The second photo is from 1971 when Klecko played semi-pro ball in PA under the name Jim Jones for the Aston Knights. 🏈 #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/Mq2NYxseul

— Ken Gelman (@kengfunk) August 5, 2023

His girlfriend, Debbie, (who would become his wife) had other ideas.

“I made a few excuses to Debbie and she suddenly grabbed the keys out of the ignition and threw them out the window. I said, ‘What the heck did you do that for?’ When I went out to get the keys, the guys saw me and said, ‘Joe, come on over.’ I tried out for the team and I made it. If it wasn’t for Debbie making me get out of my car, I wouldn’t be sitting here today wearing this gold jacket,’’ said Klecko at his Hall of Fame induction in 2023.

One of the organizers of the Knights, Joe DiGregorio, was also the equipment manager with the Temple University football team.

In order to preserve Klecko’s college eligibility (should he ever decide to attend college), DiGregorio advised Klecko not to take any pay and to change his name.

From then on, Klecko was known as Jim Jones from Poland University.

“You know,” said Klecko, “good old Cracow A&M.”

Temple University

During his lone season with the Knights, Klecko played well against an assortment of characters and made a name for himself.

The competition varied from competent athletes to wanna-bes, but Klecko held his own.

He also got a taste of life in the semi-pro world.

“I would get on the bus for a road trip and I was wet beyond the ears like nobody’s business,” Klecko said. “I’m 18 years old and they’re getting cases of beer and bottles of liquor for the ride home. I’m like this is new to me; it’s crazy. It was the guys who were the real nuts and bolts of football back then.”

Klecko’s size and speed were eye-opening and DiGregorio went to his boss at Temple, Coach Wayne Hardin, and put in a good word.

“O.K., I’ll look at the game films,” Hardin said. “Game films?” said DiGregorio. “They can’t afford ’em. And besides, they’d probably be X-rated. Just look at the kid.”

Hardin attended one of the Knights final games of the season and couldn’t believe what he saw.

Ray Didinger and Joe Klecko, two Temple, St. James and NFL Hall of Famers. pic.twitter.com/0p2LP5KcyM

— Mike Gibson (@papreps) August 6, 2023

He offered Klecko a scholarship to play for the Owls on the spot.

Klecko talked to Debbie and his parents and briefly considered not going to college because he was paid well as a truck driver.

After several conversations with his loved ones, Klecko made his way to Temple.

Diamond in the Rough

It was easy to mistake Klecko for a miniature tank when he arrived as a freshman in 1973.

Even as a 19-year old, he had the body of a pro wrestler, complete with tree trunk legs and arms filled with muscles.

His strength was even more evident during one of his first practices.

When the Owls’ starting running back neared Klecko, the defensive lineman grabbed him, turned the back upside down, and slammed him down.

The result was an incapacitated teammate who needed days to recover.

As Temple went 9-1 in 1973, Klecko played surprisingly well for a newcomer and was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference’s Rookie of the Week in October after bagging five sacks and making 15 tackles against Delaware.

One year later, Klecko led the Owls in tackles as the team went 8-2 in 1974.

#TBT salutes today's Owls-to-Jets theme: @Temple_FB/@nyjets great Joe Klecko with Coach Hardin, 1976 pic.twitter.com/AqL3wEWQGQ

— Temple University (@TempleUniv) January 15, 2015

He led the team in tackles again during his junior and senior seasons and was also named All-East and All-American both years.

For good measure, Klecko took up boxing while at Temple and competed in the heavyweight division.

He won two club titles in his weight class and compiled a 34-1 record.

Former heavyweight champion Joe Frazier’s people then sought out Klecko to be a sparring partner.

That venture didn’t last long.

“…one of his punches that missed was enough to convince me not to become a professional boxer,” recalled Klecko.

Due to his outstanding athletic career with the Owls, Klecko was named to Temple’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1987.

Klecko becomes a Jet

Temple University isn’t well known for its football team, but NFL clubs were aware of who Klecko was.

He hoped to be drafted in 1977 by the Philadelphia Eagles, but the franchise passed on him.

At long last, with the 144th overall selection in the sixth round of the draft, the New York Jets took Klecko.

@nyjets Joe Klecko New York Sack Exchange member was a 6th round pick! pic.twitter.com/RmqpwPojle

— Paul Howard (@PaulHoward_IMIT) April 22, 2022

Already on the Jets roster at the time was defensive tackle Abdul Salaam, who was drafted by New York in 1976 from Kent State.

During training camp, Klecko did anything he could to prove he belonged.

Head coach Walt Michaels and the veteran Jets players knew they had something when Klecko removed a teammate’s helmet during practice and proceeded to punch him in the face.

It was shortly after that the New York players began calling Klecko “Killer.”

Michaels and the defensive coaches were astounded at how well the 6’3, 263 pound Klecko moved and switched him from defensive tackle to defensive end by the end of training camp.

“Killer” then spent the first part of his rookie year playing in obvious pass rush situations and eventually became an every-down end by the end of 1977.

In a Week 13 contest against the Buffalo Bills, Klecko thoroughly frustrated Bills veteran center Willie Parker.

After Klecko bagged three sacks against him, Parker yelled in frustration at his coaches.

“It’s fourth down and we run off the field. Willie takes his helmet off, gives it to our (OL coach) and says, ‘You block him. I can’t block him. We cannot block him like this,'” said Bills guard Joe DeLamielleure.

Although the NFL didn’t keep track of sacks at the time, Klecko unofficially netted eight sacks which led all rookies that year.

Klecko Makes a Name for Himself

Having a background in boxing helped Klecko battle any foe that got in his way.

“I play a man in front of me,” Klecko said. “All right. The man is obstructing me from getting to my destination, which is the ballcarrier. Now, I must physically abuse this man if he continues to obstruct me. I then proceed on my path to the ballcarrier and I lay the hardest hit on him that I can. And the play is over when he’s on the ground or out of play.”

During his second year in 1978, Klecko scored another unofficial eight sacks while he and Coach Michaels worked to get on the same page.

“Walt and I had some tense little conversations,” recalled Klecko. “We used to yell at each other behind closed doors, but he respected that and could handle it.”

New York improved from three wins in 1977 to eight wins in 1978 and Klecko wowed his opponents and teammates alike with his fierce desire and talent.

BREAKING: Joe Klecko has been selected as one of the three finalists for the ⁦@ProFootballHOF⁩, per ⁦@mikeklis⁩

It’s considered just a formality now. He’s in!

Joe Klecko is finally where he belongs: In Canton 🙌🏻#Jets | #TakeFlight pic.twitter.com/BdiHH1hAbU

— Harrison Glaser (@NYJetsTFMedia) August 17, 2022

That talent also carried over into obscure areas of Klecko’s life.

“You want talent? Not long after I met Joe, he opened 12 bottles of beer with his teeth. Now that’s All-Pro,” said Jets guard John Roman.

Klecko’s feistiness and penchant for fisticuffs surprised rookie Marty Lyons in 1979.

At one point during a game, Klecko locked horns with an opponent and began delivering body blows.

Not only were Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons great teammates but remain great friends. This August, Marty will be there to help induct Joe into @ProFootballHOF pic.twitter.com/VY7opy1fBy

— Woody Johnson (@woodyjohnson4) April 5, 2023

Lyons, who was taken by New York in the first round of the ‘79 draft from Alabama, tried to intervene.

That proved to be a mistake.

“He [Klecko] grabbed me and he said, ‘You ever do that again, I’ll kick your (butt) right here in front of everybody,’” Lyons said. “He says, ‘You either fight with me or you leave me alone.’ And right then and there, I knew I had a guy in the foxhole with me.”

From Klecko’s point of view, he was simply trying to do what he did best.

“Fighting was part of life,” he said. “And I didn’t feel like there was anybody out there that I was going to take it from. I never made that my badge of courage or something like that. It’s just how I played the game.”

The “New York Sack Exchange”

New York Jets helmet — (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Klecko had seven sacks in 1979 followed by 10.5 in 1980.

“In my thirteen 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,” said former Bengals tackle Anthony Munoz. “Joe was the strongest guy I ever faced. He had perfect technique – hands in tight, great leverage.”

Despite the fact that the Jets defensive line was becoming one of the best in the NFL, New York continued to struggle in the win column and went from eight to four victories in ‘79 and ‘80 respectively.

Finally, in 1981, things began to fall into place for the Jets.

The "New York Sack Exchange" on the trading floor, 1981. #Jets

(l-r) Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam, Mark Gastineau pic.twitter.com/qX5iYx3y56

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) November 20, 2021

The quartet of Klecko, Lyons, Salaam, and 1979 second round pick Mark Gastineau became the talk of the league when they combined for 66 sacks that season (the most in team history).

“It wasn’t a question of whether we’d get to the quarterback, it was how many times,” said Lyons.

Klecko himself snagged an NFL-high 20.5 sacks (Gastineau had 20) and took home numerous awards including NFL Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Pro, and his first Pro Bowl.

That season was also the first time fans called the team’s D-line the “New York Sack Exchange” after a contest was held to give the group a catchy moniker.

The New York Sack Exchange

The #Jets' defensive line was the NFL's best in 1981, registering a still-standing AFC record 66 quarterback sacks.

Ends Joe Klecko (a league-leading 20.5 sacks) and Mark Gastineau (20), tackles Abdul Salaam (7) and Marty Lyons (6.5) pic.twitter.com/MbDQoqEobN

— Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) March 3, 2022

Dan O’Connor, a New York police officer, was credited with the name.

“I thought, ‘What goes good with New York?’ New York Stock Exchange; New York Sack Exchange. It was perfect,” said O’Connor.

Originally, the nickname was only going to refer to Klecko and Gastineau until Klecko put the kibosh on that idea.

“They originally wanted two of us, and I just put an axe on that. I said, “Listen, if it’s going to be a sack exchange, there’s going to be four of us, because without Abdul and Marty, Mark and I are nothing,”” said Klecko.

“This was Joe’s team in the ‘80s,” said Lyons. “It was all about Joe, but Joe made it all about everybody else. He held everybody accountable.”

The ‘81 Jets went 10-5-1 and qualified for the postseason for the first time since 1969.

New York then lost to Buffalo in the Wild Card round.

1982

The 1982 season was shortened to nine games due to the NFL Players strike.

Howie Long on Joe Klecko: "For Joe, it was simple. You know what I’m going to do, I know what you’re going to do and stop me if you can.” pic.twitter.com/uETgPo9lmc

— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) June 28, 2017

When the year resumed, Klecko tore a tendon in his knee after only two games and two sacks and didn’t return until the playoffs.

By that time, New York had posted a 6-3 record and defeated Cincinnati in the First Round, 44-17.

Next up was the Los Angeles Raiders and the Jets took care of them as well, 17-14.

Then, playing in a muddy quagmire in Miami for the AFC Championship game, the Dolphins ended New York’s dream season with a 14-0 victory.

Klecko did what he could in the playoffs while still smarting after recovering from knee surgery.

“Joe was the toughest player I ever saw in my life,” Gastineau said. “He could hit a guy with his arm and knock him 10 feet. His guy would just fly. I saw him endure more pain that you can even imagine.”

1983-1985

In 1983, Klecko was fully healthy and new coach Joe Walton switched him to defensive tackle.

The New York Sack Exchange: Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons,Abdul Salaam and Mark Gastineau. The 'fearsome foursome' of the 1980s.#NYJetsFootball pic.twitter.com/n4v2D2l2Pb

— Stephen Fernane (@stephenfernane) January 7, 2023

Although he wasn’t as free to turn and burn, Klecko still came away with 6.5 sacks (sacks became an official NFL stat in 1982).

“Hate quarterbacks,” said Klecko. “Well, no. I mean, I don’t hate them as people. They’re probably nice guys who brush their teeth and call Mom once a week. I hate what quarterbacks stand for. They stand between me and success.”

Opponents were stunned that Klecko could still impose his will at the tackle position and he secured a second-team All-Pro nod along with a Pro Bowl selection.

“He was just as strong as everything,” said former Patriots guard John Hannah. “If he ever got under you, he was going to plow you right back into the quarterback. You just couldn’t move him out of the hole. The other thing was his quickness. He was just off the ball quick. The combination of speed and quickness and having that strength to go along with it was just something you really had to contend with.”

After the 1983 season, Salaam was traded to the San Diego Chargers but retired instead.

In 1984, Klecko had three sacks and made the Pro Bowl again.

Then, in 1985, New York went 11-5 and lost in the Wild Card round to New England.

@ProFootballHOF G John Hannah: "The only way I think he’d ever quit is (if) you got a gun and killed him.” #Klecko2Canton pic.twitter.com/PMSwjJNp2q

— Eric Allen (@eallenjets) June 27, 2017

Before the season, Klecko was moved again, this time to nose tackle, a position he had not played before.

That didn’t seem to matter when he collected 7.5 sacks and became just the second player (after Frank Gifford) and first defender in NFL history to make the Pro Bowl at three different positions.

Injuries Take Their Toll

A season after finishing with 11 wins, New York returned to the postseason after a 10-6 record in 1986.

“Winning was the only ultimate goal,” Klecko said. “I wanted to win a Super Bowl worse than anything in the world and I think that was the driving force for me to win. If you wanted to win, you’re in. If you didn’t want to win, I had something to say to you.”

Klecko’s teammates were on board and the Jets eliminated Kansas City in the Wild Card round with a decisive 35-15 victory.

Mark Gastineau & Joe Klecko…..

The leaders of the New York Sack Exchange…… pic.twitter.com/yrLbnSrWNn

— PolyesterPalace (@PolyesterPalace) March 20, 2023

One week later, New York traveled to Cleveland for the Divisional round and battled the Browns through regulation and two overtimes before succumbing, 23-20.

Unfortunately, Klecko watched the contest from the sidelines after struggling with knee injuries all season.

In 1987, he was limited to seven games and just one sack as New York went 6-9.

When the season concluded, the Jets released Klecko after 11 years.

Klecko Retires

Not long after leaving the Big Apple, Klecko signed a contract with the Indianapolis Colts for the 1988 season.

Joe Klecko #Colts #RightPlayerWrongUniform pic.twitter.com/9i1C8vyLvs

— Old Time Football 🏈 (@Ol_TimeFootball) February 13, 2021

Now mostly recovered from his knee ailments, Klecko started 14 games for the Colts but failed to register a sack for the first time in his career.

Indy went 9-7, just missing the playoffs, and Klecko decided he was finished playing football.

During his career, Klecko had 24 official sacks.

However, counting his unofficial sacks between 1977 and 1981, Klecko had 78 total sacks along with nine fumble recoveries..

(The NFL didn’t keep track of tackles until 1994).

He was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1981 as the league’s sack leader, a three-time All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler including appearing in the all-star contest at three positions.

Additionally, Klecko is a member of the Jets Ring of Honor and his number 73 has been retired by the franchise.

Class of 2023 Seniors Finalist Joe Klecko's resume:

-4-time Pro Bowler with @nyjets
-NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981
-Defensive lineman who was member of the Jets' famed "New York Sack Exchange." pic.twitter.com/3dr2DogxJo

— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) August 17, 2022

After several decades of eligibility, Klecko was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

“You can’t think of his 10-year period without him,” said DeLamielleure. “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 10 years, he’d have been considered one of the top two or three players at that position, whichever one it was.”

Movie Roles, Highs and Lows in Retirement

As a player for the Jets in the early 1980s, Klecko appeared in four movies starring Burt Reynolds: Heat, Cannonball Run, Smokey and the Bandit, and Smokey and the Bandit II.

Fittingly, Klecko played a truck driver in the Smokey and the Bandit movies where he was credited as “Polish truck driver.”