Matt Snell, a star fullback in the old AFL and best known for scoring the only touchdown in the New York Jets‘ shocking upset of the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, died of natural causes Tuesday morning at an assisted-living facility on Long Island, his son, Beau Snell, told ESPN. He was 84.
Snell played nine years, all with the Jets, racking up individual honors and teaming with halfback Emerson Boozer and quarterback Joe Namath to form the most famous backfield in team history.
He was the AFL Rookie of the Year in 1964, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a one-time All-Pro selection, a 6-foot-2 power back with deceptive speed and soft hands. He rushed for 4,285 yards (fourth on the team’s all-time list) and 24 touchdowns and made 193 receptions.
“He made his mark on the NFL,” Beau Snell said. “If the Jets don’t win that game, you don’t have the NFL you have today.”
The Jets’ 16-7 win over the Colts on Jan. 12, 1969, is regarded as one of the most significant games in professional football history. The two leagues were set to merge in 1970, but the AFL still was regarded as the inferior league when the Jets and Colts played in the Orange Bowl.
Snell was dominant that day, rushing for 121 yards (then a Super Bowl record) against a rugged Colts defense. His touchdown was a 4-yard play, a wide run to the left that gave the Jets a 7-0 lead. Some thought Snell should’ve been the game MVP, not Namath.
They hammered the Colts with a play called “19 Straight.” To commemorate it, Snell and Boozer had “19 Straight” inscribed inside their Super Bowl rings.
Snell was a hometown star. He attended Carle Place High School on Long Island before playing for legendary coach Woody Hayes at Ohio State. The Jets made him a first-round pick in the 1964 AFL draft. The New York Giants took him in the fourth round of the NFL draft, but he opted to play for the Jets.
He retired from football at age 31 because of injuries and owned a contracting business in the New York/New Jersey area, according to Beau Snell, who said his father didn’t retire from that job until 10 years ago.
Snell was estranged from the Jets after his retirement from football, reportedly upset with the organization for reneging on a promise to give him a job for life. In 2015, he refused to attend his Ring of Honor ceremony at MetLife Stadium, where he was inducted that day with Boozer. Jets owner Woody Johnson appealed to the family with the hope of changing Snell’s mind.
“I don’t want anything to do with [the Jets],” Snell told ESPN at the time, adding, “You don’t understand because you’ve never walked in my shoes, OK? Just leave it alone and write your story about Emerson and let him have a good time, let him enjoy himself, OK?”
Snell is survived by his ex-wife, Sharon Snell; his son, Beau Snell; and his daughter, Jada Snell.
