Legendary New York Jets wide receiver Don Maynard, who famously teamed up with quarterback Joe Namath to lead the team to its first and only Super Bowl victory, died Monday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced. He was 86.
Hall of Fame president Jim Porter confirmed Maynard’s passing in a statement calling him a “resilient man” both on and off the field.
“Our Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Don Maynard,” Porter said. “He was a resilient man on and off the field — and someone that his teammates could always count on.”
After a successful career at Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso), Maynard was drafted by the New York Giants in 1957 where he played just one season (1958) before being cut. He played the following season in the CFL.
Maynard became a part of history when he signed with the American Football League’s New York Titans in 1960, a team that would later change its name to the Jets. He rose to stardom when Namath joined the team in 1965, becoming one of his favorite targets.
