The Jets have one of their own as a finalist in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Centennial class.
Former New York offensive lineman Winston Hill was named a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a senior player on Thursday. Hill played with the Jets from 1963-1976 before ending his career in 1977 with the Rams.
Hill was a four-time Pro Bowler as well as a four-time AFL All-Star. He was also a three-time All-Pro team and three-time All-AFL selection. The Jets put Hill in their Ring of Honor in 2010 and his number is retired by the team.
38 finalists were named for the Centennial Class. That number will soon be cut down to 15, as 10 senior players, three contributors and two coaches will all be inducted into the Hall of Fame on January 8th in Canton, Ohio.
One Jet who was not named a finalist was Joe Klecko. Klecko has been named a finalist on Hall of Fame ballots before, but never garnered enough support to get into Canton. Klecko was first-team All-Pro twice and four-time Pro Bowler in an era where he was one of the NFL’s best defensive lineman.
After not being named as a finalist for the Centennial class, odds are Klecko will fall short of ever making it into the Hall of Fame.
