April 8 in Jet History: With the 6th pick...
Apr 8, 2016 6:03:15 GMT -5
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Post by Lithfan on Apr 8, 2016 6:03:15 GMT -5
April 8, 1976
Draft Day, 1976. With the 6th pick, the New York Jets select Alabama QB Richard Todd. Knowing it was time to move on from Joe Namath, the Jets drafted his eventual replacement, Richard Todd. Todd would take over as starter for Namath about midway through a miserable 3-11 season. Richard was 2-5 in 7 starts his rookie year, but he didn't exactly dominate in his two wins, finishing 6-20 for 87 yards in a 19-14 win in Buffalo and 3-10 for 50 yards before getting pulled in favor of Namath as the Jets crushed the expansion Buccaneers 34-0. The star in both of those wins was not the first round pick, but rather an undrafted free agent RB out of Wake Forest, from the same draft class, Clark Gaines, who rushed for over 100 yards in both victories. Gaines would finish his rookie season with over 720 yards rushing and another 400 receiving. Hard to believe that after 17 rounds of the draft, and over 480 players selected, that nobody picked Gaines, who had one of the most productive rookie seasons in '76.
Here is is, the Jets draft class of 1976:
Draft Day, 1976. With the 6th pick, the New York Jets select Alabama QB Richard Todd. Knowing it was time to move on from Joe Namath, the Jets drafted his eventual replacement, Richard Todd. Todd would take over as starter for Namath about midway through a miserable 3-11 season. Richard was 2-5 in 7 starts his rookie year, but he didn't exactly dominate in his two wins, finishing 6-20 for 87 yards in a 19-14 win in Buffalo and 3-10 for 50 yards before getting pulled in favor of Namath as the Jets crushed the expansion Buccaneers 34-0. The star in both of those wins was not the first round pick, but rather an undrafted free agent RB out of Wake Forest, from the same draft class, Clark Gaines, who rushed for over 100 yards in both victories. Gaines would finish his rookie season with over 720 yards rushing and another 400 receiving. Hard to believe that after 17 rounds of the draft, and over 480 players selected, that nobody picked Gaines, who had one of the most productive rookie seasons in '76.
Here is is, the Jets draft class of 1976:
