There's only one major attraction for fans of the New York Jets attending MetLife Stadium Monday night as their lowly 2-9 squad takes on the Miami Dolphins. It is purely to watch Wayne Chrebet deservedly be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.
"Fan Favorite" isn't a good enough phrase to describe Chrebet's time with this franchise. He was revered, adored and represented some of the same qualities most New Yorkers feel lies within themselves.
Listed at 5'10" and 188 lbs., the smallish, underdog wide-receiver broke all odds in 1995 as he made the team as a walk-on, undrafted player out of Hofstra. Even his listed height was generous compared to his actual physique.
Although the team was miserable during his first two pro seasons, he immediately made an impact with not only results, but how he achieved those results. The slow, short and un-prototypical player at that position stunned everybody with his fearless and gutty play. There wasn't one over-the-middle catch that Chrebet wouldn't go all out for, fully knowing he was going to get clobbered into next Wednesday.
1997 saw a dawning of a new era as Bill Parcells took the helm to revive a dead franchise. Parcells, Chrebet and others did just that as they went as far as the AFC Championship game in 1998. During that season Chrebet compiled 75 catches for 1,083 yards and eight touchdowns, notes Pro Football Reference.
Chrebet was so popular within the organization that the organization chose to rid themselves of 1996 number-one overall pick Keyshawn Johnson, shortly after the two had a very public "disliking" of one another. Neither player says anything bad about the other nowadays, but we all knew the type of tension that lied within after Johnson's book Just Throw Me the Damn Ball hit the shelves, as Johnson referred to Chrebet as the "Team's Mascot."
The last three seasons of his career were difficult ones for fans to endure. Chrebet struggled through concussions, which eventually forced his retirement in 2005.
The fearless play that made Chrebet who he was as a player, turned out to be the reason he was forced to retire at age 32. And sadly, Chrebet struggles with health issues to this day because of the numerous head injuries he sustained during his playing days.
Chrebet always seemed to come up big when the moment was necessary. Take for instance in 2000, when the Jets overcame a 30-7 fourth quarter deficit against the very same Dolphins the current Jets will face tonight.
Then quarterback Vinny Testaverde and the offense slowly chipped away at the lead, which was finally capped off by Chrebet's 24-yard diving touchdown catch with 3:55 remaining to inexplicably tie the game, according to ESPN. Jets' fans everywhere were rushing back into the stadium as most had already left.
During that touchdown tying moment, ABC's Dennis Miller provided commentary that put the prettiest bow on one of the gutsiest careers in NFL history: "Chrebet is magic."
The Jets wound up winning the game later dubbed "The Monday Night Miracle," 40-37.
So, it's only fitting that Chrebet's number 80 jersey is joined in the Ring of Honor with others such as Weeb Ewbank, Joe Namath and Curtis Martin, on the night where his team hosts the Miami Dolphins.
For his career, Chrebet played 11 seasons, all with the Jets, and caught 580 balls for 7,365 yards and 41 touchdowns. Both his receiving yards and touchdowns rank third in franchise history.