New York Jets Legend and Super Bowl Hero Has Tragically Died
This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.
New York Jets legend Matt Snell, who played a vital role in their Super Bowl 3 championship-winning season, has passed away. He was 84.
Matt Snell’s son, Beau, told ESPN that the former star running back passed away on Tuesday morning at his Long Island home. The cause of death hasn’t been disclosed.
Sad news: Matt Snell, Jets legend and Super Bowl III hero, has passed away, his son, Beau Snell, told ESPN. Snell, 84, died this morning on Long Island. He was a Jets Ring of Honor member and scored the only TD in Super Bowl III. He was dominant that day, rushing for 121 yards.…
— Rich Cimini (@RichCimini) March 10, 2026
Snell cemented his spot in Jets’ lore with an all-time performance in Super Bowl 3 against the mighty Baltimore Colts, who entered that game as a massive 18-point favorite. Snell had 121 rushing yards and the Jets’ only touchdown, to go along with four receptions for 40 yards, in a stunning 16-7 upset.
After four years at Ohio State, Matt Snell was drafted by the Jets third overall in the 1964 AFL Draft. The New York Giants selected Snell 49th overall in the 1964 NFL Draft, but he decided to play for the Jets.
Snell was a three-time AFL All-Star who took home Rookie of the Year honors in 1964. That season, he rushed for a career-high 948 touchdowns and five touchdowns.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Snell’s family and friends during this difficult time.
Matt Snell Is Fourth On New York Jets’ All-Time Rushing Leaderboard
Per Pro Football Reference, Snell has the fourth-most rushing yards in Jets history with 4,285. Only Curtis Martin (10,302), Freeman McNeil (8.074) and Emerson Boozer (5,135) have more.
Of course, all of them played far more games. Numerous injuries limited Snell to 86 games over his nine-year career. His 24 rushing touchdowns also rank 10th in franchise history.
Matt Snell and Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath were vital in putting the Jets on the NFL map in the early years of the Super Bowl era. Without them, there’s no telling how much worse the Jets franchise would look like from a historic standpoint. Especially seeing how bad things have been in the Woody Johnson era.
