Sam DeLuca, ex-Jet and broadcaster, dies

Sam DeLuca, who played three seasons with the New York Jets before becoming a broadcaster for the National Football League team, has died. He was 75.

DeLuca, whose final season as a radio voice of the Jets was in 1986, died of pancreatic cancer, the New York Post reported. The team announced the death in a news release, but gave no details.

DeLuca was a guard for the Jets from 1964 to 1966 and his playing career ended with a knee injury in the team's final preseason game in 1967. He joined the WABC radio booth, initially as a fill-in, and worked alongside Merle Harmon through the 1972 season.

After several years working regional telecasts for NBC, DeLuca returned to the Jets' radio booth in 1979, the Post said.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of Sam DeLuca," Jets owner Woody Johnson said in the statement. "Though an injury ended his playing career prematurely, he remained a part of this organization, calling games on radio and providing color for television. A former team captain, he truly embodied what it means to be a Jet."

The Jets said they plan to "acknowledge his passing" during Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A native of Brooklyn, DeLuca was high school friends with Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Sandy Koufax and New York Mets principal owner Fred Wilpon, the Post said. He was drafted by the New York Giants with the 23rd pick in 1957 out of the University of South Carolina and spent three seasons in the Canadian Football League before joining the San Diego Chargers in 1960.