After Super Bowl III win, Jets had to beat Giants, says Emerson Boozer

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- From a historical perspective, the biggest victory in New York Jets history was in Super Bowl III over the Baltimore Colts. But emotionally, the Jets' first matchup with the Giants during the following preseason might have been even bigger.

At least that's the way former Jets running back Emerson Boozer remembers those heady days in 1969. Boozer spoke Friday at the Jets' practice facility as a prelude to his induction into the club's Ring of Honor on Sunday along with his backfield mate, Matt Snell.

Even after winning Super Bowl III as an 18-point underdog, the Jets were regarded by many as second-class citizens in New York compared to the Giants. "To defeat the Giants meant a lot to us because the Giants were -- and still are, believe it or not -- the club around New York," Boozer said. "That year, we went into training camp after the Super Bowl with one thing in mind: to defeat the Giants in preseason. Whatever you do, you don't win the Super Bowl and lose to the Giants."

The game was played Aug. 17, 1969, at the Yale Bowl, and the Jets scored a resounding 37-14 victory. At the end of an 0-5 preseason, Giants coach Allie Sherman was fired.

The lopsided score, Boozer said, was exactly what the Jets intended. "We never went into training camp before with that intensity," he said. "The whole thing was to get ready for the Giants. Weeb [Ewbank, the Jets' coach] had never done that. He'd bring you along slowly. But he was on a mission. One thing he wanted was to not lose to the Giants.

"We had to prove to the Giants' fans that their club was not ready for us, and they weren't. We jumped on them like butter on a hot biscuit. We were all over them in a hurry. It was the first time the crosstown rivals were to meet on the football field, and it was happening throughout the league, doing interleague play."

If the Jets were tense before that Giants game, they went into Super Bowl III shockingly confident about beating the Colts. Quarterback Joe Namath guaranteed they would win, but Boozer said his teammates weren't concerned about backing up the boast because they shared the same opinion.

"There was no focus at all on Namath's comment," Boozer said. "He was so confident that he would go out and say that, but we all were confident that we would beat that club. After we saw our game plan and saw the opposition perform, you tend to build your confidence from those film sessions. We thought we could beat them."

Namath was named MVP of the game, but the real star of the Jets' 16-7 win was running back Snell, who scored their only touchdown with help from Boozer's blocking.

After his playing days, Snell distanced himself from the organization. He also is being inducted into the Ring of Honor but is not expected to attend.

Asked if he had done anything to help reconnect Snell to the Jets, Boozer said, "No, I have not. I don't know why he's on the outside. I never asked him why . . . I spoke to him maybe three years ago by phone, but not since."

Boozer believes it's appropriate that the two backfield partners will be inducted together. "It means that I've finally arrived at the point where we share in the Ring of Honor with my running mate, Matt Snell," Boozer said. "Since the inception of the Ring of Honor, you anticipate being a part of it. This weekend, my time comes along with Matt Snell."

By Greg Logan

Gregory.Logan@newsday.comGregLogan1

Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.