Paul “Rocky” Rochester, a defensive lineman on the New York Jets’ Tremendous Bowl-winning workforce in 1969, has died. He was 81.
The group declared Rochester’s loss of life on its internet site Tuesday, declaring it occurred previous weekend but did not offer more aspects.
Rochester commenced his professional football job with the Dallas Texans in 1960, and performed 3-furthermore seasons with the AFL group that would turn out to be the Kansas Town Chiefs. Soon right after getting introduced all through the 1963 period, Rochester was signed by the Jets and became their starting remaining defensive tackle.
He played 6¹/₂ seasons for the Jets and capped his taking part in vocation by helping Joe Namath and the Jets earn the franchise’s only Tremendous Bowl title.
“Paul was an underrated defensive deal with who played a big position on the Jets’ Super Bowl championship group,” former Jets public relations director Frank Ramos explained to the team’s website. “He was a fantastic run stopper who enabled defensive finishes Gerry Philbin and Verlon Biggs to hurry from the exterior and John Elliott, the brief defensive tackle, to rush up the middle. Walt Michaels came up with a scheme to use undersized linebacker Carl McAdams at DT on passing downs, top the 1968 Jets to have the No. 1 protection in the AFL.”
Rochester retired soon after the Tremendous Bowl victory and started off his individual business enterprise, Paul Rochester and Associates, which sold setting up and roofing materials in Florida, Georgia and Alabama. He also bought actual estate.
Rochester was born in Lansing, Michigan, and lifted in Floral Park, New York. He was a football and lacrosse star at Sewanhaka Large College and went to Michigan State. He was signed by Dallas as an undrafted totally free agent and was a single of only 20 gamers to play in all 10 of the AFL’s seasons in advance of the 1970 merger.
Rochester is survived by his wife Nancy, kids Laurel Nielsen and Don, and two grandchildren.
