Pro Football Hall of Famer, New York Jets great Don Maynard dead at 86

Legendary New York Jets wide receiver and Super Bowl champion Don Maynard died Monday at the age of 86, the Pro Football Hall of Fame confirmed.

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“Our Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Don Maynard,” Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “He was a resilient man on and off the field -- and someone that his teammates could always count on.”

Maynard, who joined the Jets as its first signee in 1960 when they were the New York Titans, helped lead the Jets to victory in Super Bowl III, and became Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath’s go-to receiver as the Jets offense dominated the decade, NFL.com reported.

Whenever @RealJoeNamath needed a big play, he always went Don Maynard's way.

Their fourth-quarter connection in the 1968 AFL Championship is unforgettable.

(via @NFLFilms) pic.twitter.com/JHhDdeWWb1
— New York Jets (@nyjets) January 11, 2022

According to ESPN, Maynard was professional football’s all-time leading receiver when he retired, amassing 633 receptions for 11,834 yards. He also averaged 18.7 yards per catch with 88 touchdowns.

Maynard played a total of 15 seasons combined in the American and National Football Leagues between 1958 and 1973, with one season spent in the Canadian Football League, the sports news network reported.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

“Don Maynard is as essential to the history of the New York Jets as anyone. He came to this franchise at our inception and left a Super Bowl champion,” the Jets said in a prepared statement. “On the field, he cemented himself as many things: record holder, Hall of Famer, and forever our No. 13. Off the field, he was unflinchingly himself -- a family man who stayed true to his roots, bringing a Texas cowboy to New York.”

The franchise called Maynard’s passing “especially difficult” because he remained close with the organization throughout his life.

“Our thoughts today are with his family and loved ones. We will all miss him,” the Jets’ statement concluded.

Maynard, who worked as a financial planner and owned his own consulting firm, was preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn Maynard. He is survived by a daughter and a son.

A complete obituary can be found on ESPN.com.

- The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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