EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — On Saturday night, New York Jets coach Aaron Glenn delivered an emotional address to his team. He talked about the late Nick Mangold and his Jets legacy, one former Jets star exalting the memory of another. Players said they were moved by Glenn's words and message.
Mangold, only 41 when he died Oct. 25 due to complications from kidney disease, was feted Sunday by the Jets at MetLife Stadium. His widow, Jennifer, and their four young children (all in white No. 74 jerseys) were honorary captains, setting an emotional tone on a day that ended with the Jets' second straight victory — a grimy 27-20 decision over the Cleveland Browns.
The kind of game the former center would've loved.
«Yeah, man, it meant a lot,» safety Tony Adams said of Glenn's speech. «Nick and AG are part of this fraternity [of] being a Jet. They came here and they brought wins. They were great players here and Nick was with us today. We had a kick return and a punt return [for touchdowns]. Kind of crazy. That's nobody but God and the man himself, Nick himself.»
For the first time in 66 years, the Jets produced touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns in the same game — Kene Nwangwu 99 yards on a kickoff, Isaiah Williams 74 yards on a punt.
How fitting.
The No. 74 was everywhere in the stadium to honor a player who wore it with distinction from 2006 to 2016. There was a giant 74 flag on the field during the national anthem and a 74 banner outside one of the tunnels in each end zone, along with a photo of Mangold as a player. A massive banner, showing his likeness, was unfurled in the end-zone seats before kickoff. Players and staff wore Mangold T-shirts during the pregame warmups.
The most compelling scene, though, was Mangold's
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