Joe Klecko was a force on the defensive line during his 12-year NFL career. The Chester, PA native played college football for Hall of Fame coach Wayne Hardin at Temple University.
Klecko was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro, and finished just behind Lawrence Taylor for the 1981 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He spent the first 11 years of his career with the Jets before finishing with one season in Indianapolis.
Despite all of his success, Klecko was not inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame until this year after being one of three finalizsts nominated by the senior committee.
Klecko was a guest on the Audacy Original Podcast “Damon Amendolara’s New York Accent” and told a great story about when he got the Hall of Fame knock on the door from Joe Namath.
“It was all kinds of emotions because this is what people don’t understand about that video. My wife had made me stay home from work that day for a reason so I told them, I said ‘Listen, let’s get something to eat. I’m hungry,’” Klecko recalled (34:45 in player above). “So my daughter was home and they had actually called my daughter about getting me to stay home. My daughter told them ‘Mom can make dad do anything so we’ll get him to stay home.’
“Somebody’s knocking at the door and I’m waiting for them to answer. They didn’t answer it. I’m going to the door actually to look for DoorDash. I’m looking for somebody from DoorDash and here Joe Namath is there and of course, there are 18 cameras behind him with his gold jacket.”
It was a great moment for Klecko and it’s even better knowing he was opening the door expecting some lunch. It’s safe to say that a Hall of Fame knock is better than DoorDash.
Klecko never gave up on his Hall of Fame dream.
“Until they put me in the grave I was going to keep that dream alive.”
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