Education
Snell attended Carle Place High School in the one-square-mile town of Carle Place, New York, where his picture resides in the Carle Place High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
Snell attended Carle Place High School in the one-square-mile town of Carle Place, New York, where his picture resides in the Carle Place High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
He was Jets" owner Sonny Werblin"s first coup, prior to his 1965 acquisition of Joe Namath. A powerful fullback out of Ohio State University, Snell"s 1964 signing jolted the crosstown Giants, who didn"t draft Snell until the fourth round, and offered him a fraction of what the Jets gave him as their first-round choice. Snell played right halfback on a team that only lost two games while he started.
At Ohio State University, Snell was a three-year starter and a consummate team player, active on both sides of the ball.
In 1961, he played right halfback, often blocking for fullback Bob Ferguson or left halfback Paul Warfield. In 1962, Snell was moved to defensive education
In 1963, Snell"s senior year, he was named starting fullback. At the end of his senior season, Snell was named his team"s most valuable player.
Snell was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team in 2000 as a defensive education
Snell went on to become an American Federation of Labor-Congress Eastern Division All-Star in 1964 and 1966, and the Sporting News All-American Federation of Labor-Congress fullback in 1969. Although slowed by knee injuries, Snell was a key player in the Jets" ball-control offense during the 16-7 upset victory. He carried the ball 30 times for a then-Super Bowl record 121 yards, and in the second quarter went four yards around left end to score the Jets" only touchdown, a score that marked the first time an American Federation of Labor-Congress team had led in a Super Bowl.
During his career, Snell was well known for his rushing, but also became an important part of the Jets" pass-blocking scheme.
Toward the end of his career, Snell became one of the first third-down specialty backs, primarily because he was so good at protecting Joe Namath. He was also reported to have helped teach pass-blocking to Jets running backs during his career.
In 1973, Snell appeared in the first Miller Lite beer commercial. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, "The campaign would feature a collection of middle-aged sports stars and become something of a status symbol for retired athletes for the next 17 years."
Snell has not accepted the Jets" invitation to participate in the ceremony at Metropolitan Life Stadium, just as he consistently has refused the club"s invitations to other alumni events for unspecified reasons ever since he retired.