Sonny Werblin
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David 'Sonny' Werblin purchased the Titans of New York from original owner Harry Wismer in 1963. Immediately applying his show-business savvy, he changed the team's name to the New York Jets, and drafted future Hall of Famer Matt Snell in the first round, signing him away from the cross-town rival NFL Giants, who thought of Snell as a mere third-rounder.
His recognition that the American Football League needed a strong presence in New York was a major factor in the success of the league that was to be the genesis of modern professional football. He cemented that position by signing Joe Namath, who would ultimately lead the AFL Jets in their Super Bowl victory over the so-called "best team in the history of the NFL", the Baltimore Colts.
He strongly opposed the merger between the leagues, and, along with Al Davis, objected to the indemnity the NFL squeezed from the American Football League owners for having the audacity to put good teams in the New York area and in California. Werblin is a member of the American Football League Hall of Fame.
Links
External links
- American Football League Website (http://www.conigliofamily.com/AFLdotcom.htm)
- Werblin's citation on the AFL Hall of Fame website (http://www.conigliofamily.com/TitansJets.htm#SONNYWERBLIN)