Joe Klecko, was among NFL’s most dominant defensive linemen of the 1980s.
He was named by the Hall as one of three senior finalists on Wednesday.
Joe Klecko aged 68, will now be considered for induction by the Hall of Fame’s selection committee in early 2023.
He'll have to get 80% of vote of full 49-member committee in Jan to be enshrined in the class of 2023. But for senior finalist that is usually a formality.
After years of snubs, Klecko seems to have finally punched his long-overdue ticket.
“You made my day; that’s for sure,” Joe Klecko said in a congratulatory phone call, as per the Hall of Fame.
Klecko joins former Cowboys linebacker Chuck Howley and former Bengals cornerback Ken Riley as likely shoo-ins for the Hall of Fame after chosen as finalists .
The three were selected from a group of 12 senior finalists named last month by the committee, which considers players whose careers ended more than 25 years ago.
He’s hoping to join a short list of players who went into the Pro Football Hall of Fame depending largely on their contributions with the Jets.