Wayne Chrebet
Encyclopedia
Wayne Chrebet is a former football
player who played 11 seasons as a wide receiver
for the New York Jets
of the NFL
from 1995 to 2005.
at Garfield High School
in his hometown, under coach Tony Kostelnak.
Chrebet played for Hofstra University
, the site of what used to be the Jets’ year-round training facility. At Hofstra, Chrebet was a four-year letter-winner who twice led the Flying Dutchmen (now known as The Pride), in receiving. In addition he set the single season and career touchdown marks with 16 (1994), and 31, respectively. Also in 1994, Chrebet became Hofstra's first 1,000-yard receiver. Along the way he set a Hofstra school record with 245 receiving yards in a game against Delaware, and tying Jerry Rice
for the NCAA I-AA mark with five touchdowns.
For his accomplishments at Hofstra University, Wayne Chrebet was part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the Hofstra University Athletic Hall of Fame and his jersey was retired.
in 1964.
In a December 3rd, 1995 game versus the St. Louis Rams, Chrebet pulled in 8 receptions and broke several tackles on a scramble toward the goal line. On October 19, 1996 at Jacksonville, Chrebet hauled in 12 receptions for 162 yards with five third-down conversions. On September 24th, 2000, after former Jets teammate Keyshawn Johnson
claimed that comparing Chrebet to him was like "comparing a flashlight to a star," Chrebet caught an 18-yard TD pass from Curtis Martin
with 52 seconds left to give the Jets a 21-17 victory against Johnson's team at the time (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
). After this, the New York media dubbed Chrebet "The Green Lantern
." His primary nickname, however, was "Mr. Third Down" because 379 of his 580 career receptions were third to first down conversions. Some consider Chrebet's best overall game as the October 10th, 2004 contest with the Buffalo Bills in which Chrebet enjoyed a perfect game, catching all 8 passes sent his way from quarterback Chad Pennington
in a 16-14 victory. Chrebet's career history was named one of the greatest rags-to-riches stories in the history of professional sports by Sports Illustrated later that year.
In a November 6, 2005 game against the San Diego Chargers, Chrebet's career ended prematurely when he sustained a serious concussion on a clean play. Despite being knocked unconscious for several minutes, Chrebet still made that third-down catch for a first down, symbolic of the type of plays he made throughout his career. Chrebet's 580 receptions ranks him 2nd and his 7,365 yards from scrimmage place him 5th all-time in the New York Jets record books. Among all-time National Football League players who were not drafted, he owns the third-most receptions in the history of the league, trailing only Rod Smith and Gary Clark.
Chrebet wore the New York Jet number 80 jersey for 11 straight seasons. During his career, he caught passes from 13 different players, played for several different head coaches, and worked for two different owners. Chrebet was formally honored by the New York Jets on "Wayne Chrebet Day" during halftime of the September 23rd, 2007 game against the Miami Dolphins. Chrebet's number 80 has not been issued by the team since he retired, and it is generally understood that no Jet will wear that number in the foreseeable future.
. Chrebet sold his bar/restaurant that was located next to the New York Jets training camp in 2008 when the Jets moved their training camp from Hofstra University to New Jersey.
In an interview with the Bergen Record, Chrebet stated he still feels post-concussion symptoms as a result of the multiple concussions he suffered while playing in the NFL, including headaches, lethargy, and sensitivity to light and noise.
On May 28, 2009 Chrebet joined Morgan Stanley
as a financial advisor working out of the Red Bank
, New Jersey
office. Chrebet is routinely invited to attend Jets games as a guest of honor by owner Woody Johnson and also routinely serves as an ambassador on behalf of the New York Jets and National Football League via community service and public relations events. Chrebet served as the "FCS Championship Game Ambassador" for the 2009 FCS Championship Game between Villanova and Montana.
The NFL Network
recognized Wayne Chrebet's career in 2009 by including Chrebet in their Top 10 episode "Best Undrafted Players" at the number ten position.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who played 11 seasons as a wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1995 to 2005.
High school and college career
Chrebet played WR in high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Garfield High School
Garfield High School (New Jersey)
Garfield High School is a four-year public high school located in Garfield, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Garfield Public Schools...
in his hometown, under coach Tony Kostelnak.
Chrebet played for Hofstra University
Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
, the site of what used to be the Jets’ year-round training facility. At Hofstra, Chrebet was a four-year letter-winner who twice led the Flying Dutchmen (now known as The Pride), in receiving. In addition he set the single season and career touchdown marks with 16 (1994), and 31, respectively. Also in 1994, Chrebet became Hofstra's first 1,000-yard receiver. Along the way he set a Hofstra school record with 245 receiving yards in a game against Delaware, and tying Jerry Rice
Jerry Rice
Jerry Lee Rice is a retired American football wide receiver. He is generally regarded as the greatest wide receiver of all time and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
for the NCAA I-AA mark with five touchdowns.
For his accomplishments at Hofstra University, Wayne Chrebet was part of the inaugural class to be inducted into the Hofstra University Athletic Hall of Fame and his jersey was retired.
NFL
Although he was not drafted by any team at the National Football League Draft in 1995, Chrebet eventually earned a walk-on opportunity with the New York Jets where he was 11th of 11 on the depth chart. Chrebet was stopped and detained at the front gate on his first day of training camp by the senior New York Jets security guard who did not believe Chrebet could actually be a football player due to his relatively small size. A New York Jets team official was summoned to verify he was an authorized walk-on and could enter the training complex. Chrebet worked his way up the depth chart from 11th to make the team and was the first Hofstra football player to make an NFL roster since John SchmittJohn Schmitt (football player)
John Charles Schmitt is a former American football center in the National Football League who played ten seasons for the New York Jets, from whom he started in Super Bowl III. He ended his career in 1974 with the Green Bay Packers.-External links:**...
in 1964.
In a December 3rd, 1995 game versus the St. Louis Rams, Chrebet pulled in 8 receptions and broke several tackles on a scramble toward the goal line. On October 19, 1996 at Jacksonville, Chrebet hauled in 12 receptions for 162 yards with five third-down conversions. On September 24th, 2000, after former Jets teammate Keyshawn Johnson
Keyshawn Johnson
Joseph Keyshawn Johnson is a former American football wide receiver, interior designer, business executive, author and current television broadcaster for sports channel ESPN. He retired from football on May 23, 2007 after an eleven-year career in the National Football League...
claimed that comparing Chrebet to him was like "comparing a flashlight to a star," Chrebet caught an 18-yard TD pass from Curtis Martin
Curtis Martin
Curtis James Martin, Jr. is a former American football running back. He is an alumnus of Taylor Allderdice High School in Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh...
with 52 seconds left to give the Jets a 21-17 victory against Johnson's team at the time (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
). After this, the New York media dubbed Chrebet "The Green Lantern
Green Lantern
The Green Lantern is the shared primary alias of several fictional characters, superheroes appearing in comic books published by DC Comics. The first Green Lantern was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell in All-American Comics #16 .Each Green Lantern possesses a power ring and...
." His primary nickname, however, was "Mr. Third Down" because 379 of his 580 career receptions were third to first down conversions. Some consider Chrebet's best overall game as the October 10th, 2004 contest with the Buffalo Bills in which Chrebet enjoyed a perfect game, catching all 8 passes sent his way from quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
in a 16-14 victory. Chrebet's career history was named one of the greatest rags-to-riches stories in the history of professional sports by Sports Illustrated later that year.
In a November 6, 2005 game against the San Diego Chargers, Chrebet's career ended prematurely when he sustained a serious concussion on a clean play. Despite being knocked unconscious for several minutes, Chrebet still made that third-down catch for a first down, symbolic of the type of plays he made throughout his career. Chrebet's 580 receptions ranks him 2nd and his 7,365 yards from scrimmage place him 5th all-time in the New York Jets record books. Among all-time National Football League players who were not drafted, he owns the third-most receptions in the history of the league, trailing only Rod Smith and Gary Clark.
Chrebet wore the New York Jet number 80 jersey for 11 straight seasons. During his career, he caught passes from 13 different players, played for several different head coaches, and worked for two different owners. Chrebet was formally honored by the New York Jets on "Wayne Chrebet Day" during halftime of the September 23rd, 2007 game against the Miami Dolphins. Chrebet's number 80 has not been issued by the team since he retired, and it is generally understood that no Jet will wear that number in the foreseeable future.
Awards
- 1995: New York Newsday's "Jet of the Year," as voted on by the paper's readers.
- 1996: Awarded the Dennis Byrd Award for Most Inspirational Player as voted by his New York Jet teammates.
- 1996: Hofstra University Young Alumni Award in 1996. The award was bestowed to alumni who, within 10 years of graduation, achieved significant accomplishments in professional life.
- 1997: New York Jets "Unsung Hero Award"
- 2000: DIRECTV "NFL Play of the Week" (Week 2 vs. New England for a game winning TD catch in the fourth quarter)
- 2000: DIRECTV "NFL Play of the Week" (Week 4 vs. Tampa Bay for an 18 yard TD catch with :51 seconds left in the game on an HB option from RB Curtis Martin
- 2000: Thurman Munson Award for his outstanding efforts on an off the field and in serving in the community
- 2001: New York Jets Alumni Association's "Jets Player of the Year"
- 2002: Chrebet's college jersey was retired in a ceremony at Hofstra University, New York.
- 2005: Awarded the Ed Block Courage AwardEd Block Courage AwardThe Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to selected players in the National Football League , who are voted by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a well-liked humanitarian and trainer for the Baltimore Colts, the...
.
After the NFL
Chrebet now resides in Colts Neck Township, New JerseyColts Neck Township, New Jersey
Colts Neck is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 10,142.What is now Colts Neck Township was established by an act of the New Jersey Legislature as Atlantic Township on February 18, 1847, from portions of Freehold...
. Chrebet sold his bar/restaurant that was located next to the New York Jets training camp in 2008 when the Jets moved their training camp from Hofstra University to New Jersey.
In an interview with the Bergen Record, Chrebet stated he still feels post-concussion symptoms as a result of the multiple concussions he suffered while playing in the NFL, including headaches, lethargy, and sensitivity to light and noise.
On May 28, 2009 Chrebet joined Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
as a financial advisor working out of the Red Bank
Red Bank
-Places:In Canada*Red Bank, New Brunswick, a rural community in Northumberland CountyIn the United States*Red Bank, Indiana*Red Bank, New Jersey, in Monmouth County*Red Bank, Gloucester County, New Jersey**Battle of Red Bank, in the above community...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
office. Chrebet is routinely invited to attend Jets games as a guest of honor by owner Woody Johnson and also routinely serves as an ambassador on behalf of the New York Jets and National Football League via community service and public relations events. Chrebet served as the "FCS Championship Game Ambassador" for the 2009 FCS Championship Game between Villanova and Montana.
The NFL Network
NFL Network
NFL Network is an American television specialty channel owned and operated by the National Football League . It was launched November 4, 2003, only eight months after the league's 32 team owners voted unanimously to approve its formation...
recognized Wayne Chrebet's career in 2009 by including Chrebet in their Top 10 episode "Best Undrafted Players" at the number ten position.