Abdul Salaam, part of the Jets' New York Sack Exchange, dies at 71
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson is stopped during the second quarter by the Jets' Abdul Salaam (74) and Marty Lyons (93) for short yardage at Shea Stadium on Sept. 13, 1981. Credit: AP/G. Paul Burnett
Former Jets defensive tackle Abdul Salaam, a member of the New York Sack Exchange, passed away on Tuesday. He was 71.
Salaam had been battling multiple health issues, including diabetes, according to ESPN.
A seventh-round pick in 1976, Salaam spent eight seasons with the Jets. He was best known for being a part of the one of the NFL’s top defensive lines of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Salaam, Joe Klecko, Mark Gastineau and Marty Lyons made up the famed front that chased down quarterbacks and garnered the iconic nickname.
The foursome was first formed in 1979 and played five seasons together. In 1981, they combined for 54 of the franchise-record 66 sacks and helped the Jets reach the postseason for the first time since 1969. In November 1981, the four linemen rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
“We lost a Jets great yesterday, Abdul Salaam” owner Woody Johnson posted on Twitter. “Abdul was a fixture of the organization for nearly a decade and the glue of our legendary NY Sack Exchange.
Johnson said Salaam was “beloved by all his teammates for his talent and leadership” and his “legacy will live on forever.”
“It’s sad day when you hear one of your teammates, Abdul Salaam, has passed away,” Lyons said in a video released by the Marty Lyons Foundation. “Abdul, on behalf of all your teammates, the Jets organization and the fans, thank you for making us better players, thank you for making us better individuals.
Salaam was born Larry Faulk in Alabama and went to high school and college in Ohio. A year after the Jets drafted him out of Kent State, he changed his name to Abdul Salaam, which means “Soldier of Peace.”
He played 97 games for the Jets and recorded 21 sacks.
“We truly love you Abdul,” Lyons said. “You were the Solider of Peace. We’ll see you on the other side.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
