Wayne Chrebet

At 50 years old, Wayne Chrebet has this physical status:

Wayne Chrebet (born August 14, 1973) is a former American football wide receiver who played 11 seasons for the New York Jets of the National Football League from 1995 to 2005.

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High school and college career

Chrebet grew up in Garfield, New Jersey, in a heavily suburban Bergen County. At Garfield High School, he played high school football.

Chrebet stayed in the tri-state area after graduating from Garfield and attending Hofstra University on Long Island. Chrebet had a fruitful college football career. He played for many high schools, including the single-game receiving yards record (245), touchdowns in a game (five), season (16) and career (31). He twice led Hofstra in receiving yards, and during his 1994 senior season, he became the first player in school history to pass 1,000 yards in a single season. He also etched his name in the NCAA Division I-AA record book by scoring five touchdowns in a single game, tying a record held by NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.

Chrebet has been lauded by Hofstra for his outstanding college career. He was inducted into the Hofstra University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 as part of its inaugural class, and his jersey #3 was retired.

NFL career

Chrebet was not regarded as a NFL candidate despite his academic success, but not as a football player. He was initially thought too fragile for football (85 kg) and went undrafted in the 1995 NFL Draft. He was offered a tryout for the Baltimore Stallions of Canadian Football League but was disqualified after one day.

Chrebet's big break came when he was offered a walk-on with the NFL's New York Jets, who at the time trained at Hofstra's campus. His chances of remaining on the team were nothing short of infinite. He ranked 11th out of 11 on the Jets' wide receiver depth chart, and in those days, NFL teams seldom carried more than five receivers into the season. Chrebet was stopped and arrested at the front gate on his first day of training camp by a security guard who thought Chrebet was too small to be a real player. A Jets team official was summoned to check if he was an authorized walk-on and could proceed to the training center. Chrebet made the team's final 53-man roster based on his results in training camp and the preseason, becoming the first Hofstra alumnus to play in a three-decade.

Chrebet had 8 receptions and broken several tackles on a scramble toward the goal line in a game against the St. Louis Rams on December 3, 1995. Chrebet, a franchise in Jacksonville, Calif., hauled in 12 receptions for 162 yards with five third-down conversions on October 19, 1996. Chrebet said that comparing Chrebet to him was like "comparing a flashlight to a celebrity," with 52 seconds left to win the Jets a 21–17 victory over Johnson's side at the time (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Chrebet "The Green Lantern" was a newspaper published in New York after this. Despite this, his main nickname was "Mr. Third Down" because 379 of his 580 receptions were third to first down conversions. In comparison to being seen in the 2003 Will Ferrell motion picture Elf, Wayne Chrebet became a hit on cereal boxes and was included in an exclusive.

Some believe Chrebet's best overall game since the Buffalo Bills' October 10, 2004, when he played his best game in which he dominated the Buffalo Bills, with a game that he adored, including all 8 passes, sending him from quarterback Chad Pennington in a 16-14 victory. Chrebet's career was voted as one of the best rags-to-riches tales in professional sports by Sports Illustrated later this year.

Chrebet sustained a serious concussion on a clean play during a game against the San Diego Chargers on November 6, 2005. Despite being knocked unconscious for several minutes, Chrebet took a third-down catch for his first down, indicating the kind of plays he performed throughout his career. He was put on injured reserve, bringing an end to his season. Chrebet resigned on June 2, 2006 after being advised that if he suffered another concussion he might have brain damage, he feared brain injury. His 580 receptions were the second-most in franchise history at the time of his retirement, behind only wide receiver Don Maynard (NY Titans / New Jets). At the time of his retirement, his 7,365 yards from scrimmage were fifth in franchise history.

During his career, he obtained passes from 13 different players, worked with many different head coaches, and worked with two different owners. During halftime of the New York Jets' September 23, 2007, match against the Miami Dolphins, Chrebet was officially recognized by the New York Jets on "Wayne Chrebet Day."

Chrebet wore #80 for his entire 11-season as a Jet. Since being fired, the Jets have not updated the number, and it is likely that no Jet will have to wear that number again in the foreseeable future. During halftime of the New York Jets' December 1, 2014 game against the Miami Dolphins, he was officially inducted into the New York Jets Ring of Honor.

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Awards and honors

• 1995: 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. 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: 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: Inducted into the Hofstra University Athletic Hall of Fame.
• 2005: Awarded the Ed Block Courage Award.
• 2010: NFL Top 10: Undrafted Players #10.
• 2014: Inducted into the New York Jets Ring of Honor.