The New York Jets today announced the signing of safety Victor Green, with his intent to retire as a Jet. The announcement was made by Jets' General Manager Mike Tannenbaum.
"Victor was an outstanding contributor to this organization," said Tannenbaum. "Victor never missed a game in a Jets' uniform and could always be counted on to practice hard and prepare each week. He quickly earned a starting position in the league following his signing as an undrafted rookie free agent. Victor showed a tremendous instinct for being around the football and displayed a tenacity and fearlessness when playing the game. Victor should walk away from the NFL with his head held high. It is an honor for us to have him retire as a member of the New York Jets.""I had the opportunity to coach Victor with both the Jets and then in New England," said Head Coach Eric Mangini. "Victor is a player that I truly respect. He took the hard road from an undrafted rookie free agent to become one of the premier safeties in the NFL. It was through hard work, professionalism and dedication that he earned the respect of his teammates and coaches. Victor took advantage of his opportunity to play in the NFL and made himself a valued member of the Jets' organization. I sincerely hope, as we move forward, that we can have players that embody the dedication and commitment that Victor Green exhibited throughout his career."
"I am grateful to the Jets' organization for giving me a chance 13 years ago as a rookie free agent, and now I am proud to retire as a Jet," Green said. "I enjoyed my time in New York because of my teammates, coaches and most of all, the Jets' fans. I appreciated their support on Sundays, especially hearing the J-E-T-S chant. They know I gave all I had each week. I am also looking forward to continuing my relationship with the Jets in some capacity."
Green, a native of Americus, GA, entered the NFL as a rookie free agent signee of the Jets in 1993 out of the University of Akron. Green went on to make the team as a rookie and just a year-and-a-half later, moved into the starting lineup as the team's strong safety in 1994. He played for the Jets through the 2001 season, accumulating 964 tackles, which currently stands as the fifth-most tackles in team history and the most stops ever by a Jets' defensive back. Always a popular player with the fans, Green was voted as a member of the Jets' Four Decade Team in 2003.
Green also owns the Jets' all-time single season tackle mark, a record he established in 1996 when he recorded 207 stops (from Jets' coaches' film review). His 24 career interceptions in a Jets' uniform during regular season play are tied for the third-most in team annals, while he retires second on the franchise's all-time interception return yardage list with 529 yards, only 52 shy of Darrol Ray's mark of 581 yards.
Green went on to play for the New England Patriots in 2002 and the New Orleans Saints in 2003. He finished his career with 1,000 tackles, 725 of which were solo, 25 interceptions for 643 yards and three touchdowns. He also recovered 16 career fumbles and forced 12 of them from his position in the secondary.
