While it wasn't a local law or anything, raised in Oceanside on Long Island…
"I was a Jets fan," Jay Fiedler said. "Freeman McNeil, Wesley Walker, Richard Todd, those were the guys in my formative growing up years."
And 11 years after signing with Philadelphia as an undrafted free agent quarterback out of Dartmouth, Fiedler became a Jet in 2005.
But before making his way to the Meadowlands, he experienced backup roles with the Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars, along with playing for Amsterdam of the World League of American Football for a season, and volunteer coaching at Hofstra before stepping into the spotlight in 2000 with Miami.
During his five seasons as a Dolphin and not including the 2000 Week 12 game when he was sidelined after suffering a pinched nerve on the first play, Fiedler made seven starts against the Jets for the AFC East rivals and passed for 1,778 yards.
"Once you get on a team, I mean, allegiances are gone," Fiedler laughed. "But playing in New York, lots of family and friends want to see you play. I think the first starting game back in New York was the Monday night game (in Week 8). I probably had close to 100 people that came to the game to watch that one."
He signed with the Jets as an unrestricted free agent on March 11, 2005.
"After the (2004) season, the coaching staff in Miami turned over and my contract was kind of at that escalation level where it was either extend me or release me," Fiedler said. "So I was kind of pushed into free agency and visited, I think, three or four different teams. And it just turned out New York was the best situation.
"They seemed to want me the most. Chad (Pennington) was coming off of his shoulder injury, and I knew going into the offseason that I'd get a ton of reps and be able to show the coaches what I could do. And I liked (offensive coordinator) Mike Heimerdinger, his offense. It kind of felt like it suited me and my skillset well.
"So that was the decision over the Giants, who wanted me to come in. I had a relationship with Tom Coughlin from playing in Jacksonville under him, but they were dead set on Eli (Manning) being their guy, and I knew it was strictly a backup situation there. A couple other places wanted me just for a backup role, and I just thought coming to the Jets with Chad coming off an injury, it was a good opportunity to possibly come in and remain a starter in the league."
Fiedler, who was signed to add veteran experience to the quarterback room, didn't start a game for the Jets. And, actually, wasn't able to play much while with the Green & White.
"Well, it was pretty short-lived. But just being back home and wearing that Jets uniform after being a Jets fan growing up was pretty special," he said. "In terms of on-the-field stuff, I came in the first game in Kansas City and led the team in the last quarter on a touchdown drive (with a 23-yard pass to Chris Baker in a 27-7 loss).
"But my tenure in New York, as I said, was pretty short-lived. I got (a shoulder) injury in the third game of the season (against Jacksonville), and that was really the injury that kind of ended my career."
But during his 10-year career, Fiedler passed for 11,844 yards with 69 touchdowns and 66 interceptions. He also rushed for 854 yards and 11 touchdowns.
"What I'm most proud of is the resiliency and perseverance that I had to remain in the league, to work myself up to becoming a starter in the league, and to have a career as long as I did," Fiedler said. "I very easily could have been a guy that was a backup for a couple of years in Philadelphia and out of the league.
"And I was out of league for two years. I played in Europe for a season and I coached over at Hofstra for two years. Coach Joe Gardi, a former Jet coach back in the day, just a fantastic man, gave me a great opportunity to stay involved in the game.
"I was able to utilize the facilities and train myself on my own. I was coaching wide receivers while I was there, so I was throwing hundreds of balls a day to keep myself in shape to be ready for any opportunity that might come about.
"And I finally got my opportunity to get back in the league in '98 in Minnesota, and really climbed the ladder from there, from being a third string in Minnesota, and then earned the backup spot in Jacksonville the following year behind Mark Brunell. I got my first start in the league, my first real game-situation play, and kind of parlayed that into a chance to become a starter the following year in Miami.
"I kept climbing the ladder and earning my spot everywhere I went."
Following football, Fiedler went fulltime into the family business – camps. His dad ran a summer sleep-away camp and was also a high school basketball coach. That led to starting a basketball camp with one of his former players, the late Knicks star Anthony Mason.
And while Fiedler was playing in the NFL, he, his dad, and his brother, decided to start a football camp, which is now known as Prime Time Football.
"I ran an annual football camp, a three-day overnight camp from the late '90s up until just a few years ago," he said. "And after my retirement, I decided to do a little bit more training throughout the year, rather than just running a weekend camp once a year.
"It is something that I love doing. I love working with kids. I love seeing their growth and development, and I started running more camps and clinics and private training. I've done training from the youth level all the way up to the pros, and just love doing that and working with guys, sharing my knowledge with the next generation.
"Nowadays, there's so many camps and clinics that are all about showcasing and recruiting. There are very few that work on developing kids, from their skills to their mindset, their character, and everything that goes along with playing the game on the field and being a good person off the field.
"It's a real opportunity through Prime Time camps and the program I run to have an impact on a lot of young people's lives, and I'm really proud of being able to do that."
Fiedler, who makes his home on Long Island with his wife, Molly, and their two children, has also stayed involved with the game as a TV studio analyst on CBS 2 New York's Jets Late Night, which airs during the season on Sunday nights following the late news.
"I get to analyze the games and share that with the viewers, break down what the Jets are doing to the everyday fans," he said. "I really enjoy doing that, breaking down plays and strategy of the game and giving the fans a different perspective on what the team is doing, both good and bad."
