Jesse Linder, in his 19th year with the New York Jets, serves as the team's vice president, community relations after joining the Jets in 2003 as a community relations assistant. Linder oversees all the club's community relations and charity outreach initiatives. He is responsible for the implementation of the Jets Tackle Bullying program, Youth Football outreach to underserved areas, support for the Lupus Research Alliance and the execution of NFL Community platforms.
Among the organization's Youth Football initiatives was the creation of the first Girl's Flag Football League in New Jersey. The league, in collaboration with the North Jersey Super Football Conference (NJSFC) and the New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA), began play in the Spring of 2021. Eight high schools from New Jersey each received an $11,000 grant and equipment from the Jets and Nike to cover all expenses of the program. The long-term goal is to have the sport adopted as an official high school statewide championship sport.
In December of 2020, Linder and the community relations department worked with the Jets Social Justice, Diversity and Inclusion Team (SJDIT) to identify and partner with four social justice organizations - All Stars Project, Innocence Project, New York Urban League and Year Up – all of which share the goal of reducing barriers and creating opportunities for individuals in need. As part of the partnerships, each organization received $250,000.
Additionally, over 70 New York Jets staff volunteered on more than 300 projects with these organizations. Linder previously served as a physical education teacher in the New Paltz Central School District, where he coached baseball, basketball and golf. He began his NFL career as an intern in the Miami Dolphins community relations department in 2002.
A native of New Paltz, NY, Linder graduated from the University of Delaware in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in health and physical education with a minor in coaching science. He later earned his master's degree in sport management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2002. Linder enjoys playing golf in his spare time and owns a single-digit handicap. He and his wife, Jillian, dog, Ruby, and cats, Shea and Orosco, reside in New Jersey.
