He teamed with the quarterback Joe Namath in a passing attack that took New York to an upset victory in Super Bowl III against the powerful Colts.
Don Maynard, the Hall of Fame wide receiver who teamed with Joe Namath in the passing attack that propelled the Jets to their storied 1969 upset victory in the Super Bowl, died on Monday at an assisted living facility in Ruidoso, N.M. He was 86. The cause was a combination of health problems, including dementia, his son, Scot, said. Maynard arrived in the N.F.L. with the 1958 Giants as a little known halfback and safety out of Texas Western College, showing up at training camp with a cowboy hat, matching Western attire, cowboy boots and long sideburns. The Giants already had Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote and Alex Webster in their backfield, so Maynard saw limited action that season. He received the opening kickoff (touching the ball down in the end zone) in the thrilling 1958 N.F.L. championship game in which the Giants were beaten by the Baltimore Colts in sudden-death overtime, but he didn’t carry the ball or catch a pass that afternoon. The Giants cut him the following summer. By the time Maynard played in another storied championship game, the Jets’ 16-7 win over the N.F.L.’s heavily favored Colts in Super Bowl III on Jan.12,1969 — an unforgettable victory that brought their American Football League long-sought credibility — he had become one of pro football’s most dynamic receivers. “Maynard is one of those lean and hungry Texans who can run forever,” Jets Coach Weeb Ewbank once told Sports Illustrated. Ewbank had previously coached the Colts’ future Hall of Fame receiver Raymond Berry, who ran brilliant pass routes to make up for just average speed. “Raymond was usually tackled the instant he caught the ball,” Ewbank said. “Give Don a step and he’s gone.” When Maynard retired, having played 13 of his 15 seasons for the Jets, his 633 receptions for 11,834 yards were pro football records.
