Al Toon

Lore & Background

Toon was selected by the New York Jets in the first round (10th overall) of the 1985 NFL draft. He made three catches for 67 yards in his first game against the Buffalo Bills on September 15. He caught 46 passes for 662 yards and three touchdowns as a rookie. In 1986, he caught 85 passes for 1,176 yards with eight touchdowns, earning All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He led the league in receptions in 1988 with 93 catches for 1,067 yards and five touchdowns, becoming the first Jet to do so since George Sauer in 1967. Toon is currently the last Jet to lead the league in receptions. He retired on November 28, 1992, after suffering multiple concussions. He set franchise records for receptions in a season (93) and consecutive games (110) at the time of his retirement. He was second in receptions (517) in team history to Don Maynard and third to Maynard and Wesley Walker in receiving yards (6,605). In 2011, he was selected to the Jets Ring of Honor.

In Their Own Story

The cold January wind whipped across the Meadowlands as Al Toon stepped onto the gridiron, helmet gleaming under the stadium lights. With seconds ticking down and the defense bearing down, he dropped back, eyes scanning the field. Spotting a sliver of daylight, he broke the pocket, his legs pumping with explosive speed. He danced around a linebacker, rolled right, and launched a perfect spiral that spiraled through the air like a bullet—landing squarely in the hands of Mark Clayton for a touchdown. The crowd erupted, but Toon just nodded, already thinking about the next play.

Reader's Guide

Al Toon played his entire NFL career with the New York Jets from 1985 to 1992. He was a wide receiver, not a quarterback. He was drafted by the Jets in the first round of the 1985 NFL draft; there is no mention of Bill Parcells. He did not die in a car accident; he retired in 1992 and is still alive, active in business and community work. His jersey number is not mentioned as retired; he was inducted into the Jets Ring of Honor. He never led the NFL in pass attempts or completions; he led the league in receptions in 1988.

Did You Know?

• Al Toon set a Big Ten single-game receiver record while at Wisconsin.
• He is one of two retired players in NFL history to play fewer than 110 games and still record over 500 receptions, the other being Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow Sr.
• Toon had more catches in his first five seasons (355) than any player in league history.
• He reached 400 receptions in 81 games, third only to Winslow and Lionel Taylor.
• Toon competed in a triathlon in 2004 after suffering from post-concussion syndrome.