Matt Snell

Matt Snell (August 18, 1941 – March 10, 2026) was an American football fullback who spent his entire professional career with the New York Jets in both the American Football League and the National Football League. He played college football at Ohio State University.

Before the Jets famously signed Joe Namath in 1965, owner Sonny Werblin made his first big splash by landing Snell in 1964. The move stunned the New York Giants, who had waited until the fourth round to draft Snell and offered him far less money than the Jets did as a first-round pick. Snell went on to play in Super Bowl III, where he scored the Jets’ only touchdown and racked up strong rushing numbers in their 16–7 upset of the Baltimore Colts.

Snell grew up in Carle Place, New York, the son of Isaac and Annie. He attended Carle Place High School, where he played right halfback on a team that lost just two games during his time as a starter. He received the Newsday Thorp Award in 1959 as the top high school football player in Nassau County, and his photo hangs in the school’s athletic hall of fame.

At Ohio State, Snell started for three years and played on both sides of the ball. In 1961, he was a right halfback, often blocking for fullback Bob Ferguson or left halfback Paul Warfield. The next season, he moved to defensive end. As a senior in 1963, he started at fullback and rushed for 491 yards and five touchdowns, earning team MVP honors. In 2000, he was named to the Ohio State Football All-Century Team as a defensive end.

Snell’s rookie year with the Jets was impressive: he set a team record with 180 rushing yards against the Houston Oilers, finished the season with 945 yards, and was named AFL Rookie of the Year. He was an AFL Eastern Division All-Star in 1964 and 1966, and The Sporting News named him All-AFL fullback in 1969.

His signature performance came in Super Bowl III. Despite knee problems, Snell was central to the Jets’ ball-control game plan. He carried 30 times for a then-Super Bowl record 121 yards and scored the Jets’ only touchdown on a four-yard run around left end in the second quarter—the first time an AFL team had ever led in a Super Bowl. His running also helped set up three Jim Turner field goals that sealed the 16–7 win, giving the AFL its first Super Bowl victory.

Beyond rushing, Snell became a key pass-blocker, especially protecting Joe Namath. Late in his career, he was one of the first third-down specialty backs because of his blocking skills, and he reportedly helped teach pass-blocking to other Jets running backs.

Injuries plagued Snell’s career. He tore knee cartilage in 1967, tore an Achilles tendon in 1970, and missed nine games in 1971 after a severe knee bruise. In Week 4 of the 1972 season against the Miami Dolphins, he ruptured his spleen and needed it removed, ending his season. He decided then that he was done, though he didn’t formally retire until March 1973. “I just figured I was 32 years old and tired of rehabbing,” he later said. He played only 12 games in his final three seasons.

After football, Snell appeared in the first Miller Lite beer commercial in 1973. The campaign, which featured middle-aged sports stars, became a status symbol for retired athletes over the next 17 years. He sold his restaurant, Matt Snell’s Fifth Down, to focus on Defco Securities, Inc., where he was one of four partners.

Snell and Emerson Boozer were inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor on November 29, 2015, recognized as partners in each other’s success. Snell declined the invitation to the ceremony at MetLife Stadium, just as he had consistently refused other alumni events after retiring. In 2018, he explained that Jets owner Leon Hess had refused to give him a job reference after his playing career, despite promising one, even though Snell felt he had helped build the team’s success.

Snell lived in New Rochelle, New York, with his wife, Sharon, and their two children. His grandson played football at Holy Cross High School. He was a partner in Defco Securities and owned a New York City restaurant. He was the first cousin, twice removed, of running back Benny Snell—Benny’s grandfather was Snell’s first cousin. Snell died on Long Island on March 10, 2026, at age 84.