Darrelle Revis sets record straight on 'two best defensive players' compliment on ex-Jets DL Joe Klecko - "I’m the best"
Darrelle Revis thinks he is the single greatest defender in the history of the New York Jets. In his mind, neither Joe Klecko nor the rest of the "New York Sack Exchange" can compare with him.
On Monday, Klecko spoke with ESPN's Jake Asman about Revis' upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame. The current Hall of Famer recalled Revis' excitement at being named an inductee, saying:
“I said to him when we were out at the Super Bowl... this is going to be New York West for a day. We got to sit down after, and Darrelle doesn’t say a whole lot. But the first comment we had, we were doing Sirius Radio, and he said, ‘it’s really cool that Joe and I, who are the two best defensive players ever to play with the Jets are coming in together.’”
@JakeAsmanShowJoe Klecko told @JakeAsman that Darrelle Revis (@Revis24) doesn’t say a whole lot but he did say that Joe & I are the 2 best defensive players to ever play for the #Jets & we’re going in together to the @ProFootballHOF, ‘it’s cool’ + ‘a pretty good comment’ 🎥 @JakeAsmanShow https://t.co/gebJ5GBkzD
But when Revis learned of the interview, he refuted the story:
@BoyGreen25 @JakeAsman @ProFootballHOF @JakeAsmanShow i don’t speak to people i don’t know very well. and we did not speak based on you saying you were jealous of my success @ the Super Bowl. my mindset is clearly I’m @ the top of that list as the best ever but as a gentlemen i decided to say something cool for a headline.
Then, when an online fan attempted to call him out on "walking back", Revis replied:
@NYJ2018 @BoyGreen25 @JakeAsman @ProFootballHOF @JakeAsmanShow I ain’t walking sh*t back I said what I said. It’s true what i said but also true that I’m the best defensive player in Jets history period. I don’t even know why this is even a conversation.
Darrelle Revis vs. Joe Klecko: A comparison of the 2023 Hall of Fame inductees' careers and stats
Both Darrelle Revis and Joe Klecko share a few traits: they both primarily played for the New York Jets, they both made multiple Pro Bowls, and they are both members of the team's Ring of Honor. But they also have many differences.
As a defensive end, Joe Klecko was a member of the famed "New York Sack Exchange" that included Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam (fka Larry Faulk), and Mark Gastineau. Together, they terrorized opposing offenses, but sacks did not become an official statistic until 1982, a year after Klecko led the league with 20.5.
Over the course of his 11 seasons with the Jets, Klecko amassed 78 sacks as well as eight fumble recoveries. He also had an additional fumble recovery in his final season as an Indianapolis Colt. However, he and the Jets never made it to the Super Bowl, let alone won.
Darrelle Revis, meanwhile, played cornerback, earning the nickname "Revis Island" (a play on his name and Rikers Island, New york City's largest jail) for his ability to shut down elite wide receivers like future Hall of Famers Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, often to the point that opposing offenses would not even bother throwing to his side of the field. He did take the Jets to the AFC Championship game in 2009-10 and 2010-11, but he would not reach (and win) the Super Bowl until 2014-15 - as a New England Patriot.
By the end of his career in 2018, Revis had amassed 29 interceptions, 139 pass deflections, 496 tackles (411 solo), and 12 fumble recoveries. Besides the Jets and Patriots, he also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs.