She stood on an oval riser with the flag-bearers behind her.
The crowd at MetLife Stadium was on its feet, too, looking down at the woman wearing a No. 75 green and white Jets jersey and carrying a golden voice.
Heather Hill began singing before that game against Jacksonville on the day October kicked off: “Oh say can you see …”
It was impossible to tell by her stirring rendition, but she had felt jittery, wanting to do so well in her third time belting out the national anthem at a Jets game. And this is a professional singer who finished a four-year run on Broadway last fall in “The Phantom of the Opera.”
But it was a Legends Homecoming game and a Ring of Honor day to induct Kevin Mawae, so there were many former Jets on hand. Her father, No. 75, a tackle who was one of the team’s all-time greats, was not. Winston Hill died in 2016 at the age of 74.
“I think I was probably more nervous than I can remember in quite some time,” she said. “It was emotional because my dad wasn’t here. I sang last year at a game. It was not the Homecoming game. But … that was wonderful. But in this game, I’m around people and players I’ve known my whole life.”
Hill proudly represented her dad. She always does.
Mention his name and the love and praise flows freely.
“It’s my honor to talk about him,” Hill said, “because he was a wonderful father, an amazing player and an even greater man, if that’s possible.”
Legendary Jet
It was back in 1963 when this man signed with the AFL’s Jets after being cut by the NFL’s Baltimore Colts, who had drafted the Texan that year in the 11th round out of Texas Southern. He stayed for 14 seasons with the Jets, the first eight as a mobile, 6-4, 270-pound left tackle, in charge of guarding Joe Namath’s blind side, before moving to the opposite side. They both moved on after the 1976 season.
この記事は NY Jets Confidential の November 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は NY Jets Confidential の November 2017 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
FIRST DOWN- A lot of potential, but a lot to learn
There is a lyric in an old song by the rock group Chicago that sums up where Zach Wilson is right now:
IN HIS OWN WORDS WITH DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR JEFF ULBRICH - Ulbrich breaks down Jets' defensive personnel
(Marcus Maye) can do it all. I would feel comfortable with him (at free or strong safety). He’s a guy that, to me, he can play deep, he can play the half field, he can play the middle third, he can do that and you feel comfortable with it. I think he’s got range, speed and athleticism. I think he’s got ball skills and instincts to be a deep safety. But I think he’s got enough size and girth and want-to and courage to play in the box. It’ll be fun to utilize all the things that he does. He can cover tight ends; he can cover some of the wide receivers in this league.
Dan's Minicamp Diary
Becton bombarded with weighty questions
Saleh calls Wilson ‘relentless' as a worker
QUESTION SESSION WITH QB ZACH WILSON
Jets hope initiatives will increase winning edge
Aside from adding as many good players as possible to help the Jets improve, coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas are trying to turn over every stone to find extra ways to give their team a winning edge, and two examples of this were announced over the course of the offseason, with the additions of a game management coach (Matt Burke) and the installation of an Athletic Care and Performance Department. Let’s take a closer look at these two moves and how they might help the Jets:
Dan's Spring Camp Diary
This time of year for learning, experimenting, not stats
AUDIBLES-Saleh doesn't cave on offseason work
Tom Brady might be wrong about this one.
SAFETIES
Justin Simmons, Broncos 6-2 • 202 pounds • 27 years old
OFFENSIVE TACKLES
Trent Williams, 49ers 6-5 • 320 pounds • 32 years old
LINEBACKERS
Lavonte David, Buccaneers 6-0 • 226 pounds • 26 years old