Jets Super Bowl-Winner, A Nassau Native, Dies At 81

FLORAL PARK, NY — Paul "Rocky" Rochester, a Floral Park native who helped the New York Jets win Super Bowl III oover the Baltimore Colts over 50 years ago, has died, according to the team's website. He was 81.

Rochester died last weekend, though his exact cause of death wasn't immediately announced.

Rochester was born in Lansing, Michigan, but grew up in Floral Park and attended Sewanhaka High School. After playing college football at Michigan State he joined the Dallas Texans as an undrafted free agent in the American Football League in 1960. After a stint with Kansas City, the Jets signed Rochester in 1963. He played his first game as a member of the Jets at Shea Stadium against the Chiefs, helping the team to a 17-0 shutout.

Rochester wore No. 72, and was a full-time starter at left defensive tackle beginning in 1964, according to an obituary on the team's website.

Frank Ramos, a former longtime public relations director for the team who was Rochester's classmate at Sewanhaka, called his friend "a truly great guy."

"Paul was an underrated defensive tackle who played a major role on the Jets' Super Bowl championship team," Ramos said. "He was a great run stopper who enabled defensive ends Gerry Philbin and Verlon Biggs to rush from the outside and John Elliott, the quick defensive tackle, to rush up the middle. Walt Michaels came up with a scheme to use undersized linebacker Carl McAdams at DT on passing downs, leading the 1968 Jets to have the number one defense in the AFL."

During his time, he played in 132 games, earning one Pro Bowl nod two AFL championships. He was also inducted into the Nassau County Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2018.

After football, Rochester entered the private sector. His business sold building and roofing materials in Florida, Georgia and Alabama, as well as real estate.

And he made his way back to the New York metro area every once in a while, such as when the Jets brought everyone back to MetLife Stadium in 2018 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Super Bowl triumph.

Rochester is survived by his wife, Nancy, his two children, Laurel Nielsen and Don, and two grandchildren.