Matt Snell, Jets Super Bowl III Hero, Dies at 84

Matt Snell, the powerful fullback whose touchdown run propelled the New York Jets to their only Super Bowl victory in a stunning upset, died on Tuesday at an assisted living facility on Long Island. He was 84. His son, Beau Snell, confirmed the death but did not specify a cause.

Snell's legacy is inseparable from Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, when the Jets defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Colts 16-7. As an 18-point underdog, New York relied on Snell's grinding performance to control the game. He carried the ball 30 times for 121 yards and caught four passes for 40 more, finishing with 161 total yards. In the second quarter, Snell capped an 80-yard drive with a 4-yard touchdown run, giving the Jets a lead they protected for the rest of the game. That score remains the only touchdown in franchise Super Bowl history.

The victory validated the American Football League's competitiveness ahead of its merger with the National Football League. Snell, a 6-foot-2, 219-pound runner from Ohio State University, set the tone early by knocking out Colts safety Rick Volk on a 9-yard gain. His workhorse effort, including six consecutive carries on the final drive to seal the win,...