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Former Jets linemen Marvin Powell, 67, and Jim Sweeney, 60, dead: New York reveals former teammates passed away days in a row after memorable careers in the ’70s and ’80s
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Marvin Powell and Jim Sweeney, the former New York Jets offensive linemen, died this week, the team announced Sunday.
Powell was a three-time All-Pro in right tackle and was president of the NFL Players Association for two years during his 11-year NFL career, the first nine years with the Jets. He died Friday, the Jets said. Powell was 67.
Sweeney was one of the Jets’ most enduring players, starting 158 consecutive games over an 11-year period with the team, mostly at the center. He died Saturday, the Jets said. Sweeney was 60.
The two were teammates with the Jets during the 1984 and ’85 seasons.
The Jets announced that two former linemen – Marvin Powell (L) and Jim Sweeney (R) passed away this weekend. The pair played on the same offensive line in the 1984 and 1985 seasons.
A member of the College Football Hall of Fame, Powell was drafted by the Jets as the USC’s number 4 player in 1977. He won a rookie runway and went on to become one of the franchise’s top and most decorated players, selected to the Pro Bowl for five consecutive seasons from 1979-83. Powell was an All-Pro in 1979, ’81 and ’82.
Powell was also named MVP of the Jets by his teammates in 1979.
“Marvin was one of the best linemen I’ve ever seen,” former Jets receiver Wesley Walker told the team’s website. “He was just a physical copy. He was just good. I just loved him.”
Powell played his final two seasons with Tampa Bay, finishing with 130 starts in 133 games.
Powell was also one of the league’s most respected players when he served as a player’s union representative, then was elected vice president of the NFLPA before serving as president for two years. The native of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, worked as an intern at the New York Stock Exchange and received his law degree from New York Law School in 1987.
Powell’s son Marvin III played nine games as a fullback for New Orleans in 1999.
Powell (L) was president of the NFL Players Association for two years while playing
Sweeney was a second-round pick from Pittsburgh — where he was Dan Marino’s center — in 1984, starting two games as a rookie. The Pittsburgh native started every game on the left wing in his second season and then went on to the left wing for two seasons before becoming the Jets center in 1988 — a role he held for seven years.
His versatility and toughness made him one of the team’s most valuable players. It also earned him the respect of teammates and opponents.
“Jim was a quintessential Pittsburgh guy,” former teammate and current team radio analyst Marty Lyons told the team’s website. “He was tough – he was hard to practice against every day. You could count on him every Sunday.
“However, he had a different personality once he crossed the line. Tough, tough footballer, a loving, caring friend off the pitch.”
Sweeney played 16 seasons in the NFL, including 11 seasons with the Jets, mostly in the middle
Sweeney started every game for Seattle in 1995 and finished his 16-year career by playing four seasons with his hometown Steelers. He played in 228 games, including 176 starts.
Sweeney came into coaching after his playing days, serving as an assistant to Duquesne and Albany. He was also an assistant at the high school level in suburban Pittsburgh for eight years.
Sweeney leaves behind his wife Julie and their five children: Shannon, Liam, Aislinn, Kilian and Teagan.