Bill Rademacher, who played in Super Bowl III for the Jets, has died. He was 75.
The team reported his passing Tuesday.
The Jets signed Rademacher as an undrafted free agent out of Northern Michigan in 1964. He played as both a receiver and a defensive back during his five seasons with the Jets.
In one of his six games as a rookie, Rademacher intercepted George Blanda.
He played 31 games in his Jets career, including all 14 regular-season games during the team’s 1968 Super Bowl season. He had two receptions for 11 yards that season and played special teams and in the secondary. Rademacher had three tackles in the AFC Championship Game against Oakland.
“One of Weeb Ewbank’s favorite quotes was ‘the more things you can do helps you get a spot on the team,’” Jets longtime public relations director Frank Ramos said, via a team press release. “Rad, like John Dockery, was one of those good athletes who could help out on offense and defense in a pinch and also proved to be a very good special teams player.”
Rademacher spent his final two seasons with Boston after the Jets cut him during the 1969 preseason.
During his career, he played 58 games and made 24 catches for 282 yards and three touchdowns.
Rademacher returned to his alma mater and served as NMU’s head coach for five seasons.