Matt Snell was a phenom from Carle Place, L.I., who scored the only touchdown in the Jets\u2019 historic Super Bowl III upset of the NFL Baltimore Colts and easily could have won MVP honors (121 yards rushing on 30 attempts) that went to Joe Namath.<\/p>\n
Snell, born in Garfield, Ga., died from natural causes Tuesday morning<\/a> at age 84.<\/p>\n He is survived by son Beau, daughter Jada and grandson Donte.<\/p>\n \u201cTo me, he was my hero, he was bigger than life, he was a gentle giant,\u201d Beau Snell told The Post from his Queens Village home. \u201cLoved his family, loved his children, and was just a humble, quiet man.\u201d<\/p>\n Beau, 55, was born one year and five months after his father\u2019s 4-yard touchdown rumble behind left tackle Winston Hill gave the Jets a 7-0 Super Bowl lead.<\/p>\n \u201cHe always talked about that even though Joe was the one that bragged about it, they all had a quiet confidence that they could win that game,\u201d Beau said.<\/p>\n Matt Snell was a bruising 6-foot-2, 220-pound fullback out of Ohio State who spurned the NFL Giants, who had drafted him in the fourth round and offered him a $5,000 signing bonus in 1964, to play for Sonny Werblin\u2019s AFL Jets, who offered more and made him the No. 3 overall pick.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Giants had taken another running back \u2014 Joe Don Looney \u2014 in the first round,\u201d Matt Snell said once. \u201cThey also still had Frank Gifford and Alex Webster, and they wanted me to come in, sit behind them and learn for a year or two. I didn\u2019t want to do that. I think you learn by doing, and I saw the Jets as an opportunity to play right away.\u201d<\/p>\n Beau recalled that Matt\u2019s parents appreciated Werblin speaking with them after Matt had signed with the Jets.<\/p>\n Matt Snell of the Jets poses for a photo in 1969. AP<\/p>\n \u201cJust took the time to actually meet with them afterwards and spend time with them and make them feel comfortable that he had made the right choice signing with the Jets,\u201d Beau said.<\/p>\n Matt Snell rushed for 948 yards and five TDs and was AFL Rookie of the Year, and in 1965, Werblin signed Broadway Joe \u2014 who would make his famous guarantee in the days leading up to Super Bowl III.<\/p>\n \u201cWe really had no fear of Baltimore in that game,\u201d Matt Snell said.<\/p>\n Matt recalled Werblin telling him after Jets 16, Colts 7 at the Orange Bowl: \u201cWe did it!\u201d<\/p>\n Beau never heard his father complain about not winning the MVP.<\/p>\n Matt Snell rushes for the Jets against the Colts in Super Bowl III. Sports Illustrated via Getty Ima<\/p>\n \u201cBut it\u2019s funny because everyone says, \u2018Well we know who the real MVP of the Super Bowl was,\u2019\u2009\u201d Beau said. \u201cI believe the Jets gave him a car [Cadillac] as a consolation prize.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Snell played all of his nine seasons with the Jets, was a three-time AFL All-Star, but his post-career relationship with the team became shrouded in bitterness and nonexistent<\/a>, and sadly, he took his grudge to the grave with him.<\/p>\n Snell wouldn\u2019t confide the reason to his family.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t really give you any information on that,\u201d Beau said. \u201cHe kind of kept that to himself. He never liked to talk about it.\u201d<\/p>\n Matt Snell told Boy Green Daily last August that his disenchantment originated when then-Jets owner Leon Hess would not give him a letter of recommendation during the 1974 recession.<\/p>\n