Apr. 15, 1963 - Wilbur (Weeb) Ewbank (center) was appointed today coach and general manager of New York’s American Football League team for three years. The team name he will be expected to cover with gridiron glory was announced as the Jets. It used to be the Titans. The Jets — which, ominously, rhymes with Mets — was selected from more than 300 possible names submitted by friends, enemies, and advertising agencies to David (Sonny) Werblin (left), president of the Gotham Football Club, Inc. The choice of the 55-year-old Ewbank, who led the Baltimore Colts to consecutive NFL championships in 1958 and 1959, was considerably simpler than the choice of “Jets.” “No other head coach was ever under consideration for the job,” said Werblin. The head coaches in the Titans’ three-year history were Sammy Baugh (1960 and 1961) and Bulldog Turner (1962). Ewbank said today the Jets were no worse than the Baltimore Colts of 1954. That was the year he began a five-year drive that brought that club to glory. “I’ll feel right at home with the Jets,” said Ewbank. “I’m not pushing the panic button. I’ve seen sicker cows than this one get well because I’m a little Hoosier boy from the Midwest.” The Jet management has already forged ahead in developing a new image for the club. The Titan colors were black and gold. The Jet colors will be white and green. As for the name of the club, “Jets” symbolizes the site of Shea Stadium (where the Jets think they will play this fall) between two major airports, the spirit of modern times, and the speed and eagerness of all concerned. Two other leading contenders were “Gothams” and “Borros.” “Borros” (a pun on boroughs) was discarded out of concern that the team would be called the jackasses, and “Gothams” was dismissed because someone said that it would be shortened to Goths — “and you know they weren’t such nice people.”
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