Former New York Jets defensive tackle Abdul Salaam, a member of the famed New York Sack Exchange in the early 1980s, died Tuesday after battling multiple health issues, his widow, Debbie, told ESPN on Wednesday. He was 71.
Salaam played for the Jets from 1976 to 1983, emerging as a run-stopping tackle on the four-man front that terrorized quarterbacks. Linemates Mark Gastineau, Hall of Famer Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons had greater fame than Salaam, but Salaam was widely respected as a quiet, stabilizing presence.
"I feel like I lost my best friend," Gastineau told ESPN. "If it wasn't for Abdul, I wouldn't have made it. He helped me through everything."
Salaam, who attended high school in Ohio and played college football at Kent State, was known as Larry Faulk when he was drafted by the Jets in 1976. He changed his name a year later to Abdul Salaam, which translates to "Soldier of Peace."
"He was well-respected in the locker room, loved by his teammates," Lyons told ESPN. "His name said it all: Solider of Peace. He was so soft-spoken, but he was a big part of what we accomplished."
The four former teammates were last together over the summer, when they convened at the New York Stock Exchange to tape an interview for an upcoming ESPN 30 for 30. In November 1981, in the heyday of the Sack Exchange, the four players rang the opening bell at the stock exchange -- a momentous day in Jets history.
Salaam was traded to the San Diego Chargers later in his career but never played a game for them. In eight years, he played in 97 games for the Jets and recorded 21 sacks.
He had been using a wheelchair in recent years as he battled diabetes.
Funeral arrangements are pending, according to his widow.