New York Jets legend Abdul Salaam has died at the age of 71

Former New York Jets defensive tackle Abdul Salaam died Tuesday of complications from health problems, his widow Debbie told ESPN. Salaam was 71.

Salaam was a key member of the Jets' defensive line from 1976 to 1983 and co-founded the fearsome Sack Exchange in the early 1980s with Mark Gastineau, Hall of Famer Joe Klecko and Marty Lyons.

“I feel like I lost my best friend,” Gastineau told ESPN. “I couldn't have done it without Abdul. He helped me through everything.”

“He was well respected in the locker room and loved by his teammates,” Lyons told ESPN. “His name said it all: Solider of Peace. He spoke so softly, but he was a big part of what we accomplished.”

He was born Larry Faulk in Alabama in 1953 and changed his name to Abdul Salaam, meaning “soldier of peace,” in 1977 to bring more serenity into his life.

Former New York Jets defensive tackle Abdul Salaam (near right) teamed up with Mark Gastineau (right), Joe Klecko (far left) and Marty Lyons (far left) at the famous Sack Exchange

Former New York Jets defensive tackle Abdul Salaam died Tuesday due to health problems

Joe Klecko, Marty Lyons, Abdul Salaam and Mark Gastineau, collectively known as the famous “Sack Exchange” of the New York Jets, work on the floor of the American Stock Exchange after the opening bell to mark the start of the upcoming National Football season on August 29, 2007 League season to support

In 1981, the former Kent State star helped get the Jets back to the playoffs for the first time since 1969, joining other members of the Sack Exchange in recording 66 quarterback takedowns that season.

“We made the adjustments and learned very quickly,” Salaam told the Jets’ website in 2019. “That's why we were successful.” I went from defense to tackle and he was a big help in getting Marty and Mark involved.

“It was like a heavyweight fight. You had to be combative and know you were going to get hit. You had to stay on your feet and keep going. It was just a cold-blooded fight.'

That same season, Salaam, Gastineau, Klecko and Lyons were invited to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.

In retirement, Salaam returned to the Cincinnati area, where he had attended high school decades earlier.