Lyons' football career blossomed at the University of Alabama, where he was named an All-American in 1978 under the tutelage of the late Paul "Bear" Bryant. That same year, his peers voted him captain of the NCAA Division 1 National Champion football team. In the 1979 National Football League draught, his athletic ability drove him to the first round. Mr.
Lyons was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame, Class of 2011, on his first appearance on the ballot, in appreciation of his exceptional achievements. He joins a select club of people who make up less than 1% (.0002) of the population.
"It's an honor for me to represent the University, my teammates, and the fans," he said of receiving the highest distinction. You learn as you move through life that you are never alone.
When you don't have the resolve to attempt to find the fight, you achieve everything with the people who surround you, the ones who have a vision for you. I also have to give thanks to God for allowing me to play. You always found strength when things became rough.
I'm here to represent my teammates because they helped me improve as a player. Coach (Paul) Bryant and his coaching team are the ones who gave me my vision. And, more significantly, I represent the University of Alabama's fans, who are proud of the university's great heritage." Mr.
Lyons had a twelve-year professional football career with the New York Jets, during which time he played defensive tackle and defensive end.
He was instrumental in the establishment of "the New York Sack Exchange." Lyons, along with teammates Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, and Abdul Salaam, helped the 1981 Jets set a franchise record with 66 sacks and their first postseason trip since 1969.
For three of the four seasons (1981, 1983, and 1984), the "New York Sack Exchange" led the NFL in sacks. Lyons had 43 sacks in 11 seasons with the Jets (1979-89), appearing in 147 games, which was a record for a Jets defensive lineman. In 1982 and 1983, his on-field performance earned him selection as a Pro Bowl alternate.
In 1988, he was named one of the defensive team captains due to his experience and leadership. Mr. Lyons was a strong force on the field, but he also made a big impact on it through his considerable charity activities. In 1984, he was selected NFL Man of the Year for his community service.
The New York Jets annually award the Marty Lyons Award to the player who contributes the most back to his community, as determined by the Jets personnel, as a testament to his lengthy charity effort. In 1990, he was the first person to get this honor.
He continues to earn several awards for his tireless philanthropic efforts, the most recent of which being the 2011 Heisman Humanitarian Award. Mr. Lyons discovered there was more to life than football in 1982. "Three incidents changed my life in March 1982," Mr. Lyons says.
In the span of a week, my father, Leo, died unexpectedly; Keith, a little child to whom I was a Big Brother, died of leukemia; and Rocky, my first son, was born. Imagine being on top of the world and being forced to observe the frailty, injustice, and wonder of life over the course of seven days.
I chose to make a difference in the lives of critically ill children by using my name and God-given ability." Marty is in his 11th season as an ESPN New York Radio 98.7 FM New York Jets Radio Network Analyst. He also serves as the Color Analyst for the United Healthcare Empire Challenge's High School Football All-Star Game every year.
Mr. Lyons is one of the athletes profiled in Eli Gold's book Bear's Boys: Thirty-Six Men Whose Lives Were Changed by Coach Paul Bryant. Bear's Boys is a compilation of uplifting stories about 40 individuals whose lives were changed forever by their encounters with the renowned coach while playing and coaching at Alabama.
Marty was also included in Richard Scott's Legends of Alabama Football in 2004. The University of Alabama has established itself as one of the most successful athletic schools in the history of American athletics, with 12 national titles, 19 players and coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame, and a national accomplishment tradition dating back to the 1920s.
Alabama has produced some of the most iconic teams and players in the history of the game, dating back to the days when university president Dr. George H. "Mike" Denny thought football would be the university's ticket to national prominence.
Legends of Alabama Football tells the story of the coaches, players, and events that propelled the Crimson Tide into the national spotlight. Mr. Lyons was featured in a two-page feature piece by Lars Anderson in Sports Illustrated's 10th Annual Where Are They Now, published on July 13, 2009.
On November 8, 2009, he made a special guest appearance on CBS College Sports Network's SEC Tailgate Show for Alabama vs. LSU game. Marty Lyons was inducted into the New York Jets Ring of Honor at halftime of the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 13, 2013.
