The Jets will honor the late Betty Wold Johnson, the matriarch of the Johnson Family, with a "BWJ" patch on their 2020 jerseys.
Ms. Johnson, the mother of both Christopher Johnson, the Jets CEO, and Woody Johnson, the United States Ambassador to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, was a renown philanthropist and long-time contributor to arts, education and healthcare initiatives throughout the New Jersey and New York regions. She passed away in May at 99.
"When I think of her, I think of her as The First Lady of the Jets," said former Jets QB Chad Pennington. "To me, two of her greatest qualities were humility and approachability. Ms. Johnson was such an approachable and humble lady. I think of Ms. Johnson as nothing but first class with how she treated people, how she carried herself and how she represented herself and her family."
Ms. Johnson referred to Jets players as her grandchildren. Former Jets RB and NFL Hall of Famer Curtis Martin, who retired following the 2006 season, said the highlight for him while attending Jets games was his interaction with Ms. Johnson.
"There are very few people in this world who live to 99," Martin said. "And I'm sure if you go back and look at everything she did for other people, you could probably write a book on her from a philanthropic standpoint… She had such a charitable heart and a charitable way about her.
"She was definitely the First Lady of the Jets. She had such a presence there. And as far as the players being like grandchildren to her, I can definitely see that because she was such a warm person. She had a personal interest rooting for the Jets, but just her energy, she had a younger person's energy. And she was just very approachable to everyone who met her. I just loved her as a human being."
Five NFL teams including the Jets will wear special patches in 2020 as the "BWJ" patch features white lettering on a black oval background.
