New York Jets coach Robert Saleh and several team staffers, along with members of the Atlanta Falcons honored the late Greg Knapp by running the steps inside MetLife Stadium before the teams' game Sunday.
Knapp, a longtime NFL assistant coach, died on July 22, 2021, when he was hit by a car while riding a bicycle near his home in California. He was 58.
Knapp had a longtime tradition of running the stairs in the stands a few hours before games, and Jets and Falcons coaches and staffers participated in the “Knapp Stair Climb” before team warmups Sunday in support of The Coach Knapp Memorial Fund to raise funds for distracted driving awareness.
As part of this weekend's “My Cause, My Cleats” initiative around the NFL, several members of the Jets and Falcons are representing The Coach Knapp Memorial Fund, including New York general manager Joe Douglas and special teams coordinator Brant Boyer, and Atlanta assistant coaches Matt Schaub and T.J. Yates.
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Several other NFL and NCAA teams have participated in the “Knapp Stair Climb” this season, including Green Bay, Cleveland, New Orleans, Dallas, San Francisco, Denver, Houston and the Los Angeles Rams.
“The Falcons and Jets were our greatest champions last season, and we are proud that they are returning for Year Two, raising awareness for the dangers of distracted driving and to honor Greg’s legacy," said Knapp's widow Charlotte, who co-founded The Coach Knapp Memorial Fund. "We are so grateful for the groundswell of support from across the NFL and at the college level.”
Knapp was recently hired as the Jets' pass game specialist when he died. He also had coaching stints with the Falcons, Broncos, Raiders, Texans, Seahawks and 49ers after beginning his coaching career at Sacramento State in 1986.
