Frank Ramos, legendary Jets public relations czar, was pioneer of his profession before death at 87

The Jets lost an invaluable link to their glory days with the passing of Frank Ramos, their legendary public relations czar who died at age 87 on Tuesday after a short bout with pneumonia. Ramos was a fixture with the franchise from 1963 to 2002, working under seven owners, seven team presidents, five general managers, 11 full-time coaches and two interim coaches.  From the moment I first started covering the Jets in the late ’80s, I always associated Ramos with the Joe Namath era, having been a significant part of that 1969 Super Bowl III, the only title in franchise history.He was there when Namath was drafted in 1965 and he was alongside Namath when he delivered the famous Super Bowl guarantee in Miami. Namath revered Ramos, calling him “a pioneer in the profession.’’“I’m heartbroken,” Namath said.“He was with me since Day 1.

He was special, a special friend, a special teammate if you will.Today is a sad day for the Jets family.”Current Jets owner Woody Johnson praised Ramos, his first PR director when he bought the team, for his “encyclopedic knowledge’’ of the organization, adding, “Whenever you talked to Frank, you felt like you were getting the true pulse of the Jets.

Frank was the glue that held this place together.’’Ramos hired Roger Goodell as a public relations intern in 1983.Goodell, of course, has gone on to do some big things since. Goodell, the NFL commissioner since 2006, called Ramos “a Jets and NFL legend.’’”Frank was a trusted confidant of players, coaches, and executives,’’ Goodell said.

“And he never missed a game.”Ramos, indeed, worked 681 consecutive games during his 39-year run with the team, never missing one.He was so proud of Super Bowl III that he was rarely seen not wearing his Super Bowl ring.Ramos was probably at his best in the face of crisis — most notably in 1992 when Dennis Byrd broke his neck in a game and was temporarily paralyzed.   The way he handled that crisis with s...