Matt Snell, the powerful running back whose relentless performance helped power the New York Jets to their historic victory in Super Bowl III, has died, aged 84.

Snell was widely regarded by team-mates and historians as the true on-field MVP of the game that legitimised the American Football League against the established NFL. A bruising fullback who wore #41, he was central to one of the most famous upsets in professional football history and, while brash quarterback Joe Namath earned official MVP honours after guaranteeing victory over the heavily-favoured Baltimore Colts, it was Snell who controlled the tempo of the game.

He rushed for 121 yards on 30 carries and scored the Jets’ only touchdown in their 16–7 victory, repeatedly pounding the Colts’ defense and dominating possession as New York executed a disciplined, ball-control game plan. Many observers have long argued that Snell’s performance — the first 100-yard rushing game in Super Bowl history — was the decisive factor in the Jets’ triumph.

“Matt Snell will forever hold a special place in the history of the New York Jets,” team owner Woody Johnson said in a statement marking the player’s passing. “He was the embodiment of toughness, selflessness, and belief — traits that defined our organisation’s proudest moments.

“His performance in Super Bowl III was nothing short of legendary. Against the odds, Matt set the tone with his physical running, delivering the Jets’ lone touchdown and helping secure one of the most important victories in sports history.

“Matt represented what it means to be a Jet — doing whatever it took to win, putting team above self, and rising to the moment when it mattered most. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and all those who were touched by his life and career, including the Jets family he so deeply impacted.”

Born in Ohio, Snell starred collegiately at Ohio State before joining the Jets in the AFL as a first-round draft selection. At 6-foot-1 and around 230 pounds, he combined unusual size with deceptive agility, making him a perfect fit for the Jets’ physical offensive approach under coach Weeb Ewbank, even if his quiet demeanour was the complete opposite of his quarterback’s.

“I’m really sad to hear that he passed,” Namath was quoted by the Jets’ official website. “Matt was not only a hell of a player — he was a terrific team-mate and, without him, we wouldn’t have had a chance to win a championship.”

For Jets fans and historians alike, Snell’s legacy rests not only on statistics but on a single afternoon in Miami when his relentless running helped change the balance of power in the sport.