CINCINNATI – Jets left tackle Olu Fashanu was getting ready for Sunday’s game against the Bengals at Paycor Stadium when one text shook him from his usual routine.
In a matter of seconds, Fashanu knew that this game would carry a deeper meaning than any other he had played.
“Before the game, I’m usually not on my phone,” Fashanu told NJ Advance Media. “But my dad sent me a text right before the game, telling me … and as soon as I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to go even harder.’”
That’s how Fashanu learned the tragic news that Jets legend Nick Mangold died Saturday night at 41 from complications of chronic kidney disease. And while Mangold’s shocking death added extra meaning and emotion for everyone in the Jets locker room – because the former star center maintained a close connection with the franchise in the nine years since he retired – it carried a uniquely deep meaning for the 22-year-old Fashanu, because he was wearing the same No. 74 that Mangold played in for his entire 11-season run as one of the best players in Jets history.
“I knew I had to dedicate and do everything possible to get that win for him,” Fashanu said. “So, for us – and for not just myself, but the entire offensive line to go out there and do our jobs every play and have a very dominant performance. It’s all for him.”
The Jets won their first game of the season, beating the Bengals 39-38 in a way that surely would have made Mangold proud. And not just because they erased a 15-point fourth quarter deficit, but how they did it: running the ball at will, racking up 254 yards on the ground, their most rushing yards in a game since 2021, and only the fourth time since Mangold retired that they’ve run for 250 or more yards in a game.
But even amid the raucous and well-earned postgame celebration the locker room, there were constant reminders of a loss that carried far more weight than the result of a football game – Mangold leaves behind his wife, Jenny, and four children.
Kicker Nick Folk, the only current Jet who played with Mangold, was on the verge of tears at his locker when asked about the seven seasons he played with Mangold.
“He was a great human, a great person,” Folk said. “It was a very sad day, all the way around.”
Folk, who turns 41 on Nov. 5 said Mangold was at the front of his mind all day. He kicked the game-winning extra point with less than two minutes left.
“Yeah, it was tough,” Folk said, his voice breaking. “I think at the end, he – he was there with us.”
Jets coach Aaron Glenn talked about Mangold’s death before taking questions about his first career win.
“I hate having to start with this, because this means more to me than anything: Nick Mangold, passing away,” Glenn said. “Obviously, I didn’t play with him, but I was here as a scout when he was playing. But I was here as a scout when he was playing, and he was the heart and soul of this team. … It’s tough to hear, it’s tough to hear, because of who he was as a person, him being a true Jet. Prayers go out to his family.”
Even in the Bengals’ locker room, Mangold’s death was at the front of mind – he was born in Centerville, Ohio, about 50 miles from where Sundays game was played. Mangold also won a National Championship at Ohio State, and when the Jets inducted Mangold into their Ring of Honor in 2022, the ceremony was at halftime of a home game against the Bengals.
“Rest in peace, Nick Mangold,” Bengals center Ted Karras said, “One of the all-time great centers, local legend, New York legend, cultural driver in the NFL – an amazing man. Obviously, he was looking down on the New York Jets today. That was a big loss for the NFL. I’m thinking about his family and all his teammates. He was a man that was a longtime hero for the center position, so it was tragic news.”
Mangold’s on-field place in Jets history will never be questioned. But perhaps the best tribute to him is the fact that he made such a big impact on some of the youngest current Jets players, even without having an official role with his former team.
Joe Tippmann was the Jets’ starting center for the last two years before he shifted to right guard because of Alijah Vera-Tucker’s injury just before the season. The 24-year-old spoke of Mangold had gone out of his way to make his transition to the NFL in the same role as easy as possible.
“The whole pregame I had him in my prayers … praying for him, praying for his family, and keeping in the back of my mind that I wanted to go out there and win this for him,” Tippman said. “Just the way he welcomed me when I got drafted, being a center, like, he was [there] with open arms. Anything I need, the whole time. To lose a great man like that, my heart goes out to his family.”
And Fashanu had a similarly close connection to Mangold, who encouraged him to wear his No. 74 after he was drafted No. 11 overall in 2024.
“Nick was awesome, honestly,” Fashanu said. “Just such a super nice and genuine guy. He was super welcoming from the moment I got drafted. We both go to the beach in Delaware and he would say, ‘If you’re ever at the beach the same time I am, hit me up. Just come over to the house and hang out.’ To have a legend like that welcome me, it was a really good feeling as a rookie coming in.”
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