The New York Jets faced a difficult reality today as they lost a longstanding link to the OG Jets. In a heartbreaking announcement, the team shared the sad news of Frank Ramos’ passing. Let’s find out everything about the ex-director.

Who was the Jets’ ex-director Frank Ramos?

Frank Ramos had a Jets connection from the day he was born. The former public relations director was born on August 5, 1938. He grew up in Valley Stream, New York, which was just 10 minutes away from the Weeb Ewbank Hall at Hofstra University.

Ramos went on to graduate from Miami Jackson High School. He then studied social sciences and political science at Florida State University. After that, he started his career as a writer for the Miami News and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But his big break came when his friend Joe Cahill brought him to the New York Jets.

“Joe Cahill was the sports information director at West Point,” Ramos said. “When he said he was going to go to the New York Jets, he said, ‘I am taking you with me,’ and that was a big break for me.”

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So, it started as one friend bringing another along, and turned into decades of dedicated service for Ramos with the Jets. He became a fixture in the organization, working through historic moments like winning Super Bowl III in 1968. However, he left for the heavenly abode on January 27. And here’s what happened.

Frank Ramos’ Death: What happened to the Jets’ former director?

In his final days, Ramos was in hospice care in South Florida, battling pneumonia and passed away at 87, the team announced.

“We’re deeply saddened to announce the passing of Frank Ramos, 87, who served as our head of Public Relations from 1963 to 2002. We send our love and support to the Ramos family,” the Jets shared in a post on X.

NFL insider Adam Schefter quickly reshared the message, calling Ramos “a Jets legend.” Meanwhile, Jets’ Chairman Woody Johnson added his final message for the ex-director.

“Frank had an encyclopedic knowledge of this organization — he remembered everything, big and small, about every player and every employee who came through the building,” said Jets Chairman Woody Johnson.

“Whenever you talked to Frank, you felt like you were getting the true pulse of the Jets. He even gave me the Jets’ Super Bowl III playbook, which I still treasure. Frank was the glue that held this place together, and I’ve met very few people in my life quite like him.”

Ramos gave almost half his life to New Jersey, shaping the franchise from its early days into a storied NFL name.

How long did Frank Ramos work with the Jets?

Ramos dedicated nearly 39 years of his career to the organization. That journey began in 1963. The very year the franchise rebranded from the New York Titans to the New York Jets.

He never missed a single game of the franchise, witnessing a total of 681 games, including regular-season, postseason, and preseason games. His loyalty and deep knowledge made him the longest-tenured public relations official among all New York sports teams when he retired in 2002.

He witnessed Hall of Famer Joe Namath getting drafted and then winning the Super Bowl before finally leaving in 1976. He was also at the center of forming the “New York Sack Exchange,” the fearsome defensive line of the 1980s. Plus, the ex-director was known for wearing his Super Bowl ring all the time.

“You never saw Frank — whether it was a casual dinner, whether it was at a bar, seeing him walking around the complex — without it,” Marty Lyons said. “He always had that ring on and that ring meant the world to him.”

Ramos retired in 2002, admitting that his “most memorable day in Jets history” was the “Greatest Upset” when the Jets defeated the Colts 16-7 by not leaving them scoreless until the final quarter. However, the legendary era of Ramos has come to an end, leaving behind his grieving family.

Who are Frank Ramos’ wife and children? Everything you need to know about his family

Ramos leaves behind his wife, Jackie Ramos. Not much detail is available about his children or extended family in public records. But the former director was married to Jackie for 61 years and loved his wife dearly.

“I really wish my wife were here with me today because this job was 24/7, as everyone knows, and she was there to support me all the time,” Ramos said while receiving the Award of Excellence at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. “I love her so much.”

Throughout his career, Ramos worked through a whirlwind of changes in the franchise, serving under seven owners, seven presidents, five general managers, 11 full-time head coaches, and two interim head coaches.