New York Jets assistant coach dies following bicycle accident

New York Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp, 58, died Thursday after a bicycle accident that occurred five days earlier.

“While his family, friends and players still had so much to learn from him and desperately wished they had more time with him, God called an audible and wanted to go over the game plan directly with him. It will certainly be a masterpiece, just like Greg!” his family said in a statement on his death.

The incident happened near Knapp’s home in San Ramon, Calif., about 30 miles from Oakland. 

Knapp never regained consciousness in the five days after the crash. The driver, whose name has not been released, was not under the influence of drugs and is working with police in the investigation, ESPN reported.

Knapp was surrounded by his mother, wife, three daughters and brother when he died.

“Greg had such an inner peace about him that people always seemed to gravitate towards,” New York Jets coach Robert Saleh said in a statement. “He lived life in a loving way that helped him connect with people from all walks of life in a unique way.

“In his short time here, I believe the people in this organization had a chance to experience that connection. Greg, thank you for all that you have shared with us, you will be missed brother,” Saleh added.

Knapp joined the Jets at the beginning of the year as a passing-game specialist and has been with many teams over his coaching career that began in 1997.

“He was a tremendous football coach who achieved at the highest levels of our game, but more importantly he was a wonderful person who had the love, admiration and respect of those who were blessed to work with him,” Falcons owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “Rest In Peace, Greg Knapp.”

Knapp was set to work with three young quarterbacks the Jets had and was going to travel to New Jersey just a few days after the incident to begin the season.

“In his short time with us, Greg had an immediate influence on those who had the pleasure of spending the smallest amount of time with him,” Jets chairman Woody Johnson’s statement reads. “His legacy is not only working with some of the brightest quarterbacks the league has ever seen, but the countless others across this world he has had an indelibly positive influence on.”

RIP, Knapper.

— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 22, 2021