Chris Banjo was a revelation in his first year as special teams coordinator last season.
With just two years of coaching experience as an assistant in Denver, some wondered if he was ready for the Jets’ gig.
He was ready all right.
While the Jets struggled on offense and defense last season, that was not the case on special teams with Banjo leading the way.
Banjo learned a lot from legendary special teams coach Mike Westhoff, playing under him in New Orleans, and then as an assistant under him in Denver.
Jets fans are very familiar with Westhoff’s work. The special team’s guru lorded over the Jets’ special teams from 2001-12.
Banjo, who still speaks to Westhoff regularly, can’t thank his mentor enough.
“Mike’s been great, he’s been awesome,” Banjo said recently. “I think he was good to me as a coach, he was hard on me as a coach, which I think really helped me bring the best out of myself. He’s influenced me from a player standpoint, same thing from a coaching standpoint, and the relationship is always going to be valuable with me to him. So, I’m
just thankful that I was able to cross paths with him.”
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