Darrelle Revis is opening up about his beef with Jets legend Joe Klecko.
Revis, a seven-time Pro Bowl cornerback who starred with the Jets and is set to be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer with Klecko, appeared on “The Jake Asman Show” on Wednesday to explain the backstory behind a tweet he sent Monday that revealed a rift between the two players.
On Monday, Revis walked back his previous words that he and Klecko were the greatest Jets defensive players of all time, which he said to Klecko when the two met at the Super Bowl.
In a tweet, Revis retracted his original sentiment.
“My mindset is clearly I’m @ the top of that list as the best ever but as a gentlemen I decided to say something cool for a headline,” Revis said.
Revis said Wednesday that Klecko had reached out to him prior to the Super Bowl about meeting up, but he was in between traveling at the time and did not respond, so the two were unable to link up.
According to Revis, Klecko complained to others about the cornerback miffing him.
“The backstory is him basically trying to call me out in front of a group of Pro Football Hall of Fame staffers that I didn’t respond to his text.”
“I didn’t really appreciate that,” Revis said. “We have a lot going on, I know a lot of people are very busy, have a lot of things going on.”
Revis spoke to Asman on Wednesday to reiterate that he felt a disconnect between him and Klecko.
“First and foremost, me and Joe, we have an age gap, we don’t really know each other that well, the type of person I am, I have a small circle, there’s a backstory to the Super Bowl and what maybe took place,” he said.
But the former cornerback reiterated that he did not mean to disrespect Klecko’s impressive resume.
“I would never take anything away from Joe Klecko in his career, he’s worked hard just like everybody else who’s worked hard and deserves it,” Revis said.
Revis said he thought the situation was being overblown.
“A lot of people, a lot of Jets fans are looking at it as it’s some crazy beef going on or it’s some type of an issue,” he said.
“I don’t think it’s moreso of an issue but it’s a miscommunication based on a text message that I just didn’t appreciate at the time.”
Both players established themselves as legendary defensive players throughout their careers.
Klecko was part of the famed New York Sack Exchange, earned UPI Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1981 and was named to the Pro Bowl four times.
Revis was a four-time First-Team All-Pro player and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in 2015.