ESPN.com · Jun 4, 2016
That time Muhammad Ali sparred with a future Jets coach
"He'd go a round or two with this guy, a round or two with that guy," said former Jets coach Rich Kotite of sparring with Muhammad Ali. "I'm sure he wouldn't remember me at all."Before he became a football coach, Rich Kotite dabbled in boxing. Actually, it was more than dabbling. The Brooklyn-born Kotite attended the University of Miami and became the school's top heavyweight as a freshman.
It's also where he met Muhammad Ali.
Ali trained at Angelo Dundee's famed Fifth Street Gym, which wasn't far from the Miami campus. One thing led to another, and Kotite ended up sparring with the great Ali.
