Where Are They Now: Maurice Tyler

You can’t buy experience, but you can claim it off waivers.

After playing for Buffalo, Denver, San Diego, and Detroit, the Jets picked sixth-year veteran defensive back Maurice Tyler off the waiver wire one month before the 1977 training camp opened at Hofstra.

“I was excited. It gave me the opportunity to continue my professional career,” Tyler said. “I knew several of the guys already on the team. And it was close to an area where I lived for a period of time, talking about New Jersey. All that was a blessing with that union with the Jets.

“I kind of thought that I would get a chance to move back to safety. When I came into the league, I started as a safety for the Bills. And then it’s funny, I guess I’ve always had good man-to-man coverage skills and I was moved out to the corner.

“I just had a passion for the game, just loved the game. I’d always been one of those kinds of players that wherever my coach needed me, I was willing to make that sacrifice for the team.”

On a roster with 16 rookies and only five players with more experience, Tyler was sought out by his younger Jet teammates for advice. But given that there’s always seemingly someone looking to take someone else’s position, giving out pointers may have proved to be detrimental.

However, advice that Tyler was given as a younger player, about the team coming first, had stayed with him.

“My third year in the league, Otto Stowe, who was a second-round draft choice for the Dolphins back in the day, played with (Hall of Fame wide receiver) Paul Warfield, who was on that ’72 undefeated team,” Tyler said.

“And the conversation that he had with Otto Stowe was that the reason that, and I took that and ran with it, ‘If he takes my job, he’s going to take my job anyway. However, if I’m still here and I go ahead and put my work in and maintain my job, but unfortunately get hurt, then he’s got to step up. So he needs to be ready.

“‘If he’s not ready, his lack of ability or lack of knowledge or lack of preparation is…