09/08 — Three Jets offensive stars of the past agree. There are no guarantees — not even from Joe Willie himself — but Mark Sanchez has got a chance to be a star of the Jets' present and future.

Said Joe Namath: "It looks like he can do everything."

Said Curtis Martin: "You've got to have that thing about you that makes people want to follow you, and I believe he has it."

Said Wayne Chrebet: "He's confident but not cocky. He backs up what he says."

Those three Green & White icons, along with Eighties defensive star Marty Lyons, owner Woody Johnson, executive vice president Matt Higgins and members of the Jets Flight Crew, were gathered together at JFK International Airport this afternoon. Specifically, they were part of the festivities in JFK's Terminal 5 for a news conference announcing JetBlue Airways becoming the official airline partner of the Jets.

With rare photos of Namath, Lyons, Martin and Chrebet on stands in the middle of the terminal serving as backdrops, the Jets' stars of yesteryear explained what it is they like about the current Jets, their first-year head coach, Rex Ryan, and Sanchez, named their starting quarterback for Sunday's season opener at Houston.

Namath, the QB for the most famous team in franchise history, was impressed with drives he watched Sanchez lead in the last two preseason games, against the Giants and in his only series of the night against the Eagles.

"You hear comments from Rex throughout training camp, and you pay some credence to that, no doubt. But that first series last week showed me some stuff I hadn't seen in a while. I hadn't seen Sanchez enough. But it looks like he can do everything, as far as movement, finding a receiver. He impressed me big-time."

Martin, a Hall of Fame running back-to-be, said he's generally skeptical about starting rookies, perhaps dating to his anxiety about starting for the Patriots when he was a rookie in 1995.

"But there is something I like about Sanchez," he said. "I had a chance to meet him, shake his hand, look him in the eye. He seems like an assertive, mature guy for his age.

"What I like is the way he seems to demand a certain respect from the other players, and it does seem as though they respect him and follow him. Most people don't realize, but that's more important at times than the ability."

What seemed to impress our three-judge panel equally too the last two preseason games was the way the rookie from Southern Cal endured a baptism by fire at the start of the Monday night game at Baltimore, put together better and better drives, and capped the night with a touchdown march.

"You saw him bounce back against the Ravens — they're a tough team to play against," Chrebet said. "And he's doing this in the toughest city in the world. He seems like he's handled it great. He backs up what he says, and he's playing for a head coach who I think's going to be a star in this league."

"You go back to last season," counseled Broadway Joe, "and see the Arizona Cardinals play the New York Jets at the Meadowlands — I thought Kurt Warner should've retired. I felt bad for him. You're going to have days, obviously, when you can't get out of your own way. It's just crazy, it's physiology, it's what's in the air. But he's going to get his butt kicked a few times. Everybody in the league does."

Each player tempered his enthusiasm just a bit. Namath, no stranger to physical problems that might've crushed a lesser player, warned about "Lady Luck" and Sanchez's health, citing Tom Brady and a few college QBs over the weekend who fell on their throwing shoulders recently.

And Martin recalled the inexact science of personal motivation that takes hold with the great ones, as it did with him 14 seasons ago.

"I think there's a drive. You want to prove everybody, not necessarily wrong but you want to prove them right," he said. "You want them to see why they had confidence in you. Sometimes that hunger is something that drives you to work harder, to focus harder, to play better. I know it did for me.

"I think Mark can fit in. I think he can cause the team to go take a step forward. I don't know how many steps forward, but if I was a betting man, I would bet he can help the team at least take a step forward."

JetBlue and Jet Green

Martin, who maintains his aspirations of becoming an NFL owner, knows a good alliance when he sees one. "The Jets and JetBlue — that's a good partnership," he said.

We agree, and it's great not only to welcome JetBlue as a Green & White partner but also as a sponsor this year of Randy's Radar. The airline's faith in us shows how far this blog has come since it sprung to life on Draft Day 2007, and also speaks highly of the Jets fans who follow and support the Radar. Thanks to all.

And now for a commercial: The news release on newyorkjets.com mentions JetBlue's Takeoff and Touchdown Sale with great fares available today only to destinations near cities of the Jets' competitors in the AFC East — Boston, Buffalo and Fort Lauderdale.

But also keep in mind that the sales have only begun. JetBlue will have special fares to cities for Jets road games the rest of this season. You can find out about these specials when they become available on www.jetblue.com and also here on newyorkjets.com.