Marty Lyons

Marty Lyons was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round of the 1979 NFL Draft. He entered the NFL following a successful career as an All-American defensive tackle at the University of Alabama, where he helped lead the team to a National Championship in 1978. Lyons enjoyed a flourishing professional football career for eleven seasons with the New York Jets. He was a member of the famed “New York Sack Exchange,” one of the top defensive lines in NFL history.
While still active as a player, Lyons established The Marty Lyons Foundation when he realized there was much more to life than football. The Marty Lyons Foundation was established to fulfill the special wishes of children who have been diagnosed as having a terminal or life threatening illness by providing and arranging special wish requests. Since 1982, Lyons’ Foundation has brought much-needed joy to children and families nationwide.

The Marty Lyons Foundation has chapters around the country that have together granted more than six thousand wishes.

To learn more about The Marty Lyons Foundation, please visit http://www.martylyonsfoundation.org.