The former Jets lineman watches his son launch his own career.

FOXBORO, Mass. (AP) – It was a strange sight – Joe Klecko standing by the field and rooting for a Patriots player. For years he had hustled to slam New England runners to the ground.

“I broke out in hives when I walked in the gate” the former Jet said Thursday after arriving at the home of the team that had been his longtime rival.

All joking aside, the proud Klecko was here to watch his son, Dan, launch his own NFL career at Patriots training camp.

“My chest bulges,” Joe said. “He’s my kid.”

The elder Klecko played for the Jets from 1977 to 1987 and was part of the “New York Sack Exchange” – the dominant defensive front line that included Mark Gastineau, Marty Lyons and Abdul Salaam in the early 1980s.

He spent 1988, his last pro season, with the Colts.

Like his father before him, Dan is a nose tackle who played at Temple and is considered undersized for the position. But Joe played in four Pro Bowls, led the NFL with 21.5 sacks in 1981 and is second only to Gastineau for most sacks by a Jet.

So far, Dan is off to a better start, having been drafted in the fourth round this year while the Jets took Joe in the sixth round in 1977.

“He keeps reminding me of that all the time,” Joe said with a laugh.

Joe has spent plenty of time reminding Dan how to become a top nose tackle. That, and Dan’s talent and tenacity, resulted in him being named the Big East defensive player of the year last season.

“Who better to learn from?” Dan said. “So if he’s got little tips for me, I’m going to listen. I’m not going to say, “Ah, I know all that.’ “

At just 5-foot-11 and 283 pounds, he’s supposed to fend off taller, heavier linemen who block for fast, elusive runners. At Temple, he did that quite well.

“I’m not going to be spiteful” and want to show up the doubters, he said. “A million other people want to be in my shoes and I’m not going to sit here and complain about stupid stuff like that.”

He’s too busy studying and playing hard.

“He never stops and that’s the one thing he has instilled in him from me. He’s a player. He works hard at every single play,” Joe said. “I’ve seen him toss enough 300 pounders in my day that I’m not worried about him.”

He does it with strength, smarts and technique.

“I think we only had two or three people run 100 yards on us the whole time I was at Temple,” Dan said. “I know nobody from Miami ever did it or Virginia Tech, except for (Michael) Vick.”

Eight players did it in 16 games last year against the Patriots. Only one NFL team gave up more yards rushing.

This season, the Patriots are seeking a solid defensive tackle after moving Richard Seymour to end as they plan to play more of a 3-4 than in past years.

Second-year pro Jarvis Green has the edge at nose tackle while Dan learns the system. He knows he’s taken a huge jump in quality of the opposition, as his father reminds him.

“If you just stay in your playbook, you can learn anything,” Dan said. “Now the biggest thing is listening to the calls.

For most of his 22 years, he was a Jets’ fan.

“Pretty much “til April” when he was drafted, he said. “It’s just a team now.”

And an AFC East opponent the Patriots face twice every season.

“I played for the Jets,” his father said, “but he has his own world now and we’re going to be involved in his world. The Jets-Patriots game is going to be a tough game. I make no comments about that game at all.”

Dan went through Wednesday’s first practice without family members watching. His dad showed up Thursday.

“I loved it, It was great to see him,” the son said.

AP-ES-07-24-03 1856EDT