Jets players are still Jersey guys at heart

The fans crowding up against a fence around the Jets' practice field in Florham Park this week made cornerback Kyle Wilson a little nostalgic. Wilson, a Piscataway native, looked over at the kids occasionally and "it takes you back in time."

Drafted by the Jets out of Boise State in 2010, this is Wilson's fifth season with his hometown team. But he still makes time to volunteer with the football program at Piscataway, and finds the kids "an inspiration."

"I remember when I was like those kids," Wilson said after practice on Wednesday. "It takes you back to the simplest form of the game, having fun with your teammates."

Muhammad Wilkerson's girlfriend and son watched the training sessions under the shade of a white tent this week. But that's not unusual for Wilkerson, a defensive lineman from Linden, whose family comes to all the Jets' home games. To support tackle Ben Ijalana, who was born in North Brunswick but grew up in Mount Holly, his relatives had to adapt to a different shade of green -- that of the Jets, instead of the Philadelphia Eagles.

"They're pro-Ben, so it doesn't matter like that," said Ijalana, who was claimed by the Jets in Sept. 2013 after suffering two ACL tears with Indianapolis.

"You never really think about it, but it's a blessing. ... My parents were ecstatic."