Jets’ Nick Mangold praises police as he breaks up car-theft ring

Last week, New York Jets center NickMangoldplayed the part of a hero, helping to break-up a up a car-theft ring.

This past Sunday,Mangoldheard his car alarm go off and called the police in Chatham, a north Jersey suburb about 15 minutes from the Jets training facility. The police were able to apprehend the suspects, who had hit several dozen other vehicles in the area, in large part due to Mangold’s quick thinking.

“Honestly I was able to get the phone, call 9-1-1 and the fine men and women in uniform did their job to perfection,”Mangoldsaid on Saturday following the Jets 28-18 preseason win over the New York Giants.

It was Mangold’s first public comments on the incident after TMZ broke the news on Friday.

He said it was close to an hour after his call that the police made their arrests.

There was fear, the Jets starting center admits, while he went out to investigate. Hearing the car alarm triggered his concern and he didn’t know what was outside. But the husband and father kicked in over the fear so he went out to see what was happening.

“It definitely was especially with two little kids in the house, you see the garage door open that definitely gets the adrenaline going,”Mangoldsaid. “No coffee necessary that morning.”

In fact,Mangolddidn’t grab anything to defend himself, he just went out to investigate and if necessary defend his family and home.

“I wasn’t that smart, I just went out there. my wife dragged me back in wisely,”Mangoldsaid. “We’re glad that no one was hurt in that whole ordeal. That’s all we can hope for.”

Following a 28-18 win on Saturday night in their third game of preseason, the New York Jets have begun the work of pairing down their roster with preseason over after Thursday night’s home game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Jets cut 12 players

On Sunday, the Jets released an even dozen players from their roster. There weren’t many surprises, perhaps the biggest was veteran offensive lineman James Brewer, who had eight starts for the Giants in 2013 and Saalim Hakim, a wide receiver who had some impressive showings last year and in training camp. But the roster is coming into a clearer focus.

Here are the 12 players cut by the Jets on Sunday afternoon.

Javier Arenas (CB/5-9/197/Alabama/Tampa, FL)

James Brewer (OL/6-6/330/Indiana/Indianapolis, IN)

Curtis Brown (CB/6-0/185/Texas/Longview, TX)

Dalton Freeman (C/6-5/291/Clemson/Pelion, SC)

T.J. Graham (WR/5-11/188/North Carolina State/Raleigh, NC)

Saalim Hakim (WR/5-11/188/Palomar College/Atlanta, GA)

Austin Hill (WR/6-3/212/Arizona/Corona, CA)

Bryan Johnson (LB/6-4/250/West Texas A&M/Bellport, NY)

Matt LaCosse (TE/6-6/245/Illinois/Naperville, IL)

Keith Lewis (CB/6-1/190/Virginia-Lynchburg/Chicago, IL)

DeVier Posey (WR/6-1/210/Ohio State/Cincinnati, OH)