Joe Namath

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[] at NFL.comJoseph William Namath (born May 31, 1943 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania), is a former American football quarterback for the American Football League's New York Jets and the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s and the 1970s. He is known for guaranteeing his team's upset victory in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, over Don Shula's NFL Baltimore Colts.

Early life and family

Known as Joey to his family and friends, Namath's Hungarian born grandfather came to Ellis Island and worked in the coal and steel industries of Western Pennsylvania. While growing up, Joe was close to both of his parents who were divorced. Following his parents' split, Joe lived with his mother, Rose.

He was raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He was a standout in basketball and baseball. But football prevailed, even though, upon graduation, he received offers from six Major League Baseball teams. Namath had many offers from college football programs and eventually decided upon the University of Maryland, but after failing his entrance exam he quickly chose the University of Alabama.

College football career

At Alabama, Namath played under the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1962-64. A year after being suspended for the final two games of the season (including the Sugar Bowl) for violating team rules, Namath would lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship in 1964.

Pro football career

Despite suffering a serious knee injury in his senior year at Alabama, Namath was drafted by both the NFL and the upstart AFL. The two competing leagues held their respective drafts on the same day -- November 28, 1964.

The St. Louis Cardinals selected Namath 12th overall in the NFL draft, while the AFL's New York Jets took him with the second pick. He elected to sign with the Jets, under the direction of Hall of Fame owner Sonny Werblin, for more than $400,000.

Namath was the American Football League Rookie of the year in 1965 and became the first pro quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season (1967), a feat which remains a record for 14-game seasons. He was a four-time American Football League All-Star, although plagued with knee injuries through much of his career. These injuries, which caused his knees to swell up with fluid and require periodic draining, plagued Namath for the rest of his career. On some occasions, Namath had to have his knee drained at halftime so that he could finish a game. Later in life, long after he left football, he had to have knee replacement surgery on both legs.

In the 1968 AFL title game, Namath threw three touchdown passes to lead New York to a 27-23 win over the defending American Football League Champion Oakland Raiders. This 1968 season earned him the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. Namath was an AFL All-Star four times, in 1965, 1967, 1968 and 1969; and an AFC-NFC Pro Bowler in 1972. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Jets' all-time team and the All-Time All-AFL Team.

The apex of his career was his stellar performance in the Jets' January 1969 win over the Colts in the World Championship Game, now referred to as Super Bowl III. The Colts were touted as "the greatest football team in history". Former NFL star and coach Norm Van Brocklin ridiculed the AFL before the game, saying "This will be Namath's first professional football game." Writers from NFL cities insisted it would take the AFL several more years to be truly competitive with the NFL. Much of the hype surrounding the game was related to how it would either prove or disprove the proposition that the AFL teams were truly worthy of being allowed to merge with the NFL; the first two such games had resulted in blowout victories for the previous NFL champions, the Green Bay Packers, and the Colts were even more favored by media figures and handicappers than the Packers had been.

Three days before the game, Namath responded to a heckler with the now-famous line: "The Jets will win on Sunday, I guarantee it." His words made headlines across the country but were dismissed as mere bravado by most observers. In the game, however, Namath backed up his boast and showed that his success against tough American Football League competition had more than prepared him to take on the NFL. The Colts' vaunted defense was unable to contain the Jets' running or passing game, while their ineffective offense gave up four interceptions to the Jets. Namath was the game's MVP, completing eight passes to George Sauer alone, for 133 yards. Namath acquired legendary status for American Football League fans as the symbol of their league's legitimacy.

Not long after this, Namath grew a Fu Manchu moustache which contrasted him even more with his clean-shaven peers. In probably the most touted act in the history of shaving, Namath shaved his mustache off in a television commercial for Remington electric shavers, for a fee of $15,000.

After the season, along with New England Patriots receiver Jim Colclough and NHL star Derek Sanderson, Namath opened a popular Upper East Side saloon in New York City called "Bachelors III," which quickly became frequented by social undesirables. To protect the league's reputation, the NFL Commissioner, Pete Rozelle, ordered Namath to divest himself of his interest in the bar. Namath reacted defiantly, retiring from football during a teary news conference. After missing most of training camp, Namath came out of retirement and reported to the then-World Champion Jets. At the same time, he announced that he was selling his interest in "Bachelors III".

As the most popular, hated, interesting, and controversial (take your pick) football player, and maybe athlete, in America; ABC's head of sports Roone Arledge made sure that Monday Night Football's inagural game would feature "Broadway Joe" Namath and the New York Jets in a game against the Cleveland Browns in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium. A record crowd of 85,703 and a huge television audience watched the Jets set a team record for penalties and lose on a late Namath interception.

After not missing a single game because of injury in his first five years in the league, Namath played in just 28 of a 58 possible games because of various injuries between 1970 and 1973 as the Jets struggled with records of 4-10, 6-8, 7-7, and 4-10. When he played Namath always managed to improve the Jets level of play, and at the end of his injury free 1974 season (in which the Jets won their last six games in a row) the Jets seemed poised to make another play-off run. "Gang Green" looked great during the 1975 preseason, but collapsed after the short NFL strike of September as 1975 and 1976 became a series blow-outs punctuated by punishing sacks of Joe Namath. The Jets were lucky to finish 3-11 both years.

In the twilight of his career Namath was waived by the Jets to facilitate his move to the Los Angeles Rams when a trade couldn't be worked out. He was signed by the Rams on May 12 1977. Namath hoped to revitalize his flagging career but by this point his effectiveness as a quarterback was greatly reduced by his knee injuries, a bad hamstring, and the general ravages of a long period of time playing professional football, as well as his "hard and fast" lifestyle. After a 2-1 start Namath took a beating on a cold, windy, and rainy Monday night game in a one point loss at the Chicago Bears and was through for the season. He was warming up to play in the second half of a muddy home play-off game against the Minnesota Vikings because his replacement at quarterback, Pat Haden, was having trouble handling the wet ball, but he was never inserted and the Rams problems continued, ultimately losing - Rams 7 Vikings 14. He retired from the Rams after a single season.

He retired with a record of 77 wins, 108 losses, and 3 ties. In his career he threw 173 touchdowns and 220 interceptions. During his thirteen years in the AFL and NFL he played on three division champions (the 1968 and 1969 AFL East Champion Jets and the 1977 NFC West Champion Rams), earned one league championship (1968 AFL Championship), and one world championship (Super Bowl III). He was 2-1 as a starter in the playoffs.

Movie and TV career

Namath went on to a minor career as an actor in several movies and starred in a brief 1978 television series, The Waverly Wonders. He has guest starred on everything from "The Brady Bunch" to "The Flip Wilson Show" and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" to "The Dean Martin Show" and "The Simpsons" and "The John Laroquette Show." He has guest host on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" several times as well as hosting his own show, the 1969 cult classic "The Joe Namath Show" (co-hosted by Dick Shaap) with its eclectic guest pairings and open bar attitude. He was also used as a color analyst on broadcasts of NFL games for a while, including the 1985 season of Monday Night Football, but never seemed to be particularly comfortable, and a little too critical of current players, in this role.

Controversial moments

By far, his most controversial moment was the long multi-media event reported above under Pro Football Career when his words made headlines across the country and were discussed wildly on talk and sports programs preceding the January 1969 game, now called Super Bowl III. Three days before the game, Namath responded to a heckler with the now-famous line: "The Jets will win on Sunday, I guarantee it." which sparked the media feeding frenzy. (It is noted, however, in at least one Namath biography that Namath's guarantee, while being made before the game, did not get widespread press until after the Jets won Super Bowl III.)

Some would argue that the term 'Super Bowl' came about as he aptly made the AFL's case on the field that day. Shortly afterwards, his fame assured, Namath created new controversy by starring in a succession of commercial advertisements as something of a playboy 'sex symbol' that for the time, in the 'Plain vanilla' TV-culture then, were viewed by many as borderline tasteful. This spawned a new era of television advertising with athelete sex-symbols that continues today.

Most recently, in December 2003 Namath gained new notoriety, apparently after partaking of too much celebratory champagne at the Jets' announcement of their all-time team. During live ESPN coverage of the following Jets game, he was asked what he thought about the Jets game that day, in which he replied that he couldn't care less. He then twice stated he wanted to kiss the reporter conducting the impromptu interview, Suzy Kolber, stating plainly "I want to kiss you,", appearing to all unbiased observers to be under the influence of alcohol. He has since apologized. Later, he publicly admitted to an alcohol problem, and entered into an outpatient alcoholism treatment program on January 12 2004, the 35th anniversary of Super Bowl III.

Icon and adverts

Namath's nickname was "Broadway Joe"; he is sometimes called "Joe Willie Namath," a characterization popularized by Howard Cosell. He originated the fad of wearing a full-length fur coat on the sidelines, a habit which was adopted by many players after him. He also appeared in television advertisements both during and after his playing career, most notably for shaving cream (in which he was shaved by Farrah Fawcett) and pantyhose; they contributed to his becoming something of a pop-culture icon. He has appeared in advertising as recently as 2003. He reportedly lived a somewhat hedonistic lifestlye and many anecdotal reports exist of women propositioning him for dates whenever he was seen in public places.

Namath also opened several bars using his nickname Broadway Joe's in both New York City and in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (location of University of Alabama). These continue today with moderate success.

Namath spent many years appearing as a booster for golf tournaments and other good causes, for years for youth camps including football camps and lately for arthritis.

See also

• Other American Football League players

External links