Joe Namath

Namath as a rookie with theNew York Jets in 1965
No. 12
Position	Quarterback
Personal information
Born	(1943-05-31)May 31, 1943 (age 82) Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school	Beaver Falls
College	Alabama (1961–1964)
NFL draft	1965: 1st round, 12th overall pick
AFL draft	1965: 1st round, 1st overall pick
Career history
New York Jets (1965–1976) Los Angeles Rams (1977)
Awards and highlights
Super Bowl champion (III) AFL champion (1968) Super Bowl MVP (III) AFL Championship MVP (1968) AFL Most Valuable Player (1968) NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1974) AFL Rookie of the Year (1965) First-teamAll-AFL (1968) Second-teamAll-Pro (1972) 3× Second-team All-AFL (1966,1967,1969) Pro Bowl (1972) 4×AFL All-Star (1965, 1967–1969) NFL passing yards leader (1972) 2×AFL passing yards leader (1966, 1967) NFL passing touchdowns leader (1972) George Halas Award (1969) AFL All-Time Team Hickok Belt (1968) New York Jets Ring of Honor New York Jets No. 12 retired National champion (1964) First-teamAll-SEC (1964) 2× Second-team All-SEC (1962,1963)
Career AFL/NFL statistics
Passing attempts 3,762 Passing completions 1,886 Completion percentage 50.1% TD–INT 173–220 Passing yards 27,663 Passer rating 65.5 Stats atPro Football Reference
Pro Football Hall of Fame

Joseph William Namath (/ˈneɪməθ/;NAY-məth; born May 31, 1943), nicknamed "Broadway Joe", is an American former professionalfootballquarterback who played in theAmerican Football League (AFL) andNational Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with theNew York Jets. He playedcollege football for theAlabama Crimson Tide, where he won thenational championship as a senior. Namath was selected by the Jets first overall in the1965 AFL draft.

During his five AFL seasons, Namath was a two-timeMVP and twice led the league in passing yards, while winning oneAFL championship and oneSuper Bowl. Both victories remain the Jets' only championships. Following the 1970AFL–NFL merger, Namath joined the NFL with the Jets, where he was the league's passing yards and touchdowns leader during the 1972 season. Namath played in New York for seven more seasons and spent his final year as a member of theLos Angeles Rams.

Namath cemented his legacy in 1969 when he guaranteed his heavy underdog Jets would winSuper Bowl III before defeating the NFL'sBaltimore Colts in one of the greatest sports upsets of all time. The Super Bowl victory was the first for an AFL franchise, helping dismiss notions that its teams were inferior to the NFL's and demonstrating they would enter the merger as equals. Namath receivedSuper Bowl MVP honors in the game, while also becoming the first quarterback to win both a college national championship and a major professional championship. He was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Namath was born and raised inBeaver Falls,Pennsylvania, 30 miles (50 km) northwest ofPittsburgh. He grew up in the Lower End neighborhood of Beaver Falls.^[1] Namath is the son ofCatholic parents, Rose (née Juhász) and János "John Andrew" Namath, a steelworker, both of Hungarian descent.^[2] HisHungarian-born grandfather, András "Andrew" Németh, known as "A.J." to his family and friends, came toEllis Island on the steamerPannonia in 1911,^[3]: 1 and worked in thecoal andsteel industries of theGreater Pittsburgh area.

While growing up, Namath was close to both of his parents, who eventually divorced. Following his parents' divorce, Namath lived with his mother. He was the youngest of four sons, with an older adopted sister.^[4]

Namath excelled in all sports atBeaver Falls High School and was a standout quarterback in football, guard inbasketball, and outfielder inbaseball. In an age whendunks were uncommon inhigh school basketball, Namath regularly dunked in games. He later clarified a story about being the only white player on his high school basketball team onThe James Brown Show in 2018, where he was the guest. Namath stated that although he was one of several white players on the team, he was the only white starter.^[5] Coached by Larry Bruno at Beaver Falls, Namath's football team won theWPIAL Class AA championship with a 9–0 record in 1960.^[6] Coach Bruno later presented Namath to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton.^[7]

Upon graduation from high school in 1961, Namath received offers from severalMajor League Baseball teams, including theYankees,Indians,Reds,Pirates, andPhillies,^[8] but football prevailed. Namath told interviewers that he wanted to sign with the Pirates and play baseball like his idol,Roberto Clemente, but elected to play football because his mother wanted him to get a college education.^[9] Namath enrolled at the University of Alabama, but left before graduating in order to pursue a career in professional football. However, a college degree was finally conferred on Namath at age 64, after he completed an external-program Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies at the University of Alabama in 2007.^[10][11]

Namath had many offers fromDivision I college football programs, includingPenn State,Ohio State,Alabama, andNotre Dame, but initially decided upon theUniversity of Maryland after being heavily recruited by Maryland assistant coach Roland Arrigoni. He was rejected by Maryland because hiscollege-board scores were just below the school's requirements. After ample recruiting byCoach Paul 'Bear' Bryant, Namath accepted a fullscholarship to attend Alabama. Bryant stated that his decision to recruit Namath was "the best coaching decision I ever made."^[12]

Between1962 and1964, Namath quarterbacked theAlabama Crimson Tide program under Bryant and his offensive coordinator,Howard Schnellenberger. A year after being suspended for the final two games of the regular season,^[13] Namath led the Tide to anational championship in1964. During his time at the University of Alabama, Namath led the team to a 29–4 record over three seasons.^[14]

Bryant called Namath "the greatest athlete I ever coached".^[1] When Namath was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, he teared up during his induction speech upon mentioning Bryant, who had died of aheart attack two years prior.^[15]

Namath attended college at the height of the civil rights movement (1955–1968) in the Southern United States.^[16]

Namath was eleventh in thevoting for the 1964Heisman Trophy, which was won by quarterbackJohn Huarte ofNotre Dame.^[17][18]

In 1964, despite suffering a nagging knee injury in the fourth game of his senior year at Alabama, Namath limped through the undefeated regular season to theOrange Bowl. The cartilage damage to Namath's right knee later designated himclass 4-F for themilitary draft, a deferment from service during theVietnam War.^[19][20][21]

In late 1964, the then still separateNFL and upstartAFL were at the height of their bidding war, and held their respective drafts on the same day, November 28. Namath was a first-round draft selection by both leagues: theSt. Louis Cardinals selected him 12th overall in the1965 NFL draft, while the Jets made him the first overall pick inthe AFL draft.^[22]

When meeting with executives of the Cardinals, Namath's salary request was $200,000 and a newLincoln Continental. While initially surprised at his demands, the Cardinals told Namath they would agree to his terms only if he would sign before the Orange Bowl, which would have made Namath ineligible to play in the game.^[23] The day after the Orange Bowl, he elected to sign with the Jets, under the direction ofSonny Werblin, for a salary ofUS$427,000 over three years (a pro football record at the time).^[4][24][25] Offensive tackleSherman Plunkett came up with the nickname "Broadway Joe" in 1965,^[4] following Namath's appearance on the cover ofSports Illustrated in July.^[26]

In Namath's rookie season the 1965Jets were winless in their first six games with him splitting time with second-year quarterbackMike Taliaferro.^[19] With Namath starting full-time they won five of the last eight of a fourteen-game season and Namath was named theAFL Rookie of the year.^[27]

Namath became the first professional quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season when he threw for 4,007 yards during a 14-game season in1967, a record broken byDan Fouts in a 16-game season in1979 (4,082).^[28] Although Namath was plagued with knee injuries through much of his career and underwent four pioneering knee operations byDr. James A. Nicholas, Namath was anAFL All-Star in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 1969. On some occasions, he had to have his knee drained at halftime so he could finish a game. Later in life, long after leaving football, Namath underwentknee replacement surgery on both legs.

In the1968 AFL title game, Namath threw threetouchdowns to lead New York to a 27–23 victory over the defending AFL championOakland Raiders. His performance in the1968 season earned him theHickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year.^[29] Namath was anAFC–NFC Pro Bowler in 1972, is a member of the Jets' and theAmerican Football League's All-Time Team, and was elected to theHall of Fame in 1985.^[30]

The high point of Namath's career was his performance in the Jets' 16–7 victory over theBaltimore Colts inSuper Bowl III in January 1969, shortly before theAFL–NFL merger. The first two interleague championship games had resulted in blowout victories for the NFL'sGreen Bay Packers, and sports writers from NFL cities insisted the AFL would take several more years to be truly competitive. The 1968 Colts were touted as "the greatest football team in history", and former NFL star andAtlanta Falcons head coachNorm Van Brocklin ridiculed the AFL before the game, saying "I'll tell you what I think about Joe Namath on Sunday night—after he has played his first pro game."^[31] Three days before the game, Namath was tired of addressing the issue in the press, and he responded to a heckler at a sports banquet in Miami with the line: "We're going to win the game. I guarantee it."^[32]

Namath backed up his boast, which became legendary.^[33] The Colts' vaunted defense (highlighted byBubba Smith) was unable to contain either the Jets' running or passing game, while the ineffective offense gave up fourinterceptions to the Jets. Namath was theSuper Bowl MVP, completing eight passes toGeorge Sauer Jr. alone for 133 yards. The win made him the first quarterback to start and win a national championship game in college, a major professional league championship, and a Super Bowl.

The Jets' win gave the AFL instant legitimacy even to skeptics. When he was asked by reporters after the game whether the Colts' defense was the "toughest he had ever faced", Namath responded, "That would be theBuffalo Bills' defense." The AFL-worst Bills had intercepted Namath five times, three for touchdowns, in their only win in 1968 in late September.

After not missing a single game because of injury in his first five years in the league, Namath played in just 28 of 58 possible games between 1970 and 1973 because of various injuries. After winning division championships in 1968 and 1969, the Jets struggled to records of 4–10, 6–8, 7–7, and 4–10. His most memorable moment in those four seasons came on September 24, 1972, when he and his boyhood idolJohnny Unitas combined for 872 passing yards in Baltimore. Namath threw for 496 yards and six touchdowns and Unitas 376 yards and three in a 44–34 New York victory over the Colts, its first against Baltimore since Super Bowl III. The game is considered by many NFL experts to be the finest display of passing in a single game in league history.^[3]: 346 Another notable moment was in 1970, when the head ofABC's televised sports,Roone Arledge, made sure thatMonday Night Football's inaugural game on September 21, featured Namath. The Jets met theCleveland Browns inCleveland Municipal Stadium in front of both a record crowd of 85,703 and a huge television audience. However, the Jets set a team record for penalties and lost on a late Namath interception.^[34]

TheChicago Winds of theWorld Football League (WFL) made an overture to Namath prior to the start of its 1975 season. First, they designed their uniforms nearly identically to that of the Jets, dropping red and going with green and white, to allow Namath to continue marketing his number 12 jersey in Jets colors. Then they offered Namath a contract worth $600,000 a year for three years; a $2 million annuity ($100,000 per year for 20 years); a $500,000 signing bonus; and terms for Namath's eventual ownership of a WFL franchise. The WFL's television provider,TVS Television Network, insisted on the Winds signing Namath to continue broadcasts. Upon this development, Namath, in turn, requested the lofty sum of 15 percent of the entire league's television revenue, which was rejected by the league. Without a national television deal, the WFL instead opted to fold a month later.^[35]

After 12 years with the Jets, Namath was waived prior to the1977 season to facilitate a move to theLos Angeles Rams when a trade could not be worked out. Signing on May 12,^[36][37] Namath hoped to revitalize his career, but knee injuries, a badhamstring, and the general ravages of 13 years as a quarterback in professional football had taken their toll. After playing well in a 2–1 start, Namath took a beating in a one-point road loss on a cold, windy, and rainyMonday Night Football game against theChicago Bears, throwing four interceptions and having a fifth nullified by a penalty.^[38][39] He was benched as a starter for the rest of the season (in favor ofPat Haden) and retired at its end.^[40]

Building on his brief success as a host on 1969'sThe Joe Namath Show, Namath transitioned into an acting career. Appearing on stage, starring in several movies, includingC.C. and Company withAnn-Margret andWilliam Smith in 1970, on stage in "Picnic" withDonna Mills in 1971 and in a brief 1978 television series,The Waverly Wonders. He guest-starred on numerous television shows, often as himself, includingThe Love Boat,Married... with Children,Here's Lucy,The Brady Bunch,The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour,The Flip Wilson Show,Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In,The Dean Martin Show,The Simpsons,The A-Team,ALF,Kate & Allie, andThe John Larroquette Show.^[42] Namath was a candidate to host the 1988 revival of the American game showFamily Feud, before the job went to comedianRay Combs.

Namath appeared insummer stock productions ofDamn Yankees,Fiddler on the Roof, andLi'l Abner, and finally legitimized his "Broadway Joe" nickname as a cast replacement in a New York revival ofThe Caine Mutiny Court Martial in 1983.^[43] He guest hostedThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson several times and also served as acolor commentator on NFL broadcasts, including the 1985 season ofMonday Night Football and several years with NBC Sports. In September 2012, Namath was honored by theRide of Fame and a double-decker tour bus was dedicated to him in New York City.^[44] He appeared as himself in the 2013 sports filmUnderdogs and the 2015 comedy filmThe Wedding Ringer.

Namath was the only athlete listed on themaster list of Richard Nixon's political opponents, which was made public in 1973 during theWatergate investigation, erroneously listed as playing for the New York Giants.White House CounselJohn Dean claimed not to know why Namath was included on the list and suggested that it might have been a mistake. Namath addressed this onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on July 20, 1973.^[3]: 349

Namath dated actress and fashion modelRandi Oakes, actress and lawyerLouisa Moritz, singer and songwriterJanis Joplin; and actresses,Jill St. John,Mamie Van Doren, &Raquel Welch.^[45][46][47]

While taking a voice class in 1983, Namath met Deborah Mays, who later changed her first name to May and then changed it again to Tatiana, an aspiring actress; he was 39 and she was 22. They married in 1984, with Namath claiming, "She caught my last pass." The longtime bachelor became a dedicated family man when the couple had two children, Jessica (born 1986) and Olivia (born 1991).^[48] The couple divorced in 2000,^[48] with the children living in Florida with their father. In May 2007, Olivia gave birth to a daughter, Natalia.^[49] Olivia lives in California with her three kids. Namath also has three other grandchildren named John, Emerson, and Jemma, who live next to him with their mother, Jessica. Namath practices transcendental meditation and has adopted a collie/shepherd, Zoie, from a local rescue shelter. He co-owns the Lucky Shuck, a waterside restaurant overlooking the Jupiter Inlet and lighthouse.^[50]

For the early years of his marriage, Namath continued to struggle with his alcoholism until his wife warned him that he could break up his family if he continued. By 1987, Namath was able to stop his drinking, though he would relapse after his divorce in 2000.^[51]

On December 20, 2003, Namath garnered unfavorable publicity after he consumed too much alcohol during a day that was dedicated to the Jets' announcement of their All-Time team. During liveESPN coverage of the team's game, Namath was asked about then-Jets quarterbackChad Pennington and his thoughts on the difficulties of that year's team. Namath expressed confidence in Pennington, but then stated to interviewerSuzy Kolber, "I want to kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggling."^[52] He subsequently apologized, and several weeks later entered into an outpatientalcoholism treatment program. In 2019, Namath said he used the incident as motivation to quit alcohol, explaining "I had embarrassed my friends and family and could not escape that feeling. I haven't had a drink since."^[53]

In July 2015, Namath joined the search for two boys who disappeared during a fishing trip off the coast of Florida, and offered a $100,000 reward for the safe return of the boys.^[54] The boat was found six days later, and the search was suspended, with the two boys presumed dead.^[55]

On June 6, 2018, Namath threw out the first pitch at aChicago Cubs baseball game atWrigley Field. The pitch was caught by then-Cubs managerJoe Maddon, who idolized Namath as a child. This was Namath's first time at Wrigley Field.^[56][57]

Namath currently resides inTequesta, Florida.^[58]

After the Super Bowl victory in 1969, Namath opened a popularUpper East Sidenightclub called Bachelors III, which not only drew big names in sports, entertainment, and politics, but also organized crime. To protect the league's reputation,NFL CommissionerPete Rozelle ordered Namath to divest himself of his interest in the venture. Namath refused, apparently retiring from football during a teary news conference, but he eventually recanted and agreed to sell the club, and reported to the Jets in time for the 1969–70 season. Namath again threatened to retire before the 1970 and 1971 seasons;New York wrote in 1971 that "his retirement act had become shallow and predictable". The magazine stated that Namath did not want to attend training camp because of the risk of injury, but could not afford to retire permanently because of poor investments.^[59]

Namath's prowess on the field, fashion sense, lighthearted personality, and status as a sex symbol made him the first sports figure to appeal equally to men, women, and children—as demonstrated by his various product endorsements over the years.^[60] His nickname "Broadway Joe" was given to him bySherman Plunkett, a Jets teammate.^[61] "Joe Willie Namath" was Namath's moniker based on his full given name and was popularized by sportscasterHoward Cosell.^[62] On the field, Namath stood out from other AFL and NFL players in low-cut white shoes rather than traditional black high-tops. The white shoes started when Namath was at Alabama, where he kept having his worn-out cleats taped over as a superstition, especially after his first major knee injury was the result of a game in which he had forgotten to have the shoes taped. When he joined the Jets, Namath continued to have his shoes taped until Jets coach Weeb Ewbank noticed that the excess tape usage was costing the team money, so he ordered white cleats for Namath. He originated the fad of wearing a full-length fur coat on the sidelines (since banned by the NFL, which requires all players, coaches, athletic trainers, et al., to wear league-approved team apparel).^[63]

Namath also appeared in television advertisements both during and after his playing career, most notably forOvaltine milk flavoring,^[64]Noxzema shaving cream (in which he was shaved by a then-unknownFarrah Fawcett),^[60] andHanes Beautymist pantyhose (which he famously wore in the commercials). All of these commercials contributed to his becoming a pop-culture icon.

Namath continues to serve as an unofficial spokesman and goodwill ambassador of the Jets.^[65] In 2011, Namath was representingTopps and promoting a "Super Bowl Legends" contest, appearing on its behalf on theLate Show with David Letterman.^[66] ForSuper Bowl XLVIII which was hosted in the Jets'MetLife Stadium, Namath and his daughter Jessica wore fur coats for the ceremonial coin toss to "bring back a little of that flash from his heyday" as a player.^[63]

On June 2, 2013, Namath was the guest speaker at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, unveiling theCanton, Ohio museum's $27 million expansion and renovation plan.^[67]

As of 2018, Namath is the spokesperson for the insurance agency Medicare Coverage Helpline.^[68][69]

In November 2006, the bookNamath: A Biography byMark Kriegel was published, reaching theNew York Times extendedbestseller list. In conjunction with its release, Namath was interviewed for the November 19, 2006, edition of CBS'60 Minutes.^[70] A documentary about Namath's hometown ofBeaver Falls, Pennsylvania, includes a segment on Namath and why the city has celebrated its ties to him. In 2009, 40 years after winning Super Bowl III, he presented theVince Lombardi Trophy to thePittsburgh Steelers, who wonSuper Bowl XLIII. NFL Productions also produced a two-hour long television biography in itsA Football Life series.^[71]

• Allen, Maury (1969).Joe Namath's Sportin' Life. Paperback Library.ASIN B0006CJ3OQ.
• Namath, Joe Willie; Schaap, Richard (1970).I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow... 'Cause I Get Better Looking Every Day. Signet.ASIN B00005W4MN.
• Namath, Joe; Oats Jr, Bob (1973).A Matter of Style. Little,Brown, & Company.ISBN 978-0316596909.

• Namath, Joe (2006).Namath. New York: Rugged Land Books.ISBN 1-59071-081-9.
• Namath, Joe (2019).All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters. New York: Little, Brown and Company.ISBN 978-0316421102.

• List of American Football League players
• Namath: From Beaver Falls to Broadway
• Living former players diagnosed with or reporting symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy

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• Pro Football Hall of Fame profile
• Career statistics fromNFL.com · Pro Football Reference
• Joe Namath atIMDb
• Joe Namath article,Encyclopedia of Alabama

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