Joe Namath

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Lore & Background

During his five AFL seasons, Namath was a two-time MVP and twice led the league in passing yards, while winning one AFL championship and one Super Bowl. Both victories remain the Jets' only championships. Following the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, Namath joined the NFL with the Jets, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 1972 after leading the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He played in New York for seven more seasons and spent his final year as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Namath cemented his legacy in 1969 when he guaranteed his heavy underdog Jets would win Super Bowl III before defeating the NFL's Baltimore 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 received Super 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 to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

In Their Own Story

The press conference room hummed with tension and cigarette smoke. Reporters leaned forward, microphones clustered like steel flowers before him. Joe Namath adjusted his collar, eyes steady on the front row. They asked if he thought an AFL team could beat the NFL champions. He didn't hesitate. 'We're going to win,' he said, voice cutting through the quiet. The room erupted in whispers and laughter, but he smiled, knowing the truth was waiting under the stadium lights.

Reader's Guide

Namath was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Lower End neighborhood of Beaver Falls. Namath is the son of Catholic parents, Rose and János "John Andrew" Namath, a steelworker, both of Hungarian descent. His Hungarian-born grandfather, András "Andrew" Németh, came to Ellis Island in 1911 and worked in the coal and steel industries of the Greater 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. Namath excelled in all sports at Beaver Falls High School and was a standout quarterback in football, guard in basketball, and outfielder in baseball. In an age when dunks were uncommon in high school basketball, Namath regularly dunked in games. He later clarified a story about being the only white player on his high school basketball team on The 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. Coached by Larry Bruno at Beaver Falls, Namath's football team won the WPIAL Class AA championship with a 9–0 record in 1960. Coach Bruno later presented Namath to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Upon graduating from high school in 1961, Namath received offers from several Major League Baseball teams, including the Yankees, Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Phillies, 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. 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. Namath had many offers from Division I college football programs, including Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, and Notre Dame, but initially decided upon the University of Maryland after being heavily recruited by Maryland assistant coach Roland Arrigoni. He was rejected by Maryland because his college-board scores were just below the school's requirements. Aft

Did You Know?

• Namath was the first professional quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season, achieving 4,007 yards in 1967.
• He is the only player in history to lead both the AFL and NFL in yards per passing attempt in a season.
• Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Early Life and Education

Namath was born and raised in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, growing up in the Lower End neighborhood. He is the son of Catholic parents Rose (née Juhász) and János 'John Andrew' Namath, a steelworker; both are of Hungarian descent. His grandfather, András 'Andrew' Németh, arrived at Ellis Island on the steamer Pannonia in 1911. Namath is the youngest of four sons with an older adopted sister. After his parents divorced, he lived with his mother. At Beaver Falls High School, he was a standout quarterback, basketball guard who regularly dunked, and baseball outfielder. His football team won the WPIAL Class AA championship with a 9–0 record in 1960 under Coach Larry Bruno. Although offered contracts by MLB teams including the Yankees, Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Phillies, he chose college football to satisfy his mother's wish for him to get an education. He initially sought to attend Maryland but was rejected due to low board scores; after recruiting by Paul 'Bear' Bryant, he accepted a full scholarship to Alabama. He left before graduating but received a Bachelor of Arts degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Alabama in 2007 at age 64.

College Career at Alabama

Between 1962 and 1964, Namath quarterbacked the Alabama Crimson Tide under Bryant and Howard Schnellenberger. He led the team to a 29–4 record over three seasons, including a national championship in 1964 despite being suspended for the final two games of that regular season. Bryant called him 'the greatest athlete I ever coached'. During his senior year, Namath played through a nagging knee injury involving cartilage damage, which later designated him class 4-F for the military draft. He finished eleventh in the voting for the 1964 Heisman Trophy.

The Draft and Contract Negotiation

On November 28, 1964, Namath was selected by both leagues: 12th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals (NFL) and first overall by the New York Jets (AFL). The Cardinals offered $200,000 and a new Lincoln Continental but required him to sign before the Orange Bowl, making him ineligible for that game. The day after the Orange Bowl, he signed with the Jets under Sonny Werblin for $427,000 over three years, a pro football record at the time. Offensive tackle Sherman Plunkett coined the nickname 'Broadway Joe' in 1965 following Namath's Sports Illustrated cover appearance.

Professional Legacy and Super Bowl III

Namath played 13 seasons, primarily with the Jets, winning one AFL championship and Super Bowl III. He was a two-time AFL MVP and twice led the league in passing yards during his five AFL seasons. In 1967, he became the first pro quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards (4,007). In 1968, he threw three touchdowns to lead the Jets to a 27–23 victory over the Oakland Raiders in the AFL title game. Three days before Super Bowl III in January 1969, Namath guaranteed a win against the Baltimore Colts, which they achieved 16–7. He was named Super Bowl MVP and became the first quarterback to win both a college national championship and a major professional championship. The victory gave the AFL instant legitimacy ahead of the 1970 merger. In 1972, he earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors after leading the NFL in passing yards (8.7 per attempt) and passing touchdowns. He played seven more seasons with the Jets before finishing his career with the Los Angeles Rams. Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.