Joe Namath

Athlete

• Born: May 31, 1943
• Place of Birth: Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Joe Namath was a star quarterback, best known for leading the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide to an Orange Bowl championship in 1964 and the New York Jets to an upset victory in Super Bowl III five years later.

SPORT: Football

Early Life

Joseph William Namath was born on May 31, 1943, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, a steel-mill town twenty-eight miles from Pittsburgh. His father, a Hungarian immigrant, supported his family by working in the mill.

Because there were no organized activities for children in the Lower End, Namath and his friends entertained themselves by forming gangs and staging rock fights. When they entered junior high school, they exchanged rocks for balls. The same group of boys played basketball and football together in high school. Namath enjoyed playing basketball, but he excelled as a quarterback in high school, completing 84 out of 120 passes during his senior year. Namath acknowledged that this tremendous accomplishment would not have been possible without the efforts of his teammates, eleven of whom won scholarships.

Namath wanted to enter the University of Maryland but was unable to pass the College Board Examination, even on his second try. Instead of becoming frustrated, Namath accepted Coach Bear Bryant’s invitation to play for the Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama.

Winning a scholarship to the University of Alabama in 1961 presented Namath with obstacles that he had not considered. Knowing Namath’s reputation as a high school football star, his fellow players teased him unmercifully. Namath was also teased during his first semester because he defended African Americans during his informal debates with his teammates. Consequently, the normally outgoing Namath made friends very slowly.

Namath’s independent ways and defiant manner also created some problems for him at the University of Alabama. He caused a small scandal as a nineteen-year-old sophomore when he was caught betting illegally at Miami’s Tropical Park. He was also suspended from the team briefly for breaking curfew. Afterward, Namath admitted that he had done a foolish thing and that Coach Bryant had done the right thing by punishing him.

Football Career

Although Namath had difficulty adjusting to college life, he had no trouble making the transition from high school to college football. In his sophomore year, Namath led a senior team to a 10–1 season. Newspapers across the nation heralded Namath’s feats with headlines such as “Namath Bows, Wows, Tide Romps!” As a result of the publicity, Namath was harassed again, this time by the opposing team. He was angered and even motivated by the abuse, but he was never intimidated.

Namath’s senior year with the Crimson Tide was his most triumphant and most arduous. In an early October game against North Carolina State, his knee collapsed after he made a sudden stop. His knee collapsed again two weeks later in Florida and in late-December practice for the Orange Bowl. Namath played brilliantly, leading his team to a national championship in 1964, despite the fact that his knee was taped and heavily padded.

After the Orange Bowl, Namath became the first big-money free agent. The sports world was stunned by the $400,000 salary that the New York Jets paid him. That was considered a ridiculous sum at the time, but the owner was sure that “Broadway Joe” would bring victory and glamour to his team.

In January 1965, before Namath began his professional career, he had to fly to New York for surgery to his knee. After a piece of shredded cartilage was removed and a ligament was shortened, Namath had to undergo a grueling period of rehabilitation, bending his knee four hundred times a day. The press dubbed him “the man with the $400,000 knee.” By July, his hard work had paid off, and he was ready to practice with the team.

Initially, Joe had as much trouble fitting in with the Jets as he had with the Crimson Tide. The veteran players resented the fact that he was making more money than they could make in a lifetime of professional football. Namath’s ability, hard work, and courage in the face of three knee operations eventually won him the team’s respect.

From the beginning, Namath made it clear that his primary goal was “to become known as a good quarterback, not a rich one.” In his first home game of 1966, Namath passed for five touchdowns. In 1967, he set a professional record by passing for 4,007 yards. Namath reached full maturity as a quarterback in the fall of 1968, when he led the Jets to the Eastern Division title. Just prior to Super Bowl III, Namath surprised the sports world by guaranteeing a Jets victory. Even though the Baltimore Colts were favored to win, Namath directed the near-perfect 16–7 upset that turned the football world upside down.

Following the Super Bowl, Namath became the biggest celebrity to hit New York since Babe Ruth. He captured the imagination of fans everywhere with his rugged good looks and his determination to do things his way. He courted scandal with his bachelor lifestyle. He grew his hair long when other players did not, wore white shoes, put on panty hose for a commercial, and grew a Fu Manchu mustache, which he shaved off on television for money. Namath was a perfect hero for the nonconformist 1960s.

The 1969 season was extremely difficult for Namath and the championship Jets. In June, football commissioner Pete Rozelle asked Joe to sell his interest in an East Side Manhattan Bar, Bachelor’s III, because it was frequented by professional gamblers. Namath denied that he had done anything wrong and resigned from the Jets on principle. His love of football prevailed, however, and two months later, he sold his interest in the bar and returned to the Jets. The team won the Eastern Division title, but injuries prevented them from returning to the Super Bowl.

Namath’s remaining years with the Jets were marked by pain and frustration. In 1970, he broke a bone in his passing hand and missed most of the season. In 1971, he was sidelined again when he tore some ligaments in his left knee. With the aid of metal braces on his knees, Namath continued to play with the Jets until 1975, but his passes were intercepted with increasing frequency.

After the Jets released him, Namath was determined to prove that he was still the best quarterback in football. In 1977, the Los Angeles Rams signed him on as a second-string quarterback in the hope that he would spur the team on to a Super Bowl victory. Namath tried to rebuild his tired body by swimming 1,600 yards a day, but with a knee that was practically immobile after five operations, Namath’s valiant comeback was doomed.

Retirement

In 1978, Namath retired from football and began a second career as a performer. In the early 1980s he sang and danced in nightclubs and in musicals such as Damn Yankees and Li’l Abner. The films that he made in the 1970s and 1980s, such as C.C. and Company (1970) and Chattanooga Choo Choo (1984), proved that he was not afraid to make mistakes.

Because he still wanted to be part of football, he went into broadcasting in 1985. After a disastrous stint as color commentator on Monday Night Football, he almost gave up. He set his mind on improving, though, and was much more successful as color commentator for NBC in the late 1980s.

In 1985, Namath was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During his acceptance speech, he recognized coach Bryant for his dedication and belief in Namath. Bryant, who passed away in 1983 from a heart attack, left a lasting impression on Namath.

As part of his transition from glamorous young football player to conservative, middle-aged broadcaster, Namath shed his flamboyant image. He also stopped drinking in 1987.

In 1991, Namath had knee replacement surgery so he could walk with stability and without the pain that he had had since the middle of college. Namath became a spokesperson for the Classic Sports Network, which replayed vintage sporting events and shows on television. He also took a position with CBS Sportsline, a national online service in Fort Lauderdale. Namath and his first wife, Deborah Mays, had two daughters, Jessica and Olivia, before their divorce in 2000. In 2006, Joe returned to the University of Alabama to complete his college education. Though belated, he received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies in 2007.

Namath continued his acting career, and in his later years, he appeared as himself in the 2013 sports film Underdogs and the 2015 comedy film The Wedding Ringer.

Between 2018 and 2024, Namath was the spokesperson for Medicare Coverage Helpline.

Summary

Joe Namath will be remembered as one of the first professional athletes to achieve fame and fortune before he was a grown man. When he played up to his full potential, he was one of the best quarterbacks in the history of football. He awed his rivals with the strength and accuracy of his arm and his unusually fast drop-back into the pocket. He earned the respect of his fellow players and his fans through his ability to take punishment and bounce back from his injuries. Although his conduct off the field was criticized, Namath remained a person who knew what he wanted and cared little about what others expected him to be.

Bibliography

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Namath, Joe Willie, and Dick Schaap. I Can’t Wait Until Tomorrow ’Cause I Get Better-Looking Every Day. New York: New American Library, 1970. Print.

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