Joe Namath
- New York Jets (1965-1976)
- Los Angeles Rams (1977 )
- 4 × AFL All-Star (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969)
- 1x Pro Bowl (1972 )
- 4 × All- AFL (1966, 1967, 1968, 1969) 1 2 team
- 1x All-Pro (1972 )
- American Football League Champion (1968 )
- Super Bowl winner (Super Bowl III)
- AFL All- Time Team
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985 )
- Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1981 )
- 2 × AFL MVP (1968, 1969)
- 2 × AFL- AFC Player of the Year (1968, 1969)
- 1974 NFL Comeback Player of the Year
- Back number blocked when the Jets
- New York Jets Ring of Honor ( 2010)
Joseph William "Joe" Namath ( born May 31, 1943 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania) is an American former American football player. He is considered one of the most charismatic quarterbacks in the history of the National Football League ( NFL) and won with the New York Jets Super Bowl III.
Youth
Namaths ancestors came from Hungary. He grew up in a steel worker region near Pittsburgh. Already in his youth, showed Namaths athletic abilities. In addition to football, he played basketball and baseball. Although it was present a professional offer the MLB, he decided also to pressure from his mother for a scholarship to the University of Alabama, which was the coach of the Crimson Tide, the football team of the college, Bear Bryant, offered to him.
College
Namath played from 1962 to 1964 at the University of Alabama and has developed into an outstanding quarterback. In the third year of his college career he scored twelve touchdown passes. His total of 29 victories were against only four defeats. In 1964, the Crimson Tide have been declared a national champion - an unofficial title, because in the American College Football no master was still being played out. Last year, his studies, Namath went to two serious knee injuries that bedeviled him later. A year before his graduation, he broke this in favor of his professional career. Because of his athletic achievements Namath was honored by his college three times.
Professional time
1965 Namath was from the New York Jets, a team from the American Football League ( AFL), selected in the first round of the Entry Draft of the AFL. At the same time he was elected the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round as the twelfth player in the 1965 NFL Draft out. AFL and NFL were at that time separate ways and joined later to the NFL. Namath signed for a salary of 427,000 dollars and a Lincoln Continental with the Jets. The amount of salary was a league record. In his first season, he threw passes for a gain of space of 2220 yards and increased the 1967 league record at 4007 yards.
After the Regular Season 1968 Namath led his Jets to the AFL- NFL World Championship Game, later Super Bowl III against the Baltimore Colts. Previously, he had contributed three touchdowns to 27:23 victory of his team in the AFL Finals over the Oakland Raiders. The Colts with their legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas and Earl Morall were heavy favorites to win. Namath guaranteed a victory of his jets before the game. He was followed by action, the Jets won with 16:7 and Namath was the Super Bowl MVP elected, even though he scored no touchdown. But he managed eight times to use his wide receiver George Sauer, who scored a total of 133 yards space gain.
Namath made not only on the field talking point. Much to the displeasure of the league leaders, he enjoyed the New York night life to the fullest and at times even operating its own bar in no time Namath was awarded by the public nickname Broadway Joe. It was only under pressure from the league he gave his bar again. Again and again he appeared in various television shows and films.
1969 succeeded Namath once again to lead his team into the play- offs. The game went against the Kansas City Chiefs with 13:6 lost. Namath can only reach outside the play-off spectacular victories. 1974 won the Jets against the New York Giants the first game, which was decided in sudden death, with 26:20.
Due to numerous injuries to Namaths career came to an end. The number of interceptions regularly exceeded the number of touchdown passes. In 1977 he moved to the Los Angeles Rams, but finished after another unsuccessful year of his career.
Honors
Namath was five times elected to the Pro Bowl or in the AFL -star team. He was awarded the Super Bowl III as the Super Bowl MVP in 1968. 1968 and 1969 he was the NFL Player of the Year. In 1974 he was elected to the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the AFL All- Time Team. The New York Jets honor him on the Ring of Honor
After the career
Namath came again and again as an actor on television. For his performance in the film comedy Norwood in 1971 he received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Young Actor. In 2007 he took at the age of 64 years in Alabama graduated from college after. He now lives in Tequesta, Florida.