Broadway Joe — the quarterback who guaranteed Super Bowl III victory for the New York Jets over the heavily favoured Baltimore Colts and delivered, completing one of the greatest upsets in NFL history and legitimising the AFL as a major league. His charisma, Hollywood lifestyle and supreme confidence made him the first quarterback to transcend the sport into wider celebrity culture. Threw for over 27,000 yards across his career and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Joseph William Namath was born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in 1943. He played college football at the University of Alabama under coach Bear Bryant before the New York Jets signed him for the then-unprecedented sum of $427,000 in 1965. His 13-season AFL and NFL career is defined by a single moment: his guarantee of victory before Super Bowl III against the heavily favoured Baltimore Colts in January 1969 — a boast he backed up with a 16-7 victory that legitimised the AFL and changed professional football forever. He threw for 27,663 yards and 173 touchdowns across his career. He became the first quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season in 1967. His combination of natural talent, charisma and celebrity — he appeared in films, advertisements and was known as Broadway Joe for his New York nightlife — made him the first true superstar of the AFL era. Persistent knee injuries throughout his career limited his peak seasons. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He threw for 206 yards in Super Bowl III and was named MVP.
Super Bowl III MVP
Career Honours
- Super Bowl III MVP
- AFL MVP 1968
- Pro Bowl 5x