Joe Namath

Joseph William Namath was born May 31, 1943 in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He was an American football quarterback for the American Football League's New York Jets in the 1960s. He is best known for predicting his team's unlikely victory in the third AFL-NFL World Championship Game, over Don Shula's NFL Baltimore Colts.

College Football Career

At Bama, Namath played under the legendary, coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1962-65. During this period the Crimson Tide returned to being a national force in college football being led by Namath

Related Topics:
Coach - Paul "Bear" Bryant

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to two National number one rankings.

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Namath's passing records at Bama were surpassed by the outstanding quarterbacks that followed hiim there, Ken "Snake" Stabler and Steve Sloan,

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but it is generally recognized these later records would not stand up to the

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Namath record if the dozens of dropped passes thrown by Namath were calculated in - as he threw the football with blazing speed but total accuracy, causing the passes to be dropped repeatedly.

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In his final college football appearance in the Orange Bowl, he was

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sent in to play safety by Coach Bryant, a move questioned as Namath had

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a bad knee and was the quarterback who is usually protected. Bryant replied he

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was trying to win the game and Namath was the best athlete on the field.

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This famous relationship of Bryant & Namath weathered the "willy" incident

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where Namath was suspended a few games - that led to his nick name Joe Willy

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Namath.

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