On January 12, 1969, in the most celebrated performance of his prolific career, quarterback Joe Namath leads the New York Jets to a stunning 16-7 victory over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, held in Miami, Florida.
Born in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, in 1943, Namath starred on his high school football team and at one point was offered $50,000 to play baseball for the Chicago Cubs. He chose to play football for Coach Paul (Bear) Bryant at the University of Alabama, where he was an All-American. Drafted by both the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League (NFL) and the Jets of the upstart American Football League (AFL), Namath chose the Jets, who paid him a signing bonus of close to $400,000. Three games into his first season, he earned the starting quarterback job; he was later voted the AFL Rookie of the Year.
With a notoriously lavish Upper East Side penthouse apartment and an active social schedule, the handsome Namath became known as Broadway Joe. He also distinguished himself on the field, becoming the first pro quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a single season in 1967. Namath’s brash confidence was never more on display than in a public appearance in the days leading up to Super Bowl III, when he assured a heckler that the Jets (19-point underdogs) would beat the Colts (reputedly the best team in NFL history), even going so far as to say “I guarantee it.” Namath’s trash-talking drew criticism from many in the NFL, who doubted his ability and insisted the AFL could not really compete with the older, more established NFL.
Namath proved to be as good as his word, however, as the Jets drove 80 yards in the first quarter and grabbed a 7-0 lead in the second with a four-yard touchdown run by fullback Matt Snell. The defense intercepted Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times to prevent Baltimore from scoring. Two Jets field goals by Jim Turner in the third quarter and another at the start of the fourth put New York up 16-0. Though Baltimore was able to score a single touchdown in the fourth, it would not be enough. Namath completed 17 of 28 passes, for a total of 206 yards, while wide receiver George Sauer caught eight of those for 133 yards, and Snell ran for a Super Bowl record 121 yards. Apart from ensuring the legacy of Broadway Joe, a future Hall of Famer, the victory gave legitimacy to the AFL and assured the competitive viability of the AFL-NFL rivalry.
I remember watching that game with my Dad. Johnny Unitas had been hurt and Earl Morrall (certainly no slouch. A borderline hall of famer) took over. Not too many took Nameth seriously but he proved them wrong. It was quite an upset.
Joe Namath was always my second choice when we little girls played Movie Star husbands. I thought he looked like he was rugged in a handsome sort of way. And I was the youngest, so I could never call Elvis. Of course, I was 8 years old.
I remember watching that game with my grandfather.I enjoyed sporting events in those days.Now I hate them.Nothing but negro worship and I already have negro fatigue syndrome so no thanks.
Joe had a quality said of Sinatra: Women wanted to screw him and men wanted to be his friend. A rare quality in a country now infested with men who are black hoodlums on football gridirons and white pussy’s in college safe rooms.
I saw Joe Namath at Publix one day, pushing the cart for his wife, while she rattled on, he just grinned. Dutiful husband, that was before his wife went crazy and changed her name to Tatiana and ran away from home. He lived just a few blocks away from me for years, but that was my only sighting. My mom saw Dan Marino in the Publix by her house, enduring the same thing.
joe was good and even played with bad legs, don’t watch the crap today
The first Super Bowl that I remember. Baltimore was 15-1 going into the game and had one of the best defenses in NFL history. But it was the Jets defense that won it. To this day some believe Earl Morrall, the Colts QB, threw the game. He really did make some incredibly dumb plays.
When I was young, I thought Joe Namath was sooo handsome. I’ll never forget the panty hose ad. I didn’t know until I was in high school that football players wore panty hose to keep warm during a cold game.
My sister-in-law met Joe Namath at a work convention. Don’t really know what kind of convention it was. They had a group photo made with him with all of them sitting on the bleachers. She was sitting right beside him. Lucky her! Though he was older, he was still so handsome.
And just as a reminder, I am female. Don’t want you to get the wrong idea. 🙂
Earl Campbell said that pantyhose helped him avoid hamstring pulls.