Joe Namath Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Joe Namath was born on May 31, 1943 in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Even though he ended up a football legend, Namath began his sports career excelling in multiple sports. At Beaver Falls High School he starred in football, baseball, and basketball. He was particularly adept at baseball, drawing offers from numerous Major League teams straight out of high school, including the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, Cincinnati Reds, and Philadelphia Phillies. However, Namath decided to stick with football and the University of Alabama.

Alabama was actually not Namath’s first choice, but it turned out to be an excellent one. He originally was going to play at the University of Maryland but was not accepted due unacceptable college board scores. He then decided on Alabama and playing quarterback for coaching icon Paul “Bear” Bryant. Under Bryant’s tutelage, Namath enjoyed an extremely successful college career, leading the Crimson Tide to a 29-4 record while he was at the helm and an Orange Bowl birth in his senior year.

Upon leaving Alabama, Namath was subsequently drafted by both of America’s major professional football leagues: the NFL and the AFL. Namath decided on the AFL and the New York Jets and transformed into a superstar. Namath never had the eye-popping numbers (except in 1967 when he became the first professional quarterback to throw for 4,000 yards in a season) but he had the uncanny ability to improve the play of those around him. He is certainly most remembered for his brash guarantee that his Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in the 1969 AFL-NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl); Namath backed up his guarantee with a win. Namath, hampered by knee injuries throughout his entire career, was a 5-time Pro Bowler and 2-time AFL MVP with career stats of 27,663 yards and 173 touchdown passes in only 140 career professional games.