Joe Namath
| Joe Namath | |
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Position (s): Quarterback |
Jersey number (s): 12 |
| born May 31, 1943 in Beaver Falls , Pennsylvania | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1965 - 1977 | |
| NFL Draft : 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 12 | |
| AFL Draft : 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 | |
| College : Alabama | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Touchdowns - interceptions | 173-220 |
| Yards | 27,663 |
| Quarterback rating | 65.5 |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
Joseph William "Joe" Namath (* 31 May 1943 in Beaver Falls , Pennsylvania ) is a former American American football player nicknamed "Broadway Joe". 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 to the Super Bowl III .
youth
Namath's ancestors came from Hungary . He himself grew up in a steelworking region near Pittsburgh . Namath's athletic abilities were already evident in his youth . In addition to football, he played basketball and baseball . Although he had a professional offer from the MLB , he decided, under pressure from his mother, for a scholarship to the University of Alabama , which was offered to him by the coach of the Crimson Tide , the football team of that college , Bear Bryant .
college
Namath played at the University of Alabama from 1962 to 1964 and became a standout quarterback. In the third year of his college career , he made twelve touchdown passes . His total of 29 victories faced only four defeats. In 1964, the Crimson Tide was declared a national champion - an unofficial title, because no champions were played in American college football at the time. In the last year of his studies, Namath sustained two serious knee injuries that later bothered him. A year before completing his studies, he broke it off in favor of his professional career. Namath has received three college awards for his athletic achievements.
Professional time
In 1965, Namath was selected by the New York Jets , an American Football League (AFL) team, in the first round of the AFL's Entry Draft . At the same time, the St. Louis Cardinals selected him in the first round as the twelfth player in the 1965 NFL Draft . AFL and NFL then went their separate ways and only later merged to form the NFL. Namath signed for a salary of 427,000 dollars US and a Lincoln Continental with the Jets. The level of the salary was a league record. In his first season he threw passes for a gain of space of 2220 yards and in 1967 increased the league record to 4007 yards.
After the 1968 regular season , Namath led his jets into the AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later Super Bowl III , against the Baltimore Colts . Previously, he had contributed three touchdowns to his team's 27:23 victory in the AFL final over the Oakland Raiders . The Colts with their legendary quarterbacks Johnny Unitas and Earl Morall were high favorites for the win. Namath guaranteed his Jets victory before the game. He followed suit, the Jets won 16-7 and Namath was named Super Bowl MVP despite not scoring a touchdown. But he managed to use his wide receiver George Sauer eight times , who gained a total of 133 yards of space.
Namath didn't just make a name for himself on the field. Much to the displeasure of those responsible for the league, he enjoyed the New York nightlife to the full and at times even ran his own bar . In no time at all, Namath was nicknamed Broadway Joe by the public . He only gave up his bar after pressure from the league. He appeared again and again in various television shows and films .
1969 succeeded Namath again to lead his team in the play-offs . The game was lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 13: 6. Namath only achieved spectacular victories outside of the play-offs. In 1974 the Jets won against the New York Giants the first game that was decided in sudden death , with 26:20.
Due to numerous injuries, Namath's career was drawing to a close. The number of interceptions regularly exceeded the number of touchdown passes. In 1977 he moved to the Los Angeles Rams , but ended his career after another unsuccessful year.
Honors
Namath was elected five times in the Pro Bowl and in the AFL Allstar Team. In 1968 he was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl III . In 1968 and 1969 he was named NFL Player Of The Year . In 1974 he was named 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 .
politics
Richard Nixon led Namath on his list of major political opponents as Joe Namath, New York Giants; businessman, actor.
After the career
Namath appeared repeatedly as an actor on television . For his performance in the film comedy Norwood he received in 1971 was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Best Newcomer . He graduated from college in Alabama in 2007 at the age of 64. He now lives in Tequesta , Florida .
Filmography (selection)
- 1970: Höllenengel und Company (CC and Company)
- 1971: The Last Rebel
- 1973: Three Girls and Three Boys : A Hero Made to Order (Season 5 / Episode 2)
- 1979: Avalanche Express (Avalanche Express)
- 1986: ALF : The Leap into the Deep (Season 1 / Episode 9)
- 1993: A Terribly Nice Family : The Sport Bar (Season 8 / Episode 10)
literature
- Jens Plassmann: NFL - American Football. The game, the stars, the stories (= Rororo 9445 rororo Sport ). Rowohlt, Reinbek near Hamburg 1995, ISBN 3-499-19445-7 .
- Jürgen Kalwa: Fascination American Football. Copress Sport, Munich 1995, ISBN 3-7679-0462-4 .
Web links
- Statistics about Joe Namath
- Joe Namath in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- English Wikipedia on Joe Namath
- Namath in the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
- Joe Namath in the Internet Movie Database (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ College Awards by Joe Namath ( Memento July 25, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Annual statistics of the jets 1968
- ^ Statistics AFL final 1968
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl III
- ↑ Dave Anderson: Political Football In: The New York Times, July 1, 1973
| personal data | |
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| SURNAME | Namath, Joe |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Namath, Joseph William (real name); Broadway Joe (nickname) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | May 31, 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Beaver Falls , Pennsylvania , United States |