Joe Namath

Born: May 31, 1943 - Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania

Drafted: The NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals drafted Joe Namath, but he elected to sign with the upstart AFL's New York Jets for $400,000 after they used a pick gained in a trade with Houston to select him in the first round of the American Football League Draft.

Years Played: 1965-1977

Position Played: Quarterback

Played For: New York Jets (1965-76), Los Angeles Rams (1977)

Alma Mater: University of Alabama

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame: 1985

Nickname: Broadway Joe

Uniform Number: 12

Best Known For:
Publicly guaranteeing the New York Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III... and backing up his comments with a victory.

Best Season:
Joe Namath's best season came in 1967 when he completed 258 passes for 4,007 yards and 26 touchdowns.

Quote From Joe:
"To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going."

College Highlights:
• Won Two Associated Press National Championships (1964,65)

NFL Career Totals:
• Passing - 1,886 Completions on 3,762 Attempts for 27,663 Yards and 173 Touchdowns
• Rushing - 71 Carries for 140 Yards and 7 Touchdowns

AFL/NFL Highlights:
• Named American Football League Rookie of the Year (1965)
• First professional quarterback to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a season (1967)
• Named the AFL's Most Valuable Player (1968)
• Elected to Four AFL All-Star Games
• Selected to One AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
• Named MVP of Super Bowl III
• Led the NFL in Passing Three Times
• Received the Hickock Belt for Professional Athlete of the Year
• Received the George Halas Award for Most Courageous Athlete
• Named Dodge Man of the Year
• Served as an analyst for NBC Sports and ABC's Monday Night Football.
• Named to AFL All-Time Team
• Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1985)