Namath, << NAY muhth, >> Joe (1943-…), became one of professional football’s most successful and colorful quarterbacks while playing for the New York Jets from 1965 to 1976. He was known for his accurate passing and skillful play selections. He passed for 27,663 yards and 173 touchdowns during his pro career. In 1967, Namath became the first pro quarterback ever to pass for more than 4,000 yards in a single season.
Joseph William Namath was born on May 31, 1943, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. He starred at quarterback at the University of Alabama, which he attended from 1961 to 1965. Namath was drafted by the Jets when the team was a member of the five-year-old American Football League (AFL). His success helped lead to the merging of the AFL and the established National Football League (NFL) in 1970. In 1969, Namath helped lead the Jets to a 16-7 upset over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. Namath played his last NFL season in 1977 with the Los Angeles Rams. He was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He became a TV sports commentator and actor. Namath wrote an autobiography, All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters (2019, with Sean Mortimer and Don Yaeger).
