Joe Namath

Joe Namath put the New York Jets on the map, simple as that.

The Pennsylvania native came to the Jets from the University of Alabama, where he played for legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and earned the reputation as a bad boy after Bryant suspended him at the end of his junior season.

Namath suffered a major knee injury in his senior year at Alabama, but that did not keep the St. Louis Cardinals of the National Football League from drafting him with the 12th pick of the draft, nor did it keep the Jets from using the first pick of the American Football League Draft to select the strong-armed quarterback. Both drafts took place on November 28, 1964.

Namath's decision to play for the Jets only added to his renegade image, which included long hair, white shoes, and a playboy lifestyle. The NFL and AFL were just beginning a revolutionary period for pro football in which bidding wars from both leagues were conducted to sign players. Eventually the NFL would figure out that the prudent move would be to merge with the rival league, but that did not happen before Namath signed with the Jets for a record-setting salary of $427,000.

Namath, New York, the AFL, and the antiestablishment movement of the 1960s were perfectly suited for one another, which resulted in Namath becoming more than just a football player. One segment of the public embraced the Jets quarterback for his antics away from the football field, while Jets fans simply adored what he did on the field.

Namath earned AFL Rookie of the Year honors in 1965 after he threw for 18 touchdown passes. Popular among his teammates, Namath became "Broadway Joe" after teammate Sherman Plunkett started calling him that. The name perfectly suited his flamboyant image, but the image would not have worked if he had not been getting it done on the field also.

During the 14-game 1967 season, Namath became the first quarterback in professional football history to surpass 4,000 passing yards in a season, with 4,007. He continued to battle his knee problems throughout his career, but that did not stop him from earning AFL All-Star status in 1965, 1967, 1968, and 1969.

Namath's legacy continued to grow until reaching a crescendo in the 1968 season by leading the Jets to an 11–3 regular-season mark followed by a 27–23 win over the Oakland Raiders in the AFL title game. Namath threw three touchdown passes that day to earn the Jets a spot in the Super Bowl against the Baltimore Colts.

Sports fans perceived the NFL to be the superior league when the Jets and Colts headed for the 1969 Super Bowl in Miami. The perception had some merit, because NFL teams had claimed wins in each of the first two Super Bowls. Unconventional and brash, Namath didn't see a difference between the leagues and wasn't intimidated by the Colts, a team that had dominated the NFL during the 1968 season. He said as much during the buildup for the big game, guaranteeing a Jets win. And in what is viewed by many as the biggest upset in football history, Namath led the Jets to a 16–7 win.

Injuries began to take their toll on Namath after the 1969 season, which was reflected in his missing 30 of the team's games from 1970 through 1973. The Jets floundered without their leader and did not have a winning season during that stretch.

Namath would rekindle his magic on occasion during his waning years with the Jets, but the injuries never freed him to achieve his full potential. The Jets waived him in 1977 so he could sign with the Los Angeles Rams.

Namath retired after the 1977 season and was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. While Namath's numbers never reached the heights that his ability suggested he should reach, he was a special player who arrived at the perfect time.

"He was a guy that came along and broke a lot of the conventions," former teammate John Dockery said about Namath on ESPN Classic's Sports Century series. "He was like a rebel with a cause. It was like traveling with a rock star. He just was a magnet. He's attracting people, and mostly young people. And talk about excitement and energy. Wow!"

Namath First to 4,000 for a Season

Joe Namath opened eyes with his passes during his first two seasons in the AFL in 1965 and...