He played college football at Alabama, where he was a team member who won the national championship in 1964. He was selected by the New York Jets as the first overall pick in the 1965 American Football League Draft. During his five seasons in the AFL, he was twice named MVP and twice led the league in passing yards while also leading the Jets to two AFL championships and one Super Bowl victory. Both triumphs remain the Jets' only two championships in franchise history. Namath joined the NFL with the New York Jets in 1970, following the AFL–NFL merger, and he went on to become the league's leading passer in terms of passing yards and touchdowns during the 1972 season. He stayed in New York for another seven seasons, with his final season spent as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in his hometown.

Background

Joe Willie Namath, nicknamed "Broadway Joe," was born on May 31, 1943, in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. Joe is the youngest of four sons of a Pennsylvania steelworker. Growing up, Joe Namath was a talented athlete and excelled at Beaver Falls High School. He played quarterback for the football team, guard for the basketball team, and outfielder for the baseball team. Upon graduating from high school, Namath received several offers from Major League Baseball teams but elected to play football "because his mother wanted him to get a college education."

Namath played college football for the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1962 to 1964 and led the Tide to a national championship in 1964. Bryant called Namath "the greatest athlete I ever coached" and stated that his decision to recruit Namath was "the best coaching decision I ever made."

Marriage and Divorce

Namath met his wife, actress Deborah Mays while taking a voice class in 1983. At the time, he was 41, and she was 22. Before Deborah, he had allegedly dated various popular women, including Janis Joplin, Raquel Welch, Maime Van Doren, Phyllis Davis, and Randi Oakes. Joe is tall and always had a high physical sex appeal and was considered one of the biggest playboys of sports.

Joe and Deborah got married in 1984. Joe became a dedicated family man as the couple had two children, Jessica, born in 1986, and Olivia, born in 1991. During the early years of his marriage, Joe struggled with alcoholism but quit drinking shortly after Jessica was born. However, Joe would later relapse after filing for divorce. Joe ended his 16 years of marriage with his stunning actress wife, Deborah Mays, in 2000. During this relapse, Joe's drinking became a matter of public scrutiny because of an incident during the broadcast of a National Football League game.

In 2003, at the age of 60, an inebriated Joe Namath expressed his feelings for ESPN sideline reporter Suzy Kobler live on air. When she asked him about the teams playing during a sideline interview, drunken Joe flirted with her and said he wanted to kiss her. He told Suzy. "I want to kiss you," and then expressed Namath could not care less about the struggling team at that moment. He also described the team had got a good chance to improve during the following season but again said, "I want to kiss you." The incident increased Suzy's popularity but defamed the legendary quarterback both nationally and internationally. Joe later apologized personally and publicly to Suzy and admitted he was drunk that night, describing it as a little too much Christmas cheer. Several weeks later, Joe entered into an outpatient alcoholism treatment program. Joe spoke about the episode, and his battle with alcoholism, in his autobiographical book entitled Namath.

Career

Joe is generally best remembered for what was considered one of the most magical games in the history of professional football, the electrifying 16-7 Super Bowl III victory by his New York Jets over the Baltimore Colts. Before the game, Joe boldly guaranteed a New York Jets victory over Don Shula's Baltimore Colts in the 1969 Super Bowl. The Jets went on to win the game in what remains as the Jets' only championship.

Joe Namath was a first-round draft selection by both the National Football League and the American Football League. Joe eventually signed with the Jets primarily because the St. Louis Cardinals, the NFL team that had drafted Joe, wanted him to sign before the Orange Bowl, making him ineligible for his college team's bowl game. Joe wanted to play the critical match with his team.

Many consider Joe's Super Bowl III victory to be a classic when Joe impressed everyone with his game reading skills, sack evasiveness skills, and accurate passing. By living up to his bold prediction that his team would win this particular game, Joe helped pave the way for the AFL-NFL merger. The win also made Joe Namath the first quarterback to start and win a national championship game in college, a major professional league championship, and a Super Bowl.

Joe Namath became a pop culture phenomenon by appearing in commercials for Ovaltine, Noxzema shaving cream, and Hanes Pantyhose. He has continued to appear in advertising and was in a commercial in 2014 with the Manning brothers to promote DirectTV. Joe hosted a television show in 1969 called The Joe Namath Show, which transitioned him into an acting career. Joe appeared on stage, starred in several movies, and performed on numerous television shows.

Networth

Joe is a rich man with a net worth of 18 million dollars. Joe Namath was the only man in football history, before 1978, who had ever thrown for 4,000 yards in a single season, many critics and coaches have high regard for him. Joe earned one Super Bowl victory, three divisional championships, and one league championship in his 13-year professional career. Fans can follow Namath on his Twitter account. His Twitter handle is @RealJoeNamath, and his Twitter description is given as: "Former NFL Football Player for the New York Jets, Champions 1969. University of Alabama quarterback and graduate.