Joe Namath

Joseph William Namath, born May 31, 1943, is an American former professional football quarterback who played thirteen seasons in the American Football League and National Football League, primarily with the New York Jets. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning first-team All-SEC honors and winning the national championship in 1964. The Jets selected him first overall in the 1965 AFL draft.

Across his five AFL seasons, Namath was a two-time MVP and twice led the league in passing yards, winning one AFL championship and one Super Bowl. Both victories remain the Jets' only championships. Following the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, he continued with the Jets in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 1972 after leading the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He played seven more seasons in New York and spent his final year with the Los Angeles Rams.

Nicknamed "Broadway Joe," Namath guaranteed in 1969 that his heavy-underdog Jets would win Super Bowl III, then defeated the NFL's Baltimore Colts in one of the major upsets in sports history.