About Joe Namath
Joseph William Namath (; NAY-məth; born May 31, 1943) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the New York Jets. Nicknamed "Broadway Joe", he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, receiving first-team All-SEC honors and winning the national championship in 1964. Namath was selected by the Jets first overall in the 1965 AFL draft. During his five AFL seasons, Namath was a two-time MVP and twice led the league in passing yards, while winning one AFL championship and one Super Bowl. Both victories remain the Jets' only championships. Following the 1970 AFL–NFL merger, Namath joined the NFL with the Jets, earning Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors in 1972 after leading the league in passing yards and passing touchdowns. He played in New York for seven more seasons and spent his final year as a member of the Los Angeles Rams. Namath cemented his legacy in 1969 when he guaranteed his heavy underdog Jets would win Super Bowl III before defeating the NFL's Baltimore Colts in one of the greatest sports upsets of all time. The Super Bowl victory was the first for an AFL franchise, helping dismiss notions that its teams were inferior to the NFL's and demonstrating they would enter the merger as equals. Namath received Super Bowl MVP honors in the game, while also becoming the first quarterback to win both a college national championship and a major professional championship. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.