Joe Namath

Object Details

Exhibition Label: Born Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; "Win or lose," declared Time in 1972, "Namath generates more high-voltage excitement than any other player in the game." Former Alabama star quarterback Joe Namath launched his professional football career in 1965 by sparking a bidding war between teams in the upstart American Football League (AFL) and the dominant National Football League (NFL). When the AFL's struggling New York Jets won Namath's services with a three-year contract for an unprecedented $427,000, many questioned whether any player was worth such a sum. By mid-season, however, the brash young man with the "bazooka arm" and the lightning-quick release was the Jets' starting quarterback, and the doubters fell silent. His greatest success came in 1969 when, after declaring he could "guarantee" victory, Namath led the underdog Jets to a stunning Super Bowl upset of the NFL's Baltimore Colts. By combining gridiron dazzle with plenty of off-the-field flash, "Broadway Joe" became pro football's first mega-celebrity quarterback.

1965

Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 34.2 x 26.8 cm (13 7/16 x 10 9/16"); Sheet: 35.3 x 27.9 cm (13 7/8 x 11"); Mat: 71.1 x 55.9 cm (28 x 22")

National Portrait Gallery

Topic: Exterior; Equipment\Sports Equipment\Football; Joe Namath: Male; Joe Namath: Sports and Recreation\Athlete\Football; Joe Namath: Communications\Broadcast Journalist\Sportscaster; Portrait

GUID (Link to Original Record): http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f603cb68-4758-452e-8586-bd1e4f245660