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Joe Namath

National Portrait Gallery

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Object Details

Artist
Ben Ross, 1916 - 2004
Sitter
Joe Namath, born 31 May 1943
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.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
1965
Object number
NPG.93.343
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Ben Ross
Type
Photograph
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")
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
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
Record ID
npg_NPG.93.343
Usage of Metadata (Object Detail Text)
Usage conditions apply
GUID (Link to Original Record)
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4f603cb68-4758-452e-8586-bd1e4f245660

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