Beaver Falls, Joe Namath's boyhood home, was a steel town in western Pennsylvania. In his senior year, Joe led his high school football team to an undefeated season, and the beginning of a new life away from the steel mills.
Under the tutelage of coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, #12 Joe Namath, led the University of Alabama Crimson Tide to several bowl victories and a national championship.
Quarterback Joe Namath signed a record $400,000 contract with the NY Jets during the bidding wars between the NFL and the upstart AFL. Joe broke records on the field as well, when he passed for 4,007 yards in 1967.
In 1968 the New York Jets had finally put all the pieces together. Their defense was the best in the league. Their offense was healthy and could score at will. They won the AFL east with an 11-3 record, and faced the defending AFL champion Raiders for the title.
On a cold and windy December afternoon at Shea Stadium, the Jets rallied to defeat the Raiders 27-23. Joe and the Jets were on their way to Miami's Super Bowl to face the mighty Baltimore Colts, who crushed the Browns 34-0 in the NFL championship.
A few days before Super Bowl 3, Joe Namath "guaranteed" a Jets victory, despite being 18 point underdogs. The Jets 16-7 victory was the greatest upset in Super Bowl history. Super Bowl 3 was the turning point of professional football, and led to the merger of the two leagues.
Joe kept passing for the Jets despite his injuries. Joe's 6 TD passes against his boyhood idol Johnny Unitas and the Colts in 1972, was a game to remember. Joe was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.