Chronology
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1943
| Born, May 31st in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.
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| 1960
| Leads his high school team to an undefeated season and accepts a scholarship
to play for Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama.
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| 1962
| Leads Alabama to a 17-0 Orange Bowl victory over
Oklahama. (Note: game played on January 1, 1963)
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| 1964
| Injures his knee in a game against North Carolina; Alabama loses the
Orange Bowl (played on January 1, 1965) to the
University of Texas in a game Namath didn't start due to his knee injury.
New York Jets use their pick gained in a trade with Houston to draft Joe Namath.
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| 1965
| New York Jets of the AFL draft Namath in the
first round; is signed for a record salary -- a three-year deal worth
$427,000; is named AFL Rookie of the year, and Most Valuable Player in the
AFL All-Star Game.
Twenty-three days after signing, Joe enters Lenox Hill Hospital to undergo
an operation to repair cartilage and ligaments in his right knee.
Joe makes his first appearance as a pro in the second quarter of the second game
of the season against the Kansas City Chiefs, September 18.
Joe Namath starts his first game, September 26, against the Buffalo
Bills, the third game of the season.
Joe Namath is named the AFL's Rookie of the Year.
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| 1966
| In the All-Star Game, Joe Namath leads the AFL All-Star team to a
30-19 victory over the AFL champs, the Buffalo Bills.
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| 1967
| Leads league in passing attempts, completions, and yards gained for
the second year in a row; also leads league in average gain per pass
attempt (8.2 yds.); named to AFL All-Star Game.
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| 1968
| Leads Jets to an 11-3 record and AFL Championship; is named
Sporting News AFL Player of the Year.
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| 1969
| Namath backs up his guarantee as his Jets defeat Baltimore Colts in
Super Bowl III, one of the greatest upsets in sports history.
Joe receives a number of awards: AFL MVP, Hickok Belt, George Halas
Award as most courageous pro player, Pro Player of the Year.
Joe Namath announces his retirement from pro football in dispute with
NFL over his ownership of Bachelors III, Manhattan bar (June 6).
Joe announces the sale of Bachelors III, and ends retirement (July
18).
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| 1970
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In the first meeting with the Baltimore Colts since Super Bowl III,
Joe fractures his right wrist and is out for the rest of the season.
(October 18).
Appears in the following films: C.C. and Company, The Last Rebel,
Norwood. See Joe's Filmography.
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| 1972
| Leads league in passing yards and TDs thrown; named to Pro Bowl.
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| 1975
| Namath turns down a reported multi-million dollar contract to play
in the WFL, and signs a two-year contract with the Jets.
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| 1977
| Released by New York Jets and signed as a free agent by the Los
Angeles Rams; retires at the end of the season to pursue a broadcasting
career.
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| 1985
| Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio. See Joe's Hall of Fame induction speech.
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