A word to summarize from Joe Namath? Confidence. In soccer, it’s what separates the average quarterback from the championship quarterback. When experts talk about confidence, the discussion inevitably turns to Joe Namath. Three days before Super Bowl III in 1969, Joe Namath blatantly guaranteed that his upstart New York Jets would defeat the mighty Baltimore Colts.
With Joe’s confident statement, Namath had broken the unwritten rule of professional sports: never guarantee a win. When the 17-point losers came out the next day and really humiliated the Colts, it was a watershed moment for soccer and the cheeky young star who made it happen.
Super Bowl III in 1969 is considered a landmark event in soccer history. When Namath and the AFL Jets beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts, it proved that the AFL had finally reached parity, ending years of NFL dominance.
Joe Namath Biography
Born on May 31, 1943
Growing: He learns to pitch from his three older brothers. Namath practiced pulling telephone cables near her home. His goal as a child was to be in the Air Force and fly airplanes.
17 years: Joe leads the high school team to an undefeated season and the Western Pennsylvania league title. Appointed to the All Conference team. The shoulder separation almost ended his career.
18 years: He attends college at the University of Alabama.
20 years: He interrupts third-year training and is suspended from the Sugar Bowl.
21 years: In his senior year, the team finishes at No. 1, but due to a knee injury, coach Bear Bryant plays Namath only eight times.
23 years: Namath signs with the Jets in 1965.
1969: takes the New York Jets to the Super Bowl.
1977: He retires from football.