Joe Namath

 The son of a steelworker from Beaver Falls, Pa., Joseph William Namath (Joe Willie) was born into the rich football tradition that is in Pennsylvania. Namath was an actor on Paul "Bear" Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide team in the 1960s. He was then drafted in 1965 by the National Football League (NFL) St. Louis Cardinals as well as the rival American Football League (AFL), New York Jets. Namath is an exuberant performer in college, signed with the Jets for a then-record $450,000. He also gave the new, struggling AFL instant credibility in its war against the NFL. While he didn’t make the Jets instant winners, he did help them to improve their standing in the first three years of the league. Namath fulfilled his promise to be one of the more interesting players in the AFL and became the first quarterback in history to throw more than 4000 yards. Namath was also a popular player off the field, especially with women (which he indulged in with a smile) and was well-known for his love for the New York nightlife. New York's press called him "Broadway Joe" due to his passion for New York nightlife. Namath's performances and his voice made him a legend. After taking the Jets to winning the AFL title over the Oakland Raiders, Namath, annoyed by all the negative press attacking his team and openly favoring the NFL champion Baltimore Colts, boldly lashed out and predicted victory for him as well as the Jets. He also showed his poise by talking his way from a potentially explosive situation with Colts defensive tackle, Lou Michaels. Namath and a teammate were in a restaurant talking about the fact that the Jets were a better team than the Colts,