"With a notoriously lavish Upper East Side penthouse
apartment and an active social schedule, the handsome Namath became
known as Broadway Joe. He also distinguished himself on the field,
becoming the first pro quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a single
season in 1967. Namath’s brash confidence was never more on display than
in a public appearance in the days leading up to Super Bowl III, when
he assured a heckler that the Jets (19-point underdogs) would beat the
Colts (reputedly the best team in NFL history), even going so far as to
say "I guarantee it." Namath’s trash-talking drew criticism from many in
the NFL, who doubted his ability and insisted the AFL could not really
compete with the older, more established NFL.
Namath
proved to be as good as his word, however, as the Jets drove 80 yards
in the first quarter and grabbed a 7-0 lead in the second with a
four-yard touchdown run by fullback Matt Snell. The defense intercepted
Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times to prevent Baltimore from
scoring. Two Jets field goals by Jim Turner in the third quarter and
another at the start of the fourth put New York up 16-0. Though
Baltimore was able to score a single touchdown in the fourth, it would
not be enough. Namath completed 17 of 28 passes, for a total of 206
yards, while wide receiver George Sauer caught eight of those for 133
yards, and Snell ran for a Super Bowl record 121 yards. Apart from
ensuring the legacy of Broadway Joe, a future Hall of Famer, the victory
gave legitimacy to the AFL and assured the competitive viability of the
AFL-NFL rivalry."
It was a great sports moment and I watched it with my dad & brother:
Click here for the video:
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