1973 New York Jets Quarterbacks Profiles

JOE NAMATH

Quarterback
No. 12
Alabama
"Namath had a good year in something besides commercials in 1972. He was dropping bombs like the old Joe Willie. Staying free of injury, he made All-NFL by Pro Football Weekly and was U.P.I.'s All-AFC passer. In the year of the running back, he led the league in passing yardage with 2,816. Namath tossed 324 passes in all, 19 for touchdowns.
He was at his best in bunching the yardage. He got only 496 on 15 completions against Baltimore! He had 403 against Oakland. Only two other quarterbacks ever had a pair of 400-yard games in a single season. Namath almost got the Jets back into the championship circle against Oakland, but it was in vain.
'All you can do is give it your best shot,' he said. 'All we can do now is get ourselves back together for next year.' 'Next years' have always been questionable for Namath, but he goes into 1973 healthier than he's been in a long time. Bob Griese evaluated the 1972 Namath by saying, 'On a good day, he's going to have a picnic. He can probably throw the ball better than anyone has ever thrown it.'
Joe has a lifetime completion rate of 50.1%."

-Jim Benagh, The Complete Handbook of Pro Football, 1973 Edition

"Namath put together a superb season, playing his first campaign free from serious injury since 1969. Fully recovered from the wrist and knee injuries that kayoed him in 1970 and 1971, he passed for more yards than any other quarterback in pro football, tied with Bill Kilmer for most touchdowns (19) and regained his spot as the All-Pro quarterback on most teams. Namath was named All-Pro on the NEA (Players), Professional Football Writers and Pro Football Weekly squad, and won his fifth selection to the Pro Bowl; he had to pass up the game, however, because of ankle injuries suffered late in the year against Oakland.
Joe was elected captain of the offensive unit prior to the 1972 season. He was captain from 1968-1970 but was injured in 1971. Joe put together some of the finest individual efforts of his career last year, becoming only the third quarterback in history to have two 400-yard games in one season.
The first was his best day ever as he tore apart the Colts' famed zone defenses with six touchdown passes and 496 yards passing, the third best yardage total in football history. He hit on 15 of 28 passes, the six TDs coming off a total of only 15 plays. Three of the TDs were consecutively thrown to Richard Caster on the first play from scrimmage after the Jets had taken over. Other TDs were thrown to Riggins, Bell and Maynard. It took Namath his six touchdown passes to beat Johnny Unitas, who also had his finest yardage day that afternoon. The two famed quarterbacks set a total passing yardage record of 872 yards.
In the thirteenth game at Oakland, Namath threw for 403 yards on 25 of 46 in the Monday night game. He worked with a patchwork backfield due to injuries and was forced to throw continuously. He also had a 301-yard day in the loss to Houston in the Astrodome.
In addition to his passing exploits, Namath also displayed his keen football sense when calling upon his backs, Riggins and Boozer. He directed the Jet backfield to an all-time Jet rushing record of 333 yards at New England as he called plays to tear away at the Pats' defense which was geared for his passing. At Detroit later in the year, he engineered a 229-yard ground attack.
Overall on the season he finished up with 2,816 yards passing, ahead of his nearest rival, Archie Manning of New Orleans. Namath displayed good mobility on his surgery-scarred knees, being dumped only 11 times. He benefited from the insertion of Caster at tight end to take off the pressure from the wide receivers. Joe found Don Maynard seven times in the Oakland game to help him break Raymond Berry's all-time reception record.
Joe sat out the final game of the year with bad ankles. The medical report on him is that he should be in excellent health for 1973. His knees were seldom a problem last year.
Namath is a member of the all-time All-AFL squad chosen by the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He was a combined All-Pro (AFL-NFL) following the 1968 championship season. He gained almost every possible award after guiding the Jets to the Super Bowl win over the Colts. Namath was named winner of the Hickock Belt, AFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and the George Halas Award as the most courageous player. He was the Jets MVP in 1968 and 1969. Joe won the New England sportswriters' Colclough Award as the most courageous following his return to action in 1971.
During the Super Bowl campaign of '68, Namath went through a six-game span without a touchdown pass but the Jets won five of those games as he became an all-around quarterback. He threw for three touchdowns in the AFL Championship game against Oakland (two to Maynard, one to Lammons). Joe called a perfect game in the Super Bowl, hitting on 17 of 28 for 206 yards.
Namath combined with Maynard for the longest pass play in Jet history- 87 yards at San Diego in 1968. He tossed an 83-yarder to Ed Bell last year. He holds virtually all the Jet passing records. Namath has been over 300 yards 20 times (three of those being over 400) in his career. He shares the NFL record for most consecutive pass completions with 15 in back-to-back games against Miami and Boston in 1967. Joe is the only passer in pro history to surpass 4,000 yards in one season with 4,007 in 1967.
AFL Rookie of the Year in 1965, MVP of the '65 All-Star Game and co-MVP of the '67 All-Star Game, Joe has rushed 46 times for 125 yards and six touchdowns. His longest run was 39 yards against Oakland in '66. He has had four knee operations. Joe was drafted first by both the Jets and the Cardinals in 1965.
Namath has made three movies: 'Norwood' with Glenn Campbell, 'C.C. and Company' with Ann-Margret, and 'The Last Rebel.' He received favorable notices for his starring role in 'C.C. and Company.' Namath had his own TV show syndicated during the '69 and '70 seasons and has hosted the Tonight Show numerous times. He has made many guest appearances on TV shows such as 'Laugh-In,' 'Flip Wilson' and 'Dinah Shore.'
He operates the Joe Namath Instructional Camp for young boys during June and early July. He owns Joe Namath Restaurants in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Namath visited servicemen in the Far East following the Super Bowl.
Joe resides in New York and Miami during the off-season. His hometown is Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania."

-The New York Jets Official 1973 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos

"Joe's best game of 1972 was against the Colts on September 24. He threw for 496 yards on 15 completions, including six touchdown tosses, one of the greatest passing shows in history."

-1973 Topps No. 400

AL WOODALL

Quarterback

No. 18

Duke

"Woodall spent all but one game of '72 on the taxi squad. He was activated for the final game when Joe Namath was hobbled, but Al did not see action.

Al had a fine year in 1970, directing victories over the Rams and Vikings, but had a disappointing campaign in '71, yielding the quarterback job after the fourth game of the year. He has a strong arm and a good football mind. He handled the offensive telephone on the field last year and called several successful plays, one of them a touchdown pass.

Woodall spent the 1968 season with the Richmond Roadrunners of the ACFL after leaving Duke, and led the ACFL in passing. He was drafted No. 2 in 1969.

A private E-2 in the National Guard, Al has worked for an anti-narcotics program in Gastonia, North Carolina. He conducted a series of seminars on football for women this summer during training camp. His hometown is Erwin, North Carolina."

-The New York Jets Official 1973 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos

DON GAULT

Quarterback

No. 15

Hofstra

"Signed by the Jets as a free agent this summer, Gault played in Canada last year after four seasons (three on the taxi squad) with the Cleveland Browns.

He was active with the Browns in 1970 for two games. Don started the third game of the season against Pittsburgh when Bill Nelsen was injured. He was a member of the Cleveland taxi squad in '68 but missed much of 1969 because of National Guard duty.

Gault set virtually all Hofstra passing records for coach Howdy Myers and still holds 11 of them. The president of Eastern Athletic Enterprises, Don works for Security Mutual Life Insurance Co. His hometown is Queens, New York."

-The New York Jets Official 1973 Yearbook, edited by Frank Ramos