1974 Profile: Joe Namath

Quarterback
No. 12
Alabama
"Despite the injuries which have plagued him in recent years, Namath is still considered by opposing coaches to be the most dangerous quarterback in the game. He came off a shoulder separation to play in four of the last five games of the year and led the Jets in passing on the passer-rating scale.
Namath was the leading passer in the '73 preseason, but was cut down in only the second game of the year when Baltimore's Stan White hit him on a blitz. He suffered a separation of the right shoulder and was out of action for seven weeks. He returned dramatically in Cincinnati to take the Jets to the brink of victory, but two disputed calls denied them. In four-and-a-half minutes of action, Namath hit on six of 13 passes for 98 yards and time ran out with him on the one-yard line after two passes to Richard Caster had been ruled not in the end zone.
Joe quarterbacked strong games against Atlanta and Baltimore in subsequent weeks, but his knee flared up prior to the Eagles game and he sat that one out. He finished out the season with a two-touchdown, 206-yard day against Buffalo. Off-season medical reports by Jet doctors indicate that his shoulder and knees are strong and he should be in fine shape for 1974.
The sudden injury was the third in four years to sideline the Jets All-Pro signal caller. In 1970 he suffered a broken wrist and in 1971 he tore ligaments in his left knee in his first preseason game. Injury-free 1972 showed that the Joe Namath magic is still there as he completed a banner season in which he passed for more yards than any other quarterback and tied for the NFL lead in touchdowns (19). He won All-Pro honors and earned his fifth selection to the Pro Bowl, though he had to decline due to ankle injuries suffered late in the '72 season.
Namath put together some of his best individual efforts in 1972, 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 the Colts apart with six touchdown passes and 496 yards, the third best yardage total in history. He went 15-for-28 that day and the six touchdowns came off a total of only 15 plays, three of them on first down to Caster. It took his six touchdowns to beat Johnny Unitas that day as he also had his finest yardage day. The pair set an NFL record for combined passing yards with 872.
Later in the year Namath tossed for 403 yards against Oakland in a Monday night affair. Working with a patchwork backfield due to injuries, he was obliged to throw 46 times and hit on 25. Though he is known for his passing exploits, Namath also is a master of directing the running game. Shunning the pass, he called a game which saw the Jets set a club record of 333 rushing yards in a 1972 41-13 win over New England. When defenses are geared for his arm, he turns to the backfield masterfully.
Namath is a member of the all-time All-AFL team selected by the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was a combined (AFL-NFL) All-Pro following the 1968 campaign as well as earning the honor in 1969 and 1972, his last two injury-free seasons. Namath gained almost every possible honor after guiding the Jets to the Super Bowl win over Baltimore. He was named winner of the Hickock Belt, AFL MVP, Super Bowl MVP and the George Halas Award as the Most Courageous Player. Namath was Jets MVP in 1968 and 1969 by a vote of his teammates and was captain of the offense in 1968-1970 and 1972. He won the New England Writers' Colclough Award as the most courageous following his return to action from knee surgery in 1971 when he came in to throw for three touchdowns against San Francisco.
During the Super Bowl campaign, he went through six games without a touchdown pass, but the Jets won five of those games. He threw for three touchdowns in the AFL Championship Game (two to Don Maynard, one to Pete Lammons) and called nearly a perfect game in the Super Bowl, hitting 17 of 28 for 208 yards.
Joe owns the Jet record for longest pass play with an 87-yarder to Maynard at San Diego in 1968. He also clicked for an 83-yard strike to Ed Bell in 1972 to defeat Baltimore. Joe owns virtually all the Jet passing records. He has been over 300 yards 20 times in his career (three of those being over 400) and shares the NFL record for consecutive pass completions with 15 in back-to-back games against Miami and Boston in 1967. He's the only passer in pro history to go over 4,000 yards in one season with 4,007 in 1967.
He was AFL Rookie of the Year in 1965, AFL All-Star Game MVP in 1965 and co-MVP of the All-Star Game in 1967. A fine runner in college, Namath has rushed only 47 times for 123 yards in his career. His longest run was for 39 yards against Oakland in 1966.
Namath has appeared in 28 of the 56 regular season Jet games from 1970 through 1973. In that period, the Jets won 21 and lost 35. With Namath the starting or responsible quarterback, the Jets have won 11 and lost 14. Prior to 1970 Namath had played in 74 consecutive games plus three postseason games. He was the starting or responsible quarterback for a record of 39-23-4 and was the 'winning' quarterback in the '68 AFL title game and Super Bowl III. In that same period the Jets were 40-26-4. Since Namath came to the team the Jets have gone 61-61-4 and he has been 50-37-4.
Drafted first by the Jets and the Cardinals in 1965, Joe has had four knee operations. His right knee was operated on for removal of cartilage and repair of ligaments on January 25, 1965, 23 days after signing his first contract. He had cartilage removed and a tendon transfer in a major operation on his right knee on December 28, 1966. His left knee was operated on for repair of a small tendon tear on March 20, 1968. A '5-in-1' operation on his left knee was performed on August 8, 1971 for ligament and cartilage damage and a tendon transfer after suffering an injury against Detroit when hit by Paul Naumoff while trying to tackle Mike Lucci. All the operations were performed by Jets orthopedist Dr. James A. Nicholas.
Joe 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.' Joe has had his own TV show syndicated and has made guest appearances on numerous TV shows such 'Laugh-In,' 'Flip Wilson' and 'Dinah Shore.'
He owns Joe Namath restaurants in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham and operated the 'Joe Namath Instructional Football Camp' for youngsters in Dudley, Mass. during June and July. He visited servicemen in the Far East following the Super Bowl.
Joe resides in New York and Florida during the off-season. His hometown is Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania."

-The New York Jets Official 1974 Yearbook