A word to the sum of Joe Namath? Confidence. In football, it’s what separates the run-of-the-mill quarterback from the championship quarterback. When pundits talk about trust, the discussion inevitably turns to Joe Namath. Three days before Super Bowl III in 1969, Joe Namath brazenly guaranteed that his new New York Jets would defeat the mighty Baltimore Colts.

With Joe’s confident declaration, Namath had broken the unwritten rule of professional sports: never guarantee a win. When the 17-point underdogs came out the next day and humiliated the Colts, it was a defining moment for football and for the unabashed young star who made it possible.

The 1969 Super Bowl III is considered a landmark event in football history. When Namath and the AFL Jets beat the NFL’s Baltimore Colts, it was shown that the AFL had finally reached parity, ending years of NFL dominance.

Biography of Joe Namath

Date of birthMay 31, 1943

Growing: He learns to pitch from his three older brothers. Namath practiced throwing telephone wires near his house. His goal growing up was to be in the Air Force and fly planes.

17 years: Joe Leads the high school team to an undefeated season and the Western Pennsylvania league title. Named to the all-conference team. The shoulder separation nearly ended his career.

18 years: He attends college at the University of Alabama.

20 years: He cuts short junior year training and is suspended from the Sugar Bowl.

21 years: Senior year, the team finishes in the No. 1 spot, 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: Retire from football.