09-10-2022, 01:35 AM
(09-10-2022, 12:17 AM)ATOTR Wrote: Joe Namath was one of the worst QBs of all time
That is the greatest exaggeration in the history of the universe.
Namath was good when he was young and healthy, but even then he was a high-volume gunslinger
Namath had bad knees that cut his career short. Over his first five seasons ('65-'69) he led all QBs in passing yards (15,487)and was 4th in tds (97) and wins (37). His completion percentage looked bad (50.2), but 52.3 would have put him in the top ten. In his third season ('67) he became the first professional QB to throw for over 4000 yds in a season. In his 4th season he guaranteed the biggest upset in the history of professional football.
In '72 when the Jets were in the NFL he led the league in yards, tds, and a ridiculous 17.4 average yard per completion.
In '75 at 32, playing for a 3-win Jet team he again led the league in yards per completion (14.6). His career yards per completion (14.7) is #11 all-time.
But injuries ruined a promising career. The New York Jets were in their 6th season when Namath was drafted, and they had never had a winning season. In Joe's first five years they only had one losing season; won their division twice; and the Super Bowl once. But after those first five season Namath would only win a total of 25 games over 7 seasons. He was immobile and played on bad teams when there was no free agency to fix a team quickly. He won just 4 of 21 starts his last 2 seasons with the Jets (75-76). He was the opening day starter for the Rams in 77 and started 2-1 before being injured in his 4th game.
He mainly deserves to be in the Hall-of-Fame for having the biggest balls in league history. He was also huge in the growth in popularity of the NFL. he was the first real "super star" that even people who were not football fans would recognize. Especially women. It is hard to believe now that the NFL was not as popular as college football, or baseball, or boxing in the early '60's. I am not saying Joe Namath made the NFL popular by himself, but he was the perfect guy at the perfect time. Like Magic and Bird in the NBA. And Joe played in the media capital of the country. On the bright lights of Broadway. It was too perfect.
