Joe Namath

 Joseph William Namath (/'neIm@th/; NAY-meth; born May 31 1943) is an ex- American football player who played in the American Football League (AFL) as well as the National Football League (NFL) for 13 years, most notably with the New York Jets. He played college football at Alabama and won the national championship in his senior year and was drafted by the Jets first overall in the 1965 AFL Draft. In his five AFL seasons, he was a two-time MVP, and twice was the league's top passer yards. He also helped lead the Jets to win one AFL championship as well as a Super Bowl. These victories are the Jets' only championships. Namath was the NFL's top scorer and passer in 1972, following the merger of the AFL and NFL. Namath continued to play in New York for seven seasons and his final year playing for the Los Angeles Rams. In 1969, Namath established his legacy by ensuring that his underdog Jets won Super Bowl III. The Jets defeated the NFL's Baltimore Colts in one the most famous sports-related shocks. It was the first Super Bowl win for an AFL team, discrediting the idea that they were inferior to the NFL's. This also showed their commitment to joining the league as equals. Namath was awarded Super Bowl MVP honors in the game, as well as becoming the first quarterback to be the winner of a national college championship as well as a major professional championship.