Joe Namath a Football Life

kyallie

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I saw it on tonite and it's on now. It's on 2:00 pm tomorrow on the NFL network and numerous times after that. I'm watching part 1 and it really is something, about his early times, at Bama and Coach Bryant, really great. Check your listings, it's worth it!
 

kyallie

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Probably most on the board not born in at least the 40s' or 50's it won't mean as much, but for me, and I think for some others it brought back memories I hadn't thought of , and a few tears, I don't mind saying. I don't frequent them, at least not anymore, but a good bar bet might be when and where Joe's first kenee injury occurred. The N.C. state game (Bryant) Denny stadium, It was one of the few Bama games I've attended....in the student section. He was great for Alabama, and the Jets and pretty much at what ever he did. He was human, and like most of us had set backs, but all in all I'd say he turned out to a great man!
Thanks to cuda '73 for the spell check and the Pittsburgh and PA. memories you sent me!
 

Go Bama

Hall of Fame
Dec 6, 2009
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16outa17essee
I DVR'd this show a couple of weeks ago and have kept it. My favorite part was when they talked about how you could hear when the football had been releases.

Joe Namath is truly one of a kind. It's a very human story and highly recommended.
 

Tideflyer

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Dec 14, 2011
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Certainly don`t know Joe personally, he was at UA a shade before me, but he certainly appears to have aged gracefully. Sometimes I think that`s about the best any of us can do.
 

kyallie

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I DVR'd this show a couple of weeks ago and have kept it. My favorite part was when they talked about how you could hear when the football had been releases.

Joe Namath is truly one of a kind. It's a very human story and highly recommended.
They said it made "whistling" sound, and some players had black and blue marks where they caught the ball, after the game, that was one of my favorite "football" parts also. Also the former Bama players interviews, and Jets too. In the footage a lot of nostalgia, truly an all around great biography, iyam.
 
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WylieTexasTider

All-American
Sep 24, 2006
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Certainly don`t know Joe personally, he was at UA a shade before me, but he certainly appears to have aged gracefully. Sometimes I think that`s about the best any of us can do.
My Uncle and Joe were roommates at BAMA and I've had the pleasure of meeting him and he is a class act. One of the nicest guys you will ever meet! He is as genuine and down to earth as they come....
 

BadgerTidefan

1st Team
Dec 2, 2006
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I recorded it yesterday and watched both of them this morning, thoroughly enjoyed watching. I was a young 12 or so when Joe Willy played at Alabama and I can very well remember the thrill of watching and rooting for him and the team in those days. I've seen a few clips they used in different places over the years, but they put together a great film. Joe didn't shy away from any touchy subjects at all. I think it would be great to watch even for the younger fans to get a real feel for some Bama history. As someone else said he really has aged well. He looks better now than ge did in some of his heavy drinking periods.
 

Al A Bama

Hall of Fame
Jun 24, 2011
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I do believe that if he had never had that knee injury against N. C. State, he'd won or should have won the Heisman Trophy and would probably have more than one Super Bowl win. I was not at that game so I had to listen on radio. It was a sinking feeling even listening to it on radio. Joe, Leeroy, Billy Neighbors, and John Hannah were probably my all-time favorite Bama players.

I love hearing him talk.
 

TommyMac

Hall of Fame
Apr 24, 2001
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To this day I think Joe had the greatest arm I've ever seen. Most of y'all need to consider that you've probably never seen him throw a pass with two good legs under him. He played all those years in that wind tunnel called Shea Stadium basically throwing the ball with his arm only and in a vertical passing offense at that. There's very few QB's ever that could have even took that Jets team to the play-offs, never mind winning the SB.

Joe Montana certainly could not have, not enough arm.
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
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Joe Namath was probably the greatest all around athlete to play at Alabama in my lifetime. Had it not been for his knee injuries he may have been the greatest NFL QB ever. I agree with Tommy no QB before or since has had the arm that he had. Several years after leaving for the NFL he came back yo the University and I had an English class with him in Morgan Hall. He was a good student and was very outgoing with all of us in the class. He had a blue parking sticker and parked his green Lincoln convertible in front of Morgan Hall. Great guy with lots of style.
 

TIDE-HSV

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His short pass across the line was something I've never seen since. He had no windup at all. It was sort of like a shot put, but delivered with velocity. He and I used to play golf on the old 9-hole UA course. It was the only place he could get far enough away from Coach to smoke safely. Even back then, he had that stooped over posture. Seeing him hunched over a putt, looking like a question mark in profile, with a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth was something I'll never forget. My orthopedist with Andrews (played for GA Tech), who's going to do my hip replacement, has a pic of him and Joe hanging on the wall of one of his treatment rooms. I mentioned to him that I'd played golf with Joe and he commented that, right after his pic with Joe was taken, Joe spilled his red wine on Jeff's suit coat. That was before he went on the wagon...
 

alwayshavebeen

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Sep 22, 2013
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"I like my women blonde, and my Johnny Walker red". Glued myself to the TV last night and agree with the comments above. Joe was an Elvis like rock star and I remember as a kid thinking this guy is way different. What a class act and humble guy who is honest about his past. I wonder if asked - would he do anything different what the answer would be?
Honestly though I had forgotten, or never knew just how bad his knees were...and other body parts. If he had been reasonably healthy no telling...........
 

GrayTide

Hall of Fame
Nov 15, 2005
18,810
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Greenbow, Alabama
He could throw the ball with tremendous velocity backing up than most QBs could firmly planted in the pocket. The only QB I have ever seen who had as quick a release as Joe was Dan Marino. I believe that Joe would tell you that Coach Bryant's influence and discipline made him what he is.
 

Sagamore Bill

1st Team
Sep 1, 2010
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I DVR'd this show a couple of weeks ago and have kept it. My favorite part was when they talked about how you could hear when the football had been releases.

Joe Namath is truly one of a kind. It's a very human story and highly recommended.
I remember the Super Bowl. After the game Joe was on the Tonight Show w/ Johnny Carson. They went to the Jets' practice field, Joe and Carson playing catch... At a point Carson said "Joe, throw it like it was a real game!" Don't know how true it was, but Carson later claimed he had cracked some ribs catching the pass.
 

Crimson1967

Hall of Fame
Nov 22, 2011
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To this day I think Joe had the greatest arm I've ever seen. Most of y'all need to consider that you've probably never seen him throw a pass with two good legs under him. He played all those years in that wind tunnel called Shea Stadium basically throwing the ball with his arm only and in a vertical passing offense at that. There's very few QB's ever that could have even took that Jets team to the play-offs, never mind winning the SB.

Joe Montana certainly could not have, not enough arm.
Candlestick Park was known for being very windy and Montana seemed to handle it.
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
Staff member
Oct 13, 1999
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Huntsville, AL,USA
"I like my women blonde, and my Johnny Walker red". Glued myself to the TV last night and agree with the comments above. Joe was an Elvis like rock star and I remember as a kid thinking this guy is way different. What a class act and humble guy who is honest about his past. I wonder if asked - would he do anything different what the answer would be?
Honestly though I had forgotten, or never knew just how bad his knees were...and other body parts. If he had been reasonably healthy no telling...........
His knee surgeries were done in a time when the incision was about a foot or so long and they put you in a cast from ankle to groin for six months...
 

TIDE-HSV

Senior Administrator
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For those who haven't seen Joe playing in crimson pre-knee injury, the Paul Bryant Museum gives us these highlights. CLICK
Thanks for the link. I don't know how I could have forgotten what he could do with the ball - and his legs. Undoubtedly, the best QB I ever saw play, pre-knee injuries...
 

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