I’m a pro football fan going back to 1973. I really enjoyed your story in U.S. 1 (Richard K. Rein, January 30).
Joe Namath is an interesting character. His career lasted from 1965 to 1977. His stats are not that impressive: total yards passed 27,663, 173 touchdown passes, and 220 interceptions. He was the first quarterback in NFL-AFL history to pass for 4,000 yards in a season — 4,007 in 1967. He also had a rocket right arm and a quick release.
I recall, as a childhood fan, his being injured more than he played. Joe Namath, like Muhammad Ali, was bigger than the sport he played. He was loaded with charm and charisma and had a swagger and cockiness about him. His big moment was being named Super Bowl III MVP; really running back Matt Snell was a more deserving candidate.
Keep up the great work and keep the stories coming.
— Frank Reading
Editor’s Note: En route to his sixth Super Bowl title, Tom Brady completed 21 of 35 passes for 262 yards with one interception and no touchdowns in the New England Patriots’ 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The game set a record as the lowest-scoring Super Bowl.
In 1969 Joe Namath was named the MVP of Super Bowl III despite not throwing single touchdown pass. In Super Bowl LIII the MVP was the Patriots’ Julian Edelman, a wide receiver.
