After my first knee operation, in January of '65 before I went to the Jets, Dr. James Nicholas told me everything went well and that I could probably play four years in the NFL. The surgery was trailblazing to a certain extent.
— Joe Namath
The name of the game is 'kill the quarterback.' Every football team tries to knock the guy out of the game that's handling the ball.
I have no idea what my batting average was in high school, but I know it wasn't below .450, and that's pretty good hitting where I come from.
None of the body was designed to play football. Excuse me, you know, football, we're just not designed for.
I can't compare family to athletics.
I took my time to find the perfect girl.
There's an old saying amongst players in football talking about your general manger and coaches, they speak with a forked tongue.
Something's been guiding me around throughout my life.
I'm always gonna be Joe Namath, and I'm not running from that.
I couldn't do anything I didn't enjoy.
I'd rather go to Vietnam than get married.
I should have been thinking more about my family, how I raised my children, how I maintained life's work, so to speak.
I deal with football from a realistic, logical point of view.
I've figured out that life in general is a team effort; it's a team game.
Of course, in pro ball, they never hit the quarterback in practice.
Times have changed. The athletes have changed.
I'm lucky.
After I hurt the knee, football wasn't nearly as much fun. I was limited. But you make do with what you have. I adjusted some. I was lucky to play as long as I did, with the different kinds of injuries I got. I played with two severed hamstring muscles in my leg late in my career. I could barely run, other than to drop back to pass.
I don't like going out on a date unless I know the broad a little bit beforehand. By the way, 'broad' to me is not a detrimental term for women; it's simply another word for female. Anyway, I don't really go out a whole lot, because there aren't many girls I like to take out and spend a whole evening with - at least not an evening in public.
Until my senior year, baseball and basketball were my best sports; and even when I was a senior, I still wanted to play baseball professionally. But the family wanted me to go to college, and I guess I agreed with them, or else I would have accepted some of the offers I got.
I've been some through some things medically. I've seen some things on my brain. But I've had some treatment - and I've improved.
I have to convince myself I know what I'm doing.
I've tested life and I've learned what works for me.
It feels bad to feel like you're not wanted.
My family's the most important thing in my life.
My ego's not the kind that says, 'I want to be an actor and be accepted as that.'
I don't care what a man is as long as he treats me right. He can be a gambler, a hustler, someone everybody else thinks is obnoxious, I don't care so long as he's straight with me and our dealings are fair.
I don't like to date so much as I just like to kind of, you know, run into somethin', man.
I was a very naive young man, and I may still be ignorant about a lot of things.
Whether it's 18 years old or 40 years old, we think we know what's going on. But if you're lucky enough to continue the journey, its amazing how we keep learning how much we didn't know.
As a football coach, everything in your life comes after your football schedule. I just could not make that commitment.
I was a workhorse; there was never a practice that I didn't enjoy.
I was focused on athletics, outdoors, sports.
We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.
Most of my recognition comes from us winning that championship. The words may not come out - 'Super Bowl III' - because a lot of the folks at the grocery store, gas station or mall weren't even born when we won the Super Bowl. But they're aware of it. It has had a tremendous impact on my life since then.
I think I could have become an outstanding professional baseball player, but I don't think I could have reached the heights that I have in football - being one of the very top players in the game, being a world champion.
Pressure just makes you go a little more. I kind of like pressure.
I am a football fan, yeah.
I've always said I'm going to get married only once.
There are some things you only learn through experience.
I think there's always going to be a problem dealing with firearms, with knives. It's the animal we are that cause the problems.
I like music and I like ladies. I like to see them dance.
Where I came from, sports were the only way to get out front.
I believe in letting a guy live the way he wants to if he doesn't hurt anyone.
How you recover from what life's throwing at you is what matters.
My philosophy in life, where I was trying to get, could have been a little bit different.
I was lucky enough when it came to sports and work ethic to be taught some basics that continue to be important.
Johnny Unitas was my hero.
I don't think that I've ever been a backup.
I was born with the gift.
