This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/10/2004.
It's hard to appraise how great a football player HOFer Joe Namath was simply by looking at his statistics. Yes, he led the NFL in passing yardage three times (the first to throw for over 4,000 yards in 1967) and yes, he threw for 220 TD passes in his career, five times eclipsing the 20 TD mark. To use a well-worn phrase, "You hadda be there" to fully appreciate the talent of Broadway Joe. On two crippled knees, peddling backwards, Namath could throw darts 40 yards downfield. He justified the AFL/NFL merger when his AFL Champion Jets prevailed in Super Bowl III over the heavily favored NFL Champion Baltimore Colts after Namath "guaranteed" the upset victory. This green dureen home jersey is from the 1968 season, the year Namath passed "Gang Green" into the Super Bowl and onto the promised land. To hold this jersey is to hold football history in your hands. On the crotch piece is the Sand-Knit label with the size, 48. On the back of the shirt is a green nameplate with the name Namath in white tackle twill. The player number 12, appears on the front, back and on each sleeve of the jersey. The numbers on the front and back are made of white tackle twill and the numbers on the sleeve are made of green tackle twill. The jersey shows game-use, appears to have no alterations of any kind. The jersey was exhibited at The National Sports Gallery in Washington, D.C.