Joe Namath

 The son of a steel worker who was from Beaver Falls, Pa., Joseph William Namath (Joe Willie) was born into the long-standing tradition of football that exists in Pennsylvania. After playing for Paul 'Bear' Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide teams in the 1960s, Namath was drafted by both the National Football League's (NFL) St. Louis Cardinals and the rival American Football League's (AFL) New York Jets in 1965. Namath is an athletic and flamboyant player in the college, signed with the Jets for a then-record $450,000. He also gave the new, struggling AFL instant credibility in its war with the NFL. While he couldn't transform the Jets into instant winners, he did boost their fortunes his first three years during his time in the league. Namath kept his word to be among the most exciting players on the AFL by becoming the first quarterback to pass more than 4,000 yards in the history of football. Namath was also a well-liked player in the off-field. He was especially in love with New York's nightlife, and loved spending time with the ladies. In consequence Namath was nicknamed "Broadway Joe" by the New York press. Namath gained his legend with not just his performances and his words, but also his manner of speaking. Namath was fed up with the negative press that surrounded the team and himself and he frankly favored the NFL champion Baltimore Colts. He boldly predicted victory for the Jets and declared that he was the primary culprit. Namath also demonstrated his grit by negotiating his way from an escalating situation with Colts' Defensive Tackle, Lou Michaels. Namath and his teammate were discussing in a restaurant about the ways in which the Jets were better than the Colts.