Joe Namath was a legend of the gridiron. Born and raised in Beaver Falls, PA, outside of Pittsburgh, "Joe Willie" starred for the University of Alabama before joining the Jets and adopting an even cooler nickname, "Broadway Joe", for his cool demeanor and flashy sense of style on and off the field. His talent and charisma have made him one of the most popular celebrities of our time. But what we will remember most about Joe is the cocky, young signal-caller who famously guaranteed victory in Super Bowl III and backed it up. On January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Namath engineered what is widely considered the greatest upset in football history, leading the AFL's New York Jets over the heavily favored Baltimore Colts of the NFL by the score of 16-7.
Presented here is an official AFL (Pete Rozelle) Spalding football used in a September 14, 1969 game (opening weekend) between the Boston Patriots and Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. The included letter of provenance explains how the consignor's father, a longtime Broncos season-ticket holder, was able to corral the ball in the stands after a touchdown. A week later, Joe's Jets came to town to take on the Broncos and our consignor went to the visiting team's hotel to get the ball autographed by Namath (who graciously obliged with a towel around his waist, no less!).
The football alone is a classic game-used collectible from early in the Super Bowl era, but the fact that Broadway Joe inked it a mere eight months after his Super Bowl triumph makes it truly special. Signed "Good Luck - Joe Willie Namath #12" in immaculate 10/10 bold black marker, the ball itself shows outstanding evidence of game use and remains very well-preserved, fully-inflated and ready to display proudly. Includes COA from PSA/DNA for the autograph and the aforementioned letter of provenance from the consignor.