![]() In 2015, the six quarterbacks were honored as a group in Pittsburgh. Of the 26 quarterbacks currently enshrined in Canton, Ohio, six are from Western Pennsylvania: Namath (Beaver Falls, Pa.), George Blanda (Youngwood, Pa.), Johnny Unitas (Pittsburgh), Joe Montana (New Eagle, Pa.), Dan Marino (Pittsburgh) and Jim Kelly (Pittsburgh/East Brady, Pa.). One of them involves an eye-popping fact from Namath's crowing achievement, one that Namath himself didn't know until decades later. In light of his 78th birthday, we decided to take a look at five fast facts about Namath that you might not know. Namath's play that day was one of the main reasons why his career was immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After the Jets had finished their 16-7 victory, Namath further etched his name in pro football lore by pointing his index finger to the sky as he danced off of the Orange Bowl turf. The Jets defense also played a key role in the upset, forcing five turnovers that included three interceptions of quarterback Earl Morrall, the NFL's MVP that season. Namath, who declared that the 18-point underdog Jets would defeat the mighty Colts in Super Bowl III, backed it up by leading a Jets offense that befuddled Baltimore's mighty defense. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() But after he and his team cashed in on his Super Bowl guarantee, Broadway Joe, for a brief moment in time, was arguably the most famous man on the planet. Joe Namath was already a household name upon delivering the greatest guarantee in professional sports history. ![]()
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