Joe Namath Biography and Throwback Jerseys

 Joe Namath Biography

When Joe Namath arrived on the national scene, he was the first of the "new breed" of athlete.  He was talented, confident and eager to let people know it.  Gone was yesterday's football hero, the "gentle giant." Here was Joe Namath, glitz, flash and eccentric.  With Joe's good looks and charm, it wasn't long before he gained notoriety off the field as well as on.

Sporting long hair and dating movie stars, Namath showed up on magazine covers and television talk shows. His popularity soon transcended the sport.  "Broadway Joe" had become one of the first celebrities in sports.

At first, the old timers balked at the way Joe Namath presented himself. His expensive fur coats, flashy white cleats and his six figure paycheck he had signed with the Jets (400,000) didn't sit well with them. Eventually, people came to admire his ability to read defenses, throw quickly and accurately and endure the punishment of playing quarterback.  Even with all the hoopla, Joe Namath never lost sight of his primary objective, which was to be the very best he could be. The Jets, went on to win the Super Bowl in 1969.

When Joe Namath retired in 1977, after 13 seasons, 27,663 yards and 173 touchdowns, the game was irrevocably different, and much of that was attributed to Broadway Joe. Football and its players had attained a new celebrity status.

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Joe Namath New York Jets NFL Football Jerseys from the 1968, and 1969 Super Bowl Season

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Steve Largent NFL Biography - Jersey

 Steve Largent NFL Biography

Throughout Steve Largent's football career he shredded defenses with such efficiency that defenses often muttered that he should have to play with only one hand. It probably wouldn't have mattered because he could have beat most defenders with one arm tied behind his back.

In 1989, if he would have been allowed to, Steve Largent might have done just that. In the Seattle Seahawks's season opener, he went up for a ball and landed on his arm, breaking his right elbow. Teammates were shocked when he trotted back out on to the field just a few days later. Largent started running routes and catching passes one handed although he had to miss the next six starts. He still prepared for each game as if he was going to be playing every snap on offense!

Largent always refused to back down from a challenge. In a 1988 game against the Denver Broncos, the Broncos' Mike Harden hit Largent with a vicious forearm that chipped the receivers's teeth and knocked him unconscious. The next time the two teams met, Hardenintercepted a pass and was promptly slammed into the turf by Largent. Teammates say it was one of the Seahawks hardest hits of the year.

Steve Largent was always striving to improve his game. He would catch over 200 footballs a day, even throughout the offseason. He approached receiving like a science, analyzing defenses to capitalize on their weaknesses. On game day, he ran his pass routes with surgical like precision, exploiting gaps in the zone.

Hardworking and dedicated to his craft, Largent only missed 10 games due to injury during his 14 NFL seasons. When he retired he was regarded as one of the best receivers in the history of the NFL.

Steve Largent Biography Timeline

• Born : September 28, 1954 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

• Age 6: Raised by his mother after parents divorced.

• Age 17 : Leads his high school baseball team in stolen bases and bats .333 on the way to winning the state title. Accepts football scholarship to Tulsa.

• Age 20 : Leads the NCAA with 14 touchdown catches.

• Age 22 : Drafted in the 10th round by the Houston Oilers, and was then traded to the Seattle Seahawks.

• 1976 : Catches 54 passes as a rookie

• 1979 : Leads NFL with 1,237 yards as a receiver

• 1988 : Breaks NFL record for most career receivving yards

• 1989 : Catches 100th touchdown pass in his final season

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Dick Butkus Biography - Throwback Jerseys - Chicago Bears

Dick Butkus Biography

Chicago Bears Legendary Linebacker

Besides setting new standards for brutality on a football field, Dick Butkus was striking fear into all of his opponents. Dick Butkus was the fastest man on the blitz, his lateral movement was unparalleled and he could drop back into pass protection better than any other linebacker. In 1970, when football coaches were asked which player they would most want on their team, Butkus was a near unanimous choice.

Was he the best defensive player ever? This will be argued until the end of time. Lawrence Taylor fans will argue otherwise, as well as many other Hall of Famers. However, there are a few things that set Butkus apart from any other potential candidate.  First, the talent gap between himself and his contemporaries was as wide as the Grand Canyon. There was not any one aspect of his game that any linebacker in the 1960's could touch.

The second factor that set Dick Butkus apart was his approach.  No one had ever played the game of football like him, and no one has played it with such venom since.  He was like a tornado that blasted through the league, leaving unspeakable destruction in its path.  He stomped around the field, making inhuman noises that scared opponents and teammates alike.  He tried to hurt every player with whom he came in contact with. Butkus taunted his victims throughout the game.

The NFL officials didn't have a clue on how to deal with Butkus.  He ignored whistles, continuing to twist and tear at a ball carrier's body long after a play had been blown dead (How many fines would he receive today?). He shouted to confuse opposing centers and routinely spit on linemen to make them move and draw the flag. He specialized in smothering a downed opponent and wrenching the ball out of his arms.

Even after a play was apparently over, Butkus would emerge with the ball and jam the ball in the referee's face and shout that it was a fumble and that it was a clean recovery.  Every so often the intimidation tactic would work, and the Chicago Bears offense would march onto the field.  Teammates estimated that he pulled off that trick an average of eight or nine times a year!

Was Dick Butkus the best defensive player ever? Maybe. Was he the most intimidating? Without a doubt!

Dick Butkus Biography Timeline

• Born : December 9th, 1942
• Age 7 : Announces he'll play for the Chicago Bears when he gets older
• Age 14 : Enrolls in Chicago Vocational High School. Was a standout fullback on one of Chicago's toughest teams.
• Age 18 : Accepts scholarship to the University of Illinois.
• Age 21 : All American selection for second time. #3 in the Heisman voting.
• Age 22 : Third pick in the 1965 NFL draft.  Starts at Middle Linebacker for the Chicago Bears.
• 1969 : Demands a trade after the Chicago Bears go 1-13 but then agrees to stay.
• 1972 : Lead Chicago Bears in interceptions.
• 1973 : Scores his only career touchdown. Retires at the end of the season.

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Read More Chicago Bear Biographies

• Walter Payton Biography - Chicago Bears

• Mike Ditka Biography - Chicago Bears

Franco Harris Biography - Throwback Pittsburgh Steelers Jersey

Franco Harris Biography

Franco Harris was the unique kind of football player who saved his best performances for the most critical games.  One of football's legendary "money" players, he seemed to have an internal alarm clock that would ring when his team needed him most.  In 12 years with Pttsburgh, Franco rushed for 100 yards 47 times, and 32 of those games came in the second half of the schedule.  When the Steelers were slugging it out for the final division spot against their rivals, Franco Harris was playing at his best.

How important was Fanco Harris to Pittsburgh? The team had never made it to the playoffs before he arrived in 1972.  In his first season in the NFL, he tore through the league and became only the fifth rookie at the time, ever to run for 1,000 yards.  He quickly became such a crowd favorite, that his devoted fans tarted calling themselves "Franco's Army."

In a frigid 1972 playoff game, Franco Harris delivered one of the most dramatic and memorable moments in football history.  With the Pittsburgh Steelers trailing the favored Oakland Raiders late in the game, Harris snared a deflected Terry Bradshaw pass and sprinted 60 yards for the winning touchdown.  The "Immaculate Reception", as it is now known, was his first clutch playoff moment, but it wouldn't be his last.

Two years later in Pittsburgh's three postseason victories, he rushed for 343 yards and found the end zone six times.  He scored the winning touchdown in two games, including Super Bowl IX.  In that championship game, he bruised the vaunted Minnesota Purple People Eater defense for 158 yards and was named the Most Valuable Player.

During Franco's illustrious career with the Steelers, the big, bearded running back led Pittsburgh to 10 postseason appearances. Four of those playoff runs finshed with Franco Harris and his teammates being sized for Super Bowl rings.  A fitting reward for one of the game's best money players ever.

Franco Harris Biography Timeline

• Born : March 7, 1950 (One of nine children).
• Age 10 : Helps supplement family income by shining shoes and bagging groceries at Fort Dix army base.
• Age 15 : Stars in baseball, basketball, and football at Rancocas Valley High School.
• Age 16 : Leads high school football team to 9-0 record and county championship.
• Age 19 : Enrolls at Penn State.  Named All American honerable mention as a sophomore.
• Age 21 : Scores two touchdowns in college All Star game.  Drafted in first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• 1972 : Fifth rookie to ever rush for 1000 yards. Named NFL Rookie of the Year.
• 1974 : Records second 1000 yard season. Scores 3 TDs in playoff game.
• 1975 : Wins first Super Bowl. Named MVP
• 1980 : Scores two TDs in fourth Super Bowl victory.  Reaches 9,000 career rushing mark.

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Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Throwbacks

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Bart Starr Biography - Jerseys - Packers

Bart Star Biography - Green Bay Packers

Collection of NFL Football Biographies

When Bart Starr showed up at the Green Bay Packers' training camp as a rookie in 1956, he was given every indication that his stay would be a short one.  One of five quarterbacks vying for a spong on the team, the 17th round pick was give #42, a jersey number usually given to a defensive player. bart Starr impressed the coaches with the accuracy of his throws, that he found himself with a job as the teams backup quarterback. He also was issued a new number that was better suited for a quarterback (#15).

The next three seasons were difficult for Bart Starr.  Seeing only spot duty, he never developed a rhythm, and he struggled badly in his limited opportunities.  Starr's luck changed in 1959.  After five straight losses with Lamar McHan calling the signams, the team's new coach, Vince Lombardi handed the GB Packer offense to Starr with one stipulation....just WIN! That is just what he did.  Under Vince Lombardi, Starr's on field intelligence and increased confidence took the Packers to a 7-5 season, the team's first winning record in 12 years.  Buoyed by success, Bart Starr led Green Bay on an unprecendented streak, winning 61 of 80 games and three NFL title from 1960 to 1965.

In 1966, Starr's emergence as the league's top passer spurred the Packers to the NFL's best record.  Facing the Dallas Cowboys for the championship, Starr passed for 304 yards and four touchdowns in a dramatic 34-17 win.  The Packers then met the AFL Kansas City Chiefs in the first Super Bowl ever. Once again, Bart Starr was brilliant, hitting 70 percent of his throws and passing for 2 touchdowns.  He was named MVP in Green Bay's 35-10 victory.

Today, Starr's jersey hangs in the Hall of Fame, and when fans think of historic quarterbacks prior to Brett Favre, #15 (and not 42) comes to mind.

Bart Starr Timeline Biography

• Born : Jan 9, 1934
• Age 7 : Learns discipline from father, who was a sergeant in the Army.
• Age 13 : Brother dies at age 11
• Age 17 : All American quarterback at Sidney Lanier High School
• Age 18 : Accepts scholarship to University of Alabama (Crimson Tide)
• Age 21 : Earns academic all SEC honors.
• Age 22 : Drafted in 17th round by Green Bay Packers
• 1956 : Comes off bench to pass for two touchdowns in his rookie year.
• 1962 : Leads the NFL with 62.5 completion rate.
• 1967 : Scores winning TD in NFL Championship game. Named MVP of first Super Bowl.
• 1968 : Passes for 202 yards to capture second Super Bowl MVP award.

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