Joe Namath quotes:

Until my senior year, baseball and basketball were my best sports; and even when I was a senior, I still wanted to play baseball professionally. But the family wanted me to go to college, and I guess I agreed with them, or else I would have accepted some of the offers I got.

After I hurt the knee, football wasn't nearly as much fun. I was limited. But you make do with what you have. I adjusted some. I was lucky to play as long as I did, with the different kinds of injuries I got. I played with two severed hamstring muscles in my leg late in my career. I could barely run, other than to drop back to pass.

You learn how to be a gracious winner and an outstanding loser.

I think I could have become an outstanding professional baseball player, but I don't think I could have reached the heights that I have in football - being one of the very top players in the game, being a world champion.

After my first knee operation, in January of '65 before I went to the Jets, Dr. James Nicholas told me everything went well and that I could probably play four years in the NFL. The surgery was trailblazing to a certain extent.

First, I prepare. Then I have faith.

I've figured out that life in general is a team effort; it's a team game.

My family's the most important thing in my life.

My philosophy in life, where I was trying to get, could have been a little bit different.

I have no idea what my batting average was in high school, but I know it wasn't below .450, and that's pretty good hitting where I come from.

There's an old saying amongst players in football talking about your general manger and coaches, they speak with a forked tongue.

As a football coach, everything in your life comes after your football schedule. I just could not make that commitment.

I've tested life and I've learned what works for me.

None of the body was designed to play football. Excuse me, you know, football, we're just not designed for.

Times have changed. The athletes have changed.

I took my time to find the perfect girl.

I wanna kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggling. What we know is we can improve. Chad Pennington, our quarterback, missed the first part of the season, and we struggled. We're looking to next season. We're looking to make a noise now, and I wanna kiss you!

Whether it's 18 years old or 40 years old, we think we know what's going on. But if you're lucky enough to continue the journey, its amazing how we keep learning how much we didn't know.

I was a very naive young man, and I may still be ignorant about a lot of things.

I've been some through some things medically. I've seen some things on my brain. But I've had some treatment - and I've improved.

I should have been thinking more about my family, how I raised my children, how I maintained life's work, so to speak.

I am a football fan, yeah.

I was focused on athletics, outdoors, sports.

The name of the game is 'kill the quarterback.' Every football team tries to knock the guy out of the game that's handling the ball.

I've got news for you. We're gonna win the game. I guarantee it.

I like music and I like ladies. I like to see them dance.

I've always said I'm going to get married only once.

It feels bad to feel like you're not wanted.

To be a leader, you have to make people want to follow you, and nobody wants to follow someone who doesn't know where he is going.

When you win, nothing hurts.

When we won the league championship, all the married guys on the club had to thank their wives for putting up with all the stress and strain all season. I had to thank all the single broads in New York.

Football is a team game. So is life.

When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.

I love football. I really love football, As far as I'm concerned, it's the second best thing in the world.

We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.

I don't care what a man is as long as he treats me right. He can be a gambler, a hustler, someone everybody else thinks is obnoxious, I don't care so long as he's straight with me and our dealings are fair.

I don't think that I've ever been a backup.

I was lucky enough when it came to sports and work ethic to be taught some basics that continue to be important.

I don't like going out on a date unless I know the broad a little bit beforehand. By the way, 'broad' to me is not a detrimental term for women; it's simply another word for female. Anyway, I don't really go out a whole lot, because there aren't many girls I like to take out and spend a whole evening with - at least not an evening in public.

I think there's always going to be a problem dealing with firearms, with knives. It's the animal we are that cause the problems.

Most of my recognition comes from us winning that championship. The words may not come out - 'Super Bowl III' - because a lot of the folks at the grocery store, gas station or mall weren't even born when we won the Super Bowl. But they're aware of it. It has had a tremendous impact on my life since then.

Pressure just makes you go a little more. I kind of like pressure.

If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?

Football is an honest game. It's true to life. It's a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life.

You learn you can do your best even when its hard, even when you're tired and maybe hurting a little bit. It feels good to show some courage.

I don't know whether I prefer Astroturf to grass. I never smoked Astroturf.

I can't wait until tomorrow 'cause I get better looking every day.

It's not how you fall that counts.. It's how you get up

To win, you have to lose, and then get pissed off.

I was born with the gift.

I think that at some point in your life you realize you don't have to worry if you do everything you're supposed to do right. Or if not right, if you do it the best you can... what can worry do for you? You are already doing the best you can.

What I do is prepare myself until I know I can do what I have to do.

Till I was 13, I thought my name was 'Shut Up.'

I couldn't do anything I didn't enjoy.

I have to convince myself I know what I'm doing.

The reality of it, excuse me, is when you're in the public they already have a perception of you, ... And that can be a little awkward.

I believe in letting a guy live the way he wants to if he doesn't hurt anyone.

I was a workhorse; there was never a practice that I didn't enjoy.

I'd rather go to Vietnam than get married.

My ego's not the kind that says, 'I want to be an actor and be accepted as that.

I spent the nights before the Jets' two biggest games last year-for the AFL championship and the Super Bowl-with girls. But I don't consider that bad or foolish of me. ... The night before a game, I prepare myself both mentally and physically for the next day. I think a ballplayer has to be relaxed to play well; and if that involves being with a girl that night, he should do it.

Where I came from, sports were the only way to get out front.

Something's been guiding me around throughout my life.

I'm always gonna be Joe Namath, and I'm not running from that.

There are some things you only learn through experience.

It feels good to show some courage.

I deal with football from a realistic, logical point of view.

I can't compare family to athletics.

How you recover from what life's throwing at you is what matters.

I don't like to date so much as I just like to kind of, you know, run into somethin', man.

Nobody wants to follow somebody who doesn't know where he's going.

Things change when you have children; your priorities change.

The game is choreographed; it is mental, it is physical, it is a battle. People can feel those hits when they are in the stadium, you feel them and you see the velocity of the players.

I wanna kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggling.

I wanna kiss you. I couldn't care less about the team struggguulliing...We're looking to make a noise now and ... I wanna kiss you!

Of course, in pro ball, they never hit the quarterback in practice.

Johnny Unitas was my hero.