When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.
Joe Namath
If you aren't going all the way, why go at all?
You learn how to be a gracious winner and an outstanding loser.
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.
When you win, nothing hurts.
I've figured out that life in general is a team effort; it's a team game.
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.
Till I was 13, I thought my name was 'Shut Up.'
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.
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.
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.
How you recover from what life's throwing at you is what matters.
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.
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'm lucky.
I was born with the gift.
None of the body was designed to play football. Excuse me, you know, football, we're just not designed for.
We're going to win Sunday. I guarantee it.
I was a very naive young man, and I may still be ignorant about a lot of things.
What I do is prepare myself until I know I can do what I have to do.
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 was lucky enough when it came to sports and work ethic to be taught some basics that continue to be important.
Of course, in pro ball, they never hit the quarterback in practice.
I couldn't do anything I didn't enjoy.
I was focused on athletics, outdoors, sports.
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've always said I'm going to get married only once.
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.
I was a workhorse; there was never a practice that I didn't enjoy.
First, I prepare. Then I have faith.
There's an old saying amongst players in football talking about your general manger and coaches, they speak with a forked tongue.
Something's been guiding me around throughout my life.
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.
I deal with football from a realistic, logical point of view.
My ego's not the kind that says, 'I want to be an actor and be accepted as that.'
I like music and I like ladies. I like to see them dance.
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.
I'm always gonna be Joe Namath, and I'm not running from that.
There are some things you only learn through experience.
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.
It feels bad to feel like you're not wanted.
I don't like to date so much as I just like to kind of, you know, run into somethin', man.
My family's the most important thing in my life.
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.
I'd rather go to Vietnam than get married.
I believe in letting a guy live the way he wants to if he doesn't hurt anyone.
As a football coach, everything in your life comes after your football schedule. I just could not make that commitment.
Times have changed. The athletes have changed.
I don't think that I've ever been a backup.
