Joe Namath: ‘No One Has Ever Played the Game Better Than Tom Brady’

SI Staff | Feb 13, 2015

Joe Namath: ‘No One Has Ever Played the Game Better Than Tom Brady’

On the Jets sideline, 1967. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

On the Jets sideline, 1967. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

On the run for the Crimson Tide, vs. Georgia, 1963. (Jay Leviton/Atlanta Inc/Sports Illustrated)

On the run for the Crimson Tide, vs. Georgia, 1963. (Jay Leviton/Atlanta Inc/Sports Illustrated)

Warming up before the 1965 Orange Bowl. (AP)

Warming up before the 1965 Orange Bowl. (AP)

With Bear Bryant after losing to Texas in the ’65 Orange Bowl. (AP)

With Bear Bryant after losing to Texas in the ’65 Orange Bowl. (AP)

“The body was simply not designed to be treated the way it is treated on a football field.” Namath against the Raiders in the 1968 AFL title game. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

“The body was simply not designed to be treated the way it is treated on a football field.” Namath against the Raiders in the 1968 AFL title game. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

Poolside in Miami before Super Bowl III. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

Poolside in Miami before Super Bowl III. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

Namath at Shea Stadium in 1969. (Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated)

Namath at Shea Stadium in 1969. (Neil Leifer /Sports Illustrated)

Injured in Denver, 1969. (Carl Iwasaki/Sports Illustrated)

Injured in Denver, 1969. (Carl Iwasaki/Sports Illustrated)

With Howard Cosell, 1970. (Getty Images)

With Howard Cosell, 1970. (Getty Images)

Namath and Jets coach Weeb Ewbank, 1971. (Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated)

Namath and Jets coach Weeb Ewbank, 1971. (Neil Leifer/Sports Illustrated)

With Raquel Welch at the Oscars, 1972. (Getty Images)

With Raquel Welch at the Oscars, 1972. (Getty Images)

A postgame escort, 1972. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

A postgame escort, 1972. (Walter Iooss Jr./Sports Illustrated)

On the set of “The Brady Bunch,” 1973. (ABC/Getty Images)

On the set of “The Brady Bunch,” 1973. (ABC/Getty Images)

Captured in stop-motion, 1973. (John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated)

Captured in stop-motion, 1973. (John G. Zimmerman/Sports Illustrated)

As a Ram, briefly, 1977. (Robert Riger/Getty Images)

As a Ram, briefly, 1977. (Robert Riger/Getty Images)

Noxzema ad with Farrah Fawcett, 1981. (Getty Images)

Noxzema ad with Farrah Fawcett, 1981. (Getty Images)

With Frank Gifford and O.J. Simpson on Monday Night Football, 1985. (Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated)

With Frank Gifford and O.J. Simpson on Monday Night Football, 1985. (Mickey Pfleger/Sports Illustrated)

With daughter Olivia in 1997. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated)

With daughter Olivia in 1997. (Damian Strohmeyer/Sports Illustrated)

Appearing in a production of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” 1997. (Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated)

Appearing in a production of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” 1997. (Manny Millan/Sports Illustrated)

At Super Bowl 48, with daughter Jessica. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)

At Super Bowl 48, with daughter Jessica. (John W. McDonough/Sports Illustrated)

At the NFL Honors event, Super Bowl 49. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)

At the NFL Honors event, Super Bowl 49. (Taylor Hill/Getty Images)