Super Bowl III between the New York Jets and Baltimore Colts is probably the most prominent Super Bowl in the history of this great game. Every football fan remembers the story of how Joe Namath affirmed his New York Jets would beat the heavily favored Baltimore Colts in an appearance before the Miami Touchdown Club. Such a pronouncement was almost without precedent in American sports, especially because the speaker represented a team that was judged an 18 to 23 point underdog against the powerful Baltimore Colts, who had been beaten only once, by Cleveland, 30-20, in the 1968 regular season before defeating Minnesota, 24-14, and Cleveland, 34-0, in the National Football League (NFL) playoffs. By contrast, the New York Jets lost to Buffalo, Denver and Oakland in the regular season before defeating Oakland, 27-23, for the AFL championship. By contrast, the New York Jets lost to Buffalo, Denver and Oakland in the regular season before defeating Oakland, 27-23, for the AFL championship. Joe Namath was not finished with the war of words.

In the days to follow he bad mouthed many Baltimore Colts players, including quarterback Earl Morrall. Joe Namath said, "I study quarterbacks," "I assure you the Baltimore Colts have never had to play against quarterbacks like we have in the American Football League." Baltimore Colts' defensive end Billy Ray Smith was more then happy to indulge in Joe Namaths' war of words and said, "He hasn't seen defenses like ours in his league. Our defenses are as complicated as some teams' offenses." Indignation among the Colts was instant. "How can Namath rap Earl?" wondered Don Shula, Baltimore Colts head coach. "Earl is No. 1 in the National Football League . He's thrown all those touchdown passes (28). He's thrown for a great percentage of completions without using those dinky flare passes. We're proud of him. But I guess Namath can say whatever he pleases." New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath had assured victory three days before Super Sunday, then went out and guided the American Football League to it's first Super Bowl victory over the Baltimore Colts team that had lost only once in sixteen games all season having one of the most potent attacks in the League. The Baltimore Colts did not really take the New York Jets seriously, it hit them when the Jets drove 80 yards in the first quarter to take a 7-0 lead and then proceeded to intercept Morrall three times, the Colts knew they were in for a fight. Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula's halftime speech said it all, "We're making stupid mistakes, we're stopping ourselves.

You've got them believing in themselves. You've got them believing that they're better than we are." Two more field goals in the third quarter made the score 13-0 in favor of the New York Jets, and another one as the fourth quarter began put the mighty Baltimore Colts down by three scores. The Colts did manage to put the ball across the goal line, but it was not enough as the New York Jets pulled off one of the biggest triumphs' in sports history, 16-7. The New York Jets had 337 total yards, including 121 rushing yards by Matt Snell. Joe Namath was awarded the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for completing 17 of 28 passes for 206 yards and directed a steady attack that dominated the National Football League Champions, after the New York Jets' defense had intercepted Colts quarterback Earl Morrall three times in the first half. Johnny Unitas, who had missed most of the season with a sore elbow, came off the bench and led Baltimore Colts to its only touchdown late in the fourth quarter after New York Jets led 16-0. The day Joe Namath became an acquisition of the New York Jets, richer by $400,000 and a green Lincoln convertible, ex-Alabama All-America Namath gave full rein to his opinions.

A night person, he was a patron of saloons and discotheques, as well known for his white llama rug in his East Side penthouse as for the white low-cut football shoes he wore among black-shod teammates. Wherever night life existed, Joe Namath found it, brightening dialogue with his one liners and expressing views that were always honest, if not quite conventional. Morrall, like Namath, was the Most Valuable Player in his league, but there the similarity ceased. Morrall was 34, Namath 25. A graduate of Michigan State, Morrall was as retiring as Namath was flamboyant. A crew cut, homebody sort, Morrall had played for San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit and the New York Giants before being obtained by the Colts as insurance for perennial quarterback star Johnny Unitas just prior to the start of the 1968 season.