Rough Start for Freeway Joe

Can that refugee from Broadway do a Tittle?

When he slipped quietly out of New York last May, he was, at 34, an aging wreck who couldn't even ramble, a gimpy-kneed quarterback who had been literally buried by tacklers for two successive 3-11 seasons with the hapless New York Jets. Joe Willie Namath's departure for the Los Angeles Rams as a waived free agent was the exit not of a sun-kissed superstar, but of a tarnished jewel. The glory of the 1969 Super Bowl victory and his Broadway Joe image could still sell popcorn makers and aftershave lotion, but there was doubt that his near immobile legs--after five knee operations--could hold up for another year. Even his rifle arm seemed to be weakening: last season Namath fell to 26th place among N.F.L. passers in cumulative statistics.

But Rams Owner Carroll Rosenbloom and his shrewd general manager, Don Klosterman, felt Namath was worth a gamble. After all, the Los Angeles team had won the Western Division title for four straight years--with four different quarterbacks--only to get knocked off each time in the playoffs. Pat Haden, the baby-faced Rhodes scholar, performed inconsistently as last year's starter. So Namath, who was available for $150,000 a year--a pittance compared with the $450,000 he got at the Jets--seemed well worth a try. Joked Rosenbloom: "If we don't get to the Super Bowl this year, he'll really have bad knees."

Namath, for his part, was delighted to be with the powerful Rams. Unlike the Jets, they offered both talented running backs and a veteran offensive line that could assure him of time to throw. Said he: "There's a great deal of difference knowing your guys are better than the other guys. These Rams give a passer confidence as well as time." As for the Rams, they seemed to feel that Joe's swaggering self-confidence was something that might rub off on them, like his aftershave lotion. Said Linebacker Isiah Robertson, who as one of the few bachelors in the club has become Namath's closest teammate: "He knows he's a winner."

Rosenbloom took special care to see that his investment in Namath would pay off. At summer training camp, the Rams' doctor persuaded Joe to stop running and take up swimming, a radical regimen for football. The aim was to expand his cardiovascular endurance without risking his fragile knees. Soon Namath was doing 1,600 yards a day in the pool--and becoming known among his teammates as "Tarzan" or "Spitz." Namath did not seem to mind: "I can't say swimming is better than other exercises, but I know I feel as strong as I ever did."

Off the field, Namath's transition from Broadway to Freeway Joe was simpler. He lives in a rented house in fashionable Belmont Shores. By night, he is apt to turn up at local Los Angeles area watering holes like Charley Brown's in Huntington Beach. Robertson, who often joins him in these excursions, testifies to Joe Willie's continuing ability to attract followers "like fleas."

But there was some question about his ability to nail down the job of No. 1 quarterback at the Rams. During the exhibition season, he failed to impress. In fact, he was booed, and with reason: alternating with Haden in six games he got sacked eleven times and completed only 23 of 52 passes, with four intercepted.

Yet in fairness, some of Namath's teammates seemed to be just going through the motions--that is, playing like Joe's old Jets. In the opening game of the regular season against a weak Atlanta team, Starter Namath fired the ball with authority, completing 15 of 30 passes with no interceptions. But the Rams were still upset 17-6. "I thought Joe played well," said Klosterman, considering the fact that "he can't play defense; he can't run the ball." Added Defensive End Fred Dryer: "He does everything he can. He wants it more than anybody else here."

There should be no rush to judgment when the jury is a long season. Namath was expected to provide leadership, but has been hampered by not being allowed to call his own plays; Rams Coach Chuck Knox prefers to send them in from the sidelines. Moreover, with a brace on each leg and his right knee packed in ice after each game, can Namath be durable enough to last the year? San Francisco 49ers General Manager Joe Thomas believes the Rams will use Namath "judiciously, in situations where he can do well for a short time. I don't think his legs can hold up through a 14-game season."

Namath understands the pressure on him. Says he: "The fans and the coaches usually are patient with a rookie quarterback, but this is different. This is more of a strain than anything I've ever encountered. I've got so much desire, so much pride. Some people don't think I can play any more, but they're wrong, and I'm going to prove them wrong."

He might. After all, in 1961 the experts said another slow-footed quarterback was through at 34. His name was Y.A. Tittle, and he left the 49ers to take the New York Giants to three N.F.L. championship games in a row. At this point, Joe Willie would settle for one.

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