Joseph William "Joe" Namath (/ˈneɪmɨθ/; born May 31, 1943), nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie",is a former American football quarterback and actor. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant from 1962 to 1964, and professional football in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL) during the 1960s and 1970s.