All the Way: Football, Fame, and Redemption

by Joe Namath, Joe Namath (Read by), Sean Mortimer (With), Don Yaeger (With)

Overview

The NFL icon who first brought show business to sports shares his life lessons on fame, fatherhood, and football.

Three days before the 1969 Super Bowl, Joe Namath promised the nation that he would lead the New York Jets to an 18-point underdog victory against the seemingly invincible Baltimore Colts. When the final whistle blew, that promise had been kept.

Namath was instantly heralded as a gridiron god, while his rugged good looks, progressive views on race, and boyish charm quickly transformed him - in an era of raucous rebellion, shifting social norms, and political upheaval - into both a bona fide celebrity and a symbol of the commercialization of pro sports. By 26, with a championship title under his belt, he was quite simply the most famous athlete alive.

Although his legacy has long been cemented in the history books, beneath the eccentric yet charismatic personality was a player plagued by injury and addiction, both sex and substance. When failing knees permanently derailed his career, he turned to Hollywood and endorsements, not to mention a tumultuous marriage and fleeting bouts of sobriety, to try and find purpose. Now 74, Namath is ready to open up, brilliantly using the four quarters of Super Bowl III as the narrative backbone to a life that was anything but charmed.

As much about football and fame as about addiction, fatherhood, and coming to terms with our own mortality, All the Way finally reveals the man behind the icon.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781549143250
Publisher:	Hachette Audio
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Sales rank:	780,406
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 4.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Joe Namath is a former American football quarterback and Hollywood actor. He played for the New York Jets for most of his professional football career and played his final season with the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Editorial Reviews

"Even casual sports fans will find this an enthralling read. For all his flaws - and the author does not hide them - Namath is a likable and lively raconteur. What's more, his is a remarkable life. He not only beat the Colts, he whooped alcoholism, evolved into a doting grandfather and endures the many side affects of gridiron fame with nary a complaint."—USA Today

"So here we have it: a reflective football icon-76 years old, incredibly-and an elder statesman...he tells a good yarn, guaranteed."—The Wall Street Journal

"As exciting as it is personal."—247Sports

"I have read everything about Namath for years....But this new book is different, better than all of the ones before it in a sense. All the Way: My Life in Four Quarters is told in Namath's words. And those words are powerful and instructive.—Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

"A pleasure for fans who remember way back to Namath's glory days-and an entertainment for those who are new to the gridiron hero."—Kirkus

"Namath is refreshingly candid throughout...[his] razor-sharp recollections bring a bygone era of football to vivid life in this illuminating volume."—Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher

One of the greatest quarterbacks ever, Joe Namath, narrates his own work, and he’s perfect for the dual role of storyteller and narrator. Namath describes his life—growing up in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania; his relationship with the legendary Bear Bryant at the University of Alabama; and his high-profile role with the New York Jets on the field and off. He narrates with an energetic tone; he’s not just reading a script, he’s emphasizing high points along the way. You can hear him chuckling at some points, becoming serious at others. Instead of a chronological approach, he tells his stories—fun anecdotes and serious moments—while he watches the classic 1969 Super Bowl. His voice has joie de vivre, and that’s a pleasure to listen to. M.B. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

MAY 2019 - AudioFile

04/08/2019

Namath, quarterback of the 1968 Superbowl III–winning Jets, reflects on his life in this riveting, earnest memoir. Namath explains that he intends to show readers “how I’ve changed, both positively and negatively,” and divides his memoir into four parts, as he recalls each quarter of Super Bowl III, incorporating moments of his private life throughout. For example, as Namath discusses his legendary Super Bowl III “guarantee” to win against the Baltimore Colts, he addresses his struggles with drinking. Namath is refreshingly candid throughout, taking readers through his decision to even write the book (Mortimer and Yaeger expertly bring out Namath’s intimate, conversational tone), and emphasizing his desire to not overlook the darker parts of his life. It’s apparent that he valued his relationship with coach Bear Bryant, for whom he played at the University of Alabama, and uses his quotes as metaphors for life (“You’ll remember the losses quicker than the wins. We’re going to win a lot of games, but the losses will stick in ya’ll’s craws”). Football fans­ will delight in Namath’s play calling throughout (he tells Jets coach Weeb Ewbank on the sideline, “They haven’t scored on our defense yet. I’d rather not throw. I’d like to run”). Namath’s razor-sharp recollections bring a bygone era of football to vivid life in this illuminating volume. (May)

Publishers Weekly

2019-02-28

Hall of Fame quarterback and erstwhile cultural icon Namath (I Can't Wait Until Tomorrow...'Cause I Get Better Looking Every Day, 1970) looks back on a long life of football, fashion, and fun.

Tom Brady may always live with Deflategate hanging over his head, but such shenanigans were the coin of the realm when, half a century ago, Namath was a household word. During one game, he writes, he filed down five thumbtacks and taped them to his fingers to better grip the ball. It was ill-conceived: As he writes, "the ball stuck to the tacks just long enough so the release was too low," and his passes went straight into the turf. "So the tacks didn't work," he adds, with characteristic amiability, "but hey, in the days before playing gloves, the idea was worth a try." Both all-out star and team player, Namath has much to say on the inspirational front about trying, getting smacked down and dusting yourself off, and the usual sports stuff. He also discusses the N-word, divorce, booze, adultery, and other off-field violations of decor, taste, and ethics, and he has a very long memory for past injuries and insults as well as triumphs: "Oakland was real good, but certainly had some players who completely disregarded the rules of decent sportsmanship"; "This victory, the biggest upset in professional football championship history, was for all underdogs to be shared by all the underdogs." Though he professes to hate writing, calling himself a "reluctant author" who'd much rather be outside playing, he's got a handle on the storytelling racket. If it's not especially literary, it's good fun, with Burt Reynolds, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, and other assorted luminaries joining in. And if you want to know how his college coach, Bear Bryant, came by his nickname, Broadway Joe is the go-to guy.

A pleasure for fans who remember way back to Namath's glory days—and an entertainment for those who are new to the gridiron hero.

Kirkus Reviews