Lot # 13: 1965 Topps Football #122 Joe Namath Rookie BVG NM-MT+ 8.5

Graded NM-MT+ 8.5 by BVG. Exceptional world-class example of one of football-card collecting's great classics. This is an extremely desirable high-grade rookie card of "Broadway" Joe Namath from the very popular and condition-sensitive 1965 Topps "Tall Boys" football series. The offered example displays bright colors, superb image quality, strong corners, and a clean reverse. It takes a certain type of athlete to guarantee victory. An even more select group is composed of those who have made good on their victory guarantee. Perhaps none of these athletes was as confident, exciting, successful, and outstanding as Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath. His New York Jets, the AFL champions, were 19-1/2 point underdogs to the NFL champion Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, and yet "Broadway" Joe guaranteed a Jets victory. Sure enough, he vindicated himself by leading his Jets to a 16-7 win, paving the way for the AFL-NFL merger by essentially legitimizing the AFL in the eyes of its critics. His legend was assured. This is a remarkable example of Namath's rookie card, which is both the key card from the 1965 Topps football set and one of the all-time most popular and classic football cards.