Joe Namath, attending a Jets-Texans game last year, The most famous Jet of all is having as much fun these days as he had lying poolside in Miami the week of Super Bowl III.
‘‘I’m so damn excited about Rex Ryan and the way the team has responded to him,’’ Joe Namath told The Star-Ledger Wednesday. ‘‘It really is a wonderful feeling. It’s been a long time since the Jets and their fans have been on this stage. It’s a joy seeing so much happiness and enjoyment among Jets fans.
‘‘I just want to thank Rex and those players for making a lot of us so very happy to this point, and we’re not going to give up on them no matter what happens.’’
Namath, whose Jets shocked the world with a 16-7 victory over the seemingly indestructible Colts in their only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history 41 years ago, said the fact that the Colts once again stand in the Jets’ path isn’t wasted on him.
Written by Dave Hutchinson, who may be reached at dhutchinson@starledger.com
The franchise has moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis, but they still have that horseshoe on their helmets and don those classic blue and white uniforms.
‘‘Hell yeah, it’s interesting,’’ said Namath. ‘‘It’s a whole lot of history with the Jets and Colts. (Former Jets coach) Weeb Ewbank was their coach before coming to the Jets and we beat the Colts.
‘‘Rex Ryan was down there in Baltimore with the new franchise. This is the first time the teams have met in a championship game since the Super Bowl win.’’
Namath said this Jets team reminds him of their Super Bowl team, a bunch of underdogs. And he said he loves Ryan’s bravado and attacking style.
But he said ‘‘poise and execution’’ is needed to defeat Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, whom he called ‘‘the best I’ve ever seen.’’
‘‘Hopefully, you can get your hands on him,’’ said Namath. ‘‘If our defensive line gets pressure, I don’t think the Colts offensive line has been tested like this. It’s organized chaos with that defense.
‘‘There’s no guarantee the Colts are going to play their best because the Jets defense isn’t going to let them.’’
Asked if Ryan’s boast about the Jets being the ‘‘favorites’’ to win the Super Bowl and Ryan’s infamous itinerary would supplant his famous guarantee should the Jets win it all, Namath chuckled.
‘‘The team has bought into it,’’ he said. ‘‘Whether he said it in jest or whether he was sincere, we all listen and enjoy. Some people want to see him fall flat, but the bottom line is winning and losing and right now he has those guys in the championship game.’’
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