Joe Namath beats Al Davis in voting for NFL’s ‘greatest character’

The Guarantee beat out the Greatness of the Raiders.

Joe Namath was voted as the NFL’s greatest character over runner-up Al Davis, the late colorful owner of the Raiders, by a nationwide panel of 60 football historians and media who regularly cover the NFL.

The vote was conducted by the Associated Press in conjunction with the league’s celebration of its 100th season.

Namath, the Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback who guaranteed his three-touchdown underdog New York Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in the third Super Bowl, became a celebrity and also a movie star with his white shoes, fur coats, pantyhose, Fu Manchu mustache and an arm that would make Superman proud.

He and Davis, the former coach and American Football League commissioner who presided over three Super Bowl titles as owner of the Raiders, each had 12 first-place votes. But Davis wound up 162 points behind Namath (2.577).

John Madden, Davis’ irrepressible coach who guided the Raiders to their first Super Bowl title after the 1976 season and later made his name as one of the top analysts in broadcasting, was third.

Only Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was on all 60 ballots. Favre finished fourth overall.

Other former Raiders on the top 100 list: Ken Stabler (21st), Oakland native Marshawn Lynch (24th), Lyle Alzado (26th), current head coach Jon Gruden (27th), Bo Jackson (39th), Bubba Smith (42nd), Randy Moss (45th), John Matuszak (46th), Ted Hendricks (48th), Ben Davidson (50th) and Fred Williamson (60th).

49ers on the top 100 list were Deion Sanders (fifth), Terrell Owens (16th), Charles Haley (52nd), Richard Sherman (67th), Jack Reynolds (73rd), former head coach Mike Singletary (74th), Bob St. Clair (80th) and Kevin Green (91st).

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