Post by Admin on Jan 31, 2014 10:42:14 GMT -4
Legendary former Jets quarterback Joe Namath says he has health problems which he believes are the result of concussions suffered while playing in the NFL.
In an upcoming interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Broadway Joe claims that head injuries from his gridiron days have taken a serious toll on his health.
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“I’ve been some through some things medically,” Namath told reporter Rita Braver. “I’ve seen some things on my brain. But I’ve had some treatment – and I’ve improved.
Broadway Joe Namath becomes one of football's first true superstars.
"None of the body was designed to play football. Excuse me, you know, football, we’re just not designed for.”
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Namath joins a growing list of former and current NFL players who’ve experience serious side effects from concussions, which have been linked to memory loss, dementia and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), among other conditions.
The NFL recently reached a $765 million settlement with more than 4,500 ex-players who filed sued against the league, only for a federal judge to nix the payout for being insufficient.
Joe Namath's Super Bowl III heroics land him on the cover of the Jan. 13, 1969 issue of the Daily News.
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Concussions haven’t been the only health issues for Namath over the years. The Hall- of-Fame QB struggled with knee problems throughout his career and had knee replacement surgery on both legs in 1992.
Namath's interview with CBS will air on Super Bowl Sunday, 45 years after he famously followed through on his guarantee that the Jets would beat the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts.
"Oh, you try to be cool," Namath said about his bold pre-game prediction. "You try to convince yourself, you know, 'all right, this is another game,' and, you know, 'I'm ready.'"
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