JOE NAMATH: A Football Legend

The jester of the Jet set (he used to twist at half-time), Namath is a good Joe, and here's the $427,000 bonus baby who announced at the contract signing, with characteristic understatement, ""I'm going to try like heck."" He had a rough go of it ""with some of the adults who seemed to resent his high school football fame and the fact that he wouldn't knuckle under to anyone,"" but he made his mark at Alabama (one suspension, four and a half years, no degree) until a knee injury temporarily halted the Beaver Falls Bombardier (it now enables trim to avoid military service). The skinny kid who never saw action in junior high games found plenty in New York City, even some on the field. Despite attempts to disparage the image of troublemaking youngster and frolicking (""frustrated"") boozer, Namath is still a dubious source of inspiration; there is little to indicate his personal reserves have more than pecuniary value, but the play-by-Play to playboy will delight devotees.