Guaranteed: Namath voted No. 1 character

White shoes. Fur coat. Pantyhose. Fu Manchu mustache. An arm that would make Superman proud.

Yep, Joe Namath is the NFL’s greatest character. Guaranteed.

The Hall of Fame quarterback who guaranteed his three-touchdown underdog New York Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in the third Super Bowl was voted the NFL’s top character in balloting by The Associated Press in conjunction with the league’s celebration of its 100th season.

Namath gained 2,577 points in voting by a panel of 60 NFL historians and media who regularly cover the league, outdistancing the late Al Davis, owner of the Raiders and a former coach and AFL commissioner, by 162 points.

Only quarterback Brett Favre was on all 60 ballots, and he finished fourth overall, behind former coachturned-broadcaster John Madden. Flamboyant Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was fifth.

Namath’s impact on the sport was enormous. The Jets’ win helped validate the AFL and the merger that NFL owners accepted. It lifted

the Super Bowl toward elite status.

The top 30 included coaches Bum Phillips (No. 6), Mike Ditka (No. 10), Buddy Ryan (11th), Bill Parcells (12th) and Vince Lombardi (22nd); QB-turned-broadcaster Don Meredith (17th); and greatnicknamed characters Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson (No. 14), Rob “Gronk” Gronkowski (No. 15), William “Refrigerator” Perry (No. 23) and Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch (No. 24).

■ Jets: Left guard Kelechi Osemele was fined an undisclosed amount after he did not practice. The two-time Pro Bowl selection believes he needs season-ending shoulder surgery and is waiting for the team to authorize it.

■ Titans: Rookie defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, Tennessee’s firstround draft pick, was activated from the non-football injury list. The Mississippi State product sustained a torn ACL in February.

■ Patriots: Wide receiver Josh Gordon (knee) and tight ends Matt LaCosse (knee) and Ryan Izzo (concussion) were ruled out for Monday.

■ Broncos: Safety Will Parks, who sustained a broken hand Thursday, figures to be sidelined two weeks, coach Vic Fangio said.

■ Packers: Wide receiver Geronimo Allison (concussion, chest) was upgraded to questionable for Sunday. Review-Journal wire services

Joe Namath