Hometown has no monument to Namath

BEAVER FALLS, Pa., Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Joe Namath, maybe the best known native of Beaver Falls, Pa., hasn't received much recognition from his hometown, officials said they plan to change that.

The only visible sign that Namath lived in Beaver Falls is a display case at the high school, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.

Mayor Karl Boak says the famed New York Jets quarterback, nicknamed "Broadway Joe" and almost as renowned for his glitzy private life, is still remembered in Beaver Falls.

"Joe is probably talked about, in some corners, every day here," Boak said. "We've never forgotten Joe. He did put us on the map, there's no doubt about it."

Boak told the newspaper he visualizes a Beaver Falls Hall of Fame with one wing dedicated to Namath.

Another goal is a sign on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to let passing football fans know that Beaver Falls is Namath's hometown.

Namath, now living in Florida, had a brief career as an actor after retiring from football in 1977. In December, he earned a B.A. from the University of Alabama at age 64, decades after leaving school 15 credits short of a degree.