Presented is the 1961 Beaver Falls Area High School yearbook from Hall of Fame New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath’s senior year. Namath is pictured on page 92 in the upper left on a page of black & white head & shoulder photographs of “Senior Tigers” from the school’s football team. Under his photo is the caption “Joe Namath All-State, All-MAC, Quarterback”. The 160-page yearbook bears the legend “Tiger 1961” embossed in gold on the white leatherette front cover of the 8 x 11-inch hardcover book published in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania in May 1961. Namath excelled in all sports at Beaver Falls High School and was a standout quarterback in football, guard in basketball, and outfielder in baseball. Coached by Larry Bruno at Beaver Falls, Namath's football team won the WPIAL Class AA championship with a 9–0 record in 1960. Coach Bruno later presented Namath to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. Upon graduation from high school in 1961, he received offers from several Major League Baseball teams, including the Yankees, Indians, Reds, Pirates, and Phillies, but football prevailed. Namath told interviewers that he wanted to sign with the Pirates and play baseball like his idol, Roberto Clemente, but elected to play football because his mother wanted him to get a college education. Namath had many offers from Division I college football programs, including Penn State, Ohio State, Alabama, and Notre Dame, but initially decided upon the University of Maryland after being heavily recruited by Maryland assistant coach Roland Arrigoni. He was rejected by Maryland because his college-board scores were just below the school's requirements. After ample recruiting by Coach Paul 'Bear' Bryant, Namath accepted a full scholarship to attend Alabama. Bryant stated his decision to recruit Namath was "the best coaching decision I ever made”.

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