Alabama Football: 10 greatest quarterback-receiver duos of all time
By Ronald Evans
No. 10 Alabama Football Quarterback-Receiver Duo
- Joe Namath and Richard Williamson – 1962 Season
For older Alabama football fans, Joe ‘Willie’ Namath, not at the top of any list is blasphemous. Namath, before being crippled by knee injuries, was sensational. Afterward, he was less, but mainly less as a runner. His famous quick release and accuracy were little affected by his reduced mobility. Namath is most famous for guaranteeing a Super Bowl victory by the underdog New York Jets, but that same brashness came with him from Beaver Falls, PA to Tuscaloosa.
Namath’s best season for Alabama came as a sophomore in 1962. In three Alabama Crimson Tide seasons, Namath three only 374 passes, which produced 2,713 yards. In early October of his senior season, an untouched Namath went down against North Carolina State. He later described it as feeling “like he’d been shot.” Before then, he was a sensational runner when plays broke down. He finished his Alabama career with 563 rushing yards, mostly from the 23 games before his injury.
Richard Williamson was Namath’s top receiver in the 1962 season, catching 24 passes for 492 yards. In later seasons Namath teamed up most with Jimmy Dill and David Ray.