EDITOR’S NOTE: Every day until Aug. 29, Creg Stephenson is counting down significant numbers in Alabama football history, both in the lead-up to the 2025 football season and in commemoration of the Crimson Tide’s first national championship 100 years ago. The number could be attached to a year, a uniform number or even a football-specific statistic. We hope you enjoy.

The most famous knee in Alabama football history — maybe in football history period — was injured for the first time on Oct. 10, 1964 at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

That’s when Crimson Tide junior quarterback Joe Namath suffered what was initially described at the time as a “twisted” knee during a 21-0 victory over North Carolina State. The injury turned out to be much worse than that, and it would dog him not only for the rest of that season, but for the remainder of his football career.

The pre-injury Namath was an athletic phenom, as gifted a player as had ever come through the Alabama program up to that time. He was not only blessed with a powerful throwing arm, but could jump as high and run as swiftly as anyone in the SEC.

Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant recruited Namath out of Beaver Falls, Pa., prior to the 1961 season, using his connections in that part of the country from his days at Maryland and Kentucky to land the highly sought-after recruit. A multi-sport star in high school, Namath wowed teammates, coaches and observers alike during his time on the Alabama freshman team that fall (save for exemptions during World War II and the Korean conflict, the NCAA did not allow freshmen to play on the varsity level until 1972).

 “Joe was the best athlete I have ever seen,” Bryant wrote in his 1975 autobiography. “He is blessed with that rare quickness — hands, feet, everything — and he’s quick and tough mentally too. Anbody who ever watched him warm up could tell that football comes easy for Joe.”

Namath made a splashy varsity debut to start the 1962 season, throwing for three touchdowns in Alabama’s 35-0 win over Georgia. He led the Crimson Tide to a 10-1 finish — the lone loss 7-6 at Georgia Tech in November — including a 17-0 win over Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

Things got a bit rocky in 1963, as Alabama lost at home to Florida in October, then fell to Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Namath was suspended for an alcohol-related incident between the Auburn game and the regular-season finale at Miami, with backup Steve Sloan shining during a 12-7 win over Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.

Bygones were bygones by 1964, as Bryant allowed Namath back on the team. The Crimson Tide stormed out of the gate with blowout wins over Georgia (31-3), Tulane (36-6) and Vanderbilt (24-0) leading into the Oct. 10 game vs. N.C. State.

On a second-quarter play in a scoreless game, Namath — who was 7-for-8 for 52 yards passing to that point — rolled to his right while looking for a receiver and “just … went down” without being hit, Wolfpack cornerback Tony Golmont would remember in Mark Kriegel’s 2004 biography Namath. “No one touched him,” Golmont said.

Namath later remembered in his 1974 autobiography, that he “felt like he’d been shot.” Trainers rushed out to assist him, and Bryant stood over his fallen quarterback for a moment before heading back to the sideline.

Sloan came off the bench and led Alabama to a three-touchdown win. Bryant said afterward that Namath’s knee was very swollen, but team medical personnel weren’t sure how long he might be out.

Namath had blood and fluid drained off his knee, but returned to practice the following week. Though he was eventually diagnosed with torn cartilage and a torn ligament, he took over for Sloan in the fourth quarter of the Oct. 17 game at Tennessee and helped Alabama to a 19-8 victory.

Namath started the following week vs. Florida, but re-injured the knee on a running play in the first quarter. Sloan once again relieved him, and led Alabama to a 17-14 win over the 10th-ranked Gators.

Sloan handled wins over Mississippi State and LSU, but Namath took the field again late in the second quarter at Georgia Tech on Nov. 14. He led two touchdown drives to put Alabama up 14-0 in a game it would eventually win 24-7, then let Sloan go the rest of the way.

“Pain,” assistant coach Dude Hennessey remembered. “That boy was in a lot of pain.”

Next up was the Nov. 26 Iron Bowl, played on Thanksgiving Day for the first time and nationally televised. Sloan started, but Namath came in after Sloan injured his knee, and threw the winning touchdown pass in a 21-14 victory.

Alabama was 10-0, and secured the national championship from both the Associated Press and the coaches, who conducted their final polls at the end of the regular season. The Crimson Tide was set to face Texas in the Orange Bowl, which wound up being a career-making performance for Namath.

Namath had already been drafted by the New York Jets by New Year’s Day, and had agreed to a then-record $400,000 signing bonus. But he didn’t start the Orange Bowl, not entering the game until Alabama was down 14-0 in the second quarter.

Namath threw a touchdown pass to halfback Wayne Trimble on his first drive, but Texas led 21-7 at halftime. After a 20-yard Namath-to-Ray Perkins scoring pass and a short field goal, the Crimson Tide had pulled within 21-17 early in the fourth quarter.

Alabama had one last shot at the lead, but fullback Steve Bowman was stopped three straight times from the 3-yard line late in the fourth quarter. On fourth-and-goal from the 1, Namath called his own number, but officials ruled that Texas linebacker Tommy Nobis had stopped him inches short.

Texas held on to win the game and sully Alabama’s national championship team. Namath has always sworn he scored on the play, though television replays were largely inconclusive.

Despite not starting the game, Namath had set an Orange Bowl record with 18 completions in 37 attempts, good for 255 yards and two touchdowns. “Maybe he really is worth $400,000,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Robert Morrison mused a few days later.

Namath signed his big contract on Jan. 2, and led the Jets to victory in Super Bowl III after the 1968 season. But his knees — among other injuries — would always trouble him, beginning with an otherwise unmemorable October day during his senior season at Alabama.

Coming Saturday: Our countdown to kickoff continues with No. 63, when an Alabama linebacker enjoyed an all-time bowl performance.