Joe Namath on Joe Burrow.

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SI: When did you first become aware of Joe Burrow? What did you see when you watched him? Namath: The first time I saw him was when he was playing at LSU. And the whole team was impressive. And he wasn't doing as much as he’s called upon to do in the pros. He wasn’t moving about on his feet. I didn’t see him be that elusive. But watching him in college was an introduction for me to see how well he threw the ball. And I’ve watched him grow. He’s smart. He’s got every attribute that the guys in the past have had, the guys that have won championships. If he can get the Cincinnati team to improve some, they’ll win more than one.

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Namath [unprompted]: I’d like to see them win. But I don’t pull against the Rams, because I like [Matthew] Stafford. But it’s the old AFL thing for me. [With Burrow,] I also watch the head movement. Man, he’s not hesitating. It’s nice to watch him move around to his options. Tom Brady is a special animal. But Burrow has a nice way about changing speeds on his passes, and he can throw everything, not unlike Tom. He’s stronger, and he’s from Ohio, and you know Pennsylvania [where Namath grew up] and Ohio. We always thought we could play football. He can.

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SI: You played with as much style as anybody. What do you make of Burrow’s vibe? Namath: Well, with the cigars, my daughter, Jessica, asked me about it when it first occurred. I said, ‘Well, honey, that’s not new.’ It was a tradition, when we beat Tennessee, that coaches and managers would pass out cigars. LSU probably had the same tradition. I can’t believe they let him smoke now, but God bless him. He’s smiling. Takes me back.

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