I worked with a steel company in Beaver Falls in the 70's. One comment I've always remembered was from my manager, who was also from Pittsburgh. He said he was at a cocktail party when he first started working there in the 60's and the subject of Joe Namath came up, and someone said he was going to Alabama to play football. One woman said - "thank goodness, now I know my hubcaps will be safe." Many people feel there felt his high school coach, Larry Bruno, was instrumental in getting him to Alabama.
Apparently, Joe had a reputation as far back as high school. And everyone I talked to in Beaver Falls would claim that Joe was their cousin. He could not have had that many cousins. But I will say he returned to BF frequently to see his divorced parents, and was never ashamed to say he came from a steel town in western Pa.
On another note, I can contrast that with my experience at Indiana State for one year --- Indiana, PA. That was the home of famed actor Jimmy Stewart. There were constant reminders that Stewart was born in Indiana, PA and the residents were proud of it. One day I went to a local barber for a haircut, and the barber asked where I was from, and I said Pittsburgh. He said "did you know this was the birthplace of actor Jimmy Stewart?" I said yes, I'd heard that a few times. He said "yes, he moved to Hollywood and became a famous actor. He never returned here again. When he sees his parents, he meets them at the Pittsburgh Airport." That was the candid part of a famous son I hadn't heard before.
Not the case with Joe Namath, and I have always respected Namath for remembering his birthplace and actually taking pride in it.
