The Baltimore Colts' first trip to the Super Bowl will forever be known for the mouth of Joe Namath.

Namath roared, and the Colts were floored.

Broadway Joe, in his inimitable flashy style, guaranteed the New York Jets, the American Football League's best, would knock off the supposedly superior National Football League's Colts. The Colts entered the game as 17 1/2 -point favorites, one of the largest point spreads in championship history.

The Jets' 16-7 win in Super Bowl III on Jan. 12, 1969, and the interest it generated began the upward climb of the Super Bowl into the country's pre-eminent sporting event.

Namath's flash wasn't necessarily tied to his arm, as a younger generation might assume, given the later glories of big-name quarterbacks such as Joe Montana, John Elway or current Colts leader Peyton Manning.

The one-time pantyhose pitchman was more of a maestro than a gunslinger. He led the Jets to their Super Bowl win over the Colts without throwing a touchdown pass. He completed 17 of 28 for a solid, efficient 206 yards.

In fact, the Jets defense could take as much credit for the win. New York intercepted four passes, including three thrown by befuddled Colts quarterback Earl Morrall in the second quarter alone.

Morrall had led the NFL in completion percentage during the season and was voted the league's Most Valuable Player, after supplanting Johnny Unitas as Colts quarterback.

Unitas was still on the roster, but was 35 and suffering from a sore arm after 12 seasons.

He wasn't finished, however. Unitas would come into the Super Bowl in relief of Morrall in the fourth quarter and lead the team to its only score.

The Jets got on the board first after their first interception of Morrall. Namath directed a methodical 80-yard drive, capped by a 4-yard touchdown run by fullback Matt Snell in the second quarter.

The Jets pounded away in the third, and while Baltimore held them out of the end zone, they slowly pulled away field goals.

Jim Turner hit 32- and 30-yard field goals in the third quarter and then added a 9-yarder (the goalposts were at the goal line in the 1968-69 season) in the fourth quarter.

It was 16-0 in the fourth when Unitas came off the bench and, briefly, the old magic resurfaced. He drove the team 80 yards - aided by a pair of personal-foul penalties against the Jets - and the Colts got on the board with a 1-yard run by fullback Jerry Hall with 3:19 left.

The Colts then recovered the onside kick, and the Orange Bowl crowd in Miami came to life. Unitas hit three consecutive passes to reach the Jets' 19-yard line.

New York's defense stiffened again.

It broke up three throws and roughed up Unitas in the process. Unitas' final fourth-down throw fell incomplete.

Namath and the Jets took over with 2:21 left and held on until a punt with 15 seconds left.

The Colts were finished, and Namath's bold prediction of a win became the most famous in the history of professional sports.