A Joe Namath mink coat with the initials “JWN” embroidered on the interior is being auctioned off by Heritage Auctions. The coat also comes with a signed edition of a 1969 issue of Esquire magazine and a signed football.
The Super Bowl III MVP in 1969, Namath was well known for his personality and fashion sense along with his play on the field. Most notably, he wore mink coats on the sidelines with sunglasses on towards the end of his career, a style that helped him reach further celebrity status.
Namath relished his role as a star in New York, becoming synonymous with mink coats in the 1970s. That, combined with him predicting and leading a Jets upset over the Colts in Super Bowl III, makes this mink coat a valuable possession.
As for the magazine, Namath appeared on the cover of Esquire in October 1969, with a cartoon of him throwing a football with a mink coat draped over his uniform while standing on top of a skyscraper.
At the time, Namath was probably the biggest star in football, and the mink coat was a big reason why.
