Jets icon Joe Namath covered up sexual abuse, alleged victim says in explosive new revelation

Jets legend Joe Namath is facing allegations that he covered up sexual abuse at his football camp 51 years ago, according to an explosive report in The New York Post on Sunday.

In 2019 court papers filed by Philip Lyle Smith, who spoke to The Post: The 64-year-old alleges that Brooklyn Poly Prep Country Club football coach Philip Foglietta repeatedly sexually assaulted him beginning when Smith was 12 years old at the Joe Namath Instructional Football Camp. Smith filed the claims as “John Doe” in the 2019 lawsuit, which was filed under the Child Victims Act, a since-expired law that extended the statute of limitations for alleged victims to file civil lawsuits against individuals and companies.

Namath and former Jets defensive back John Dockery were allegedly aware of the abuse and did nothing to stop it, court papers obtained by The Post reveal.

“This case is equally about the many adults in positions of power at the [camp] including Joe Namath and [ex-Jets defensive back and camp partner John] Dockery, who were aware of, tolerated and covered up known sexual abuse at the camp, abuse that had a lasting effect on Doe,” according to the allegations in amended court papers.

Foglietta, a serial pedophile who abused kids for 25 years, died in 1998. In Smith’s lawsuit, he claims to have been allowed to eat alongside NFL players and receive special treatment from the Hall of Fame quarterback. According to the lawsuit, Foglietta insisted that Smith sleep in his room, a setup that supervisors did nothing about Namath and Smith should have been aware of.

“It was a dream come true for a 12-year-old,” Smith said, via The Post. “[Foglietta] always made sure Joe Namath threw me at least one pass almost every single day and said hello to me almost every single day.”

That dream quickly turned into a nightmare as Fogglietta used these perks to continue his abuse against Smith.

“Every night he’d say, ‘See what I did? … You have pictures with so-and-so … Joe talked to you … How you can do that without me?’” Smith said, via The Post. “That was part of his grooming to abuse me.”

According to the Post, Smith amended the lawsuit in 2021, accusing Smith, Dockery and camp supervisors, of inadequate security, breach of duty, assault, battery and causing emotional distress. He seeks unspecified damages, the Post said.

Messages made by the Post to the lawyers for Namath, Dockery and the camp were not returned, the outlet said.

“Back in those days, Joe Namath was my idol,” Smith told the Post. “And he went from my hero to a zero in my life.”

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Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com.