JOHNNY UNITAS

Johnny U.

Johnny Unitas played in 10 Pro Bowls, was picked for five all-league teams, was Player of the Year three times, and led the Baltimore Colts to NFL Championships in 1958 and 1959. He also set an NFL record by throwing at least one touchdown pass in 47 straight games, a record that no one has yet come close to. His 1958 championship victory over the New York Giants is often cited as the best game ever played.

John Constantine Unitas was born in Pittsburgh on May 7, 1933. He played football at St. Justin's, a small Catholic high school. He did not play quarterback, however, until his junior year. He wanted to play for Notre Dame, but was told he was too small. He was offered a scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh despite being fairly small, but did not meet the academic requirements. He did accept a scholarship to the University of Louisville where he started at quarterback for 3 and a half years.

Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1955, he was not thought to be much of an asset, and Coach Walt Keisling cut him from the team without giving him a real chance. He ended up playing that season on a semi-pro team in Pittsburgh for six dollars a game. In 1956, however, he got his big break as the Baltimore Colts signed him. In the fourth game of the season, Unitas replaced the injured George Shaw. He finished that year as quarterback, and the next season won his first League MVP title. Many call the 1958 NFL title game the greatest game ever played. In this game, Unitas led the Colts on an 80-yard drive with less than two minutes left in the game to set up a game-tying field goal. This resulted in the first ever overtime game. During this overtime, Unitas led his team on another 80-yard drive for a touchdown to beat the New York Giants 23 to 17.

He played in 211 NFL games, completed 54.6 percent of his passes, and set records including 290 touchdowns, 2,830 completions, 40,239 total yards, and 26 300-yard games. He led the Colts to the NFL championship in 1958, 1959, and 1968, and a Super Bowl victory in 1971. Unitas was chosen as Player of the Decade for the 1960's, the Greatest Player in the First 50 years of Pro Football, and to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He passed away at age 69 on September 11, 2002.