TPB
12-02-2009, 07:49 AM
http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/TPB_09/Top-Logo.jpg?t=1259732378
John Constantine "Johnny" Unitas (May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002), nicknamed The Golden Arm and often called Johnny U, was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football League's most valuable player in 1959, 1964 and 1967. His record of throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games (between 1956-1960) remains unsurpassed as of 2009. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time.
Early life
Unitas was born to Lithuanian immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933, and grew up in the Mount Washington neighborhood. His father died when Johnny was four years old, and he was raised by his mother, who worked two jobs to support the family. His unusual surname was a result of a phonetic transliteration of a common Lithuanian last name Jonaitis. Attending St Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Unitas played halfback and quarterback. After high school, Unitas looked for an opportunity to play college football. He was passed over by Notre Dame and Indiana. Pitt offered a scholarship, but Unitas failed the entrance exam.
The University of Louisville finally came through with a scholarship, and Unitas left home for Kentucky.
College career
In his four-year career as a Louisville Cardinal, Unitas completed 245 passes for 3,139 yards and 27 touchdowns. It is recorded that the 6'1" Johnny Unitas weighed 145 pounds on his first day of practice at the University of Louisville. Unitas' first start was in the fifth game of the 1951 season against St. Bonaventure. The game freshman threw 11 consecutive passes and three touchdowns to give the Cardinals a 21-19 lead. Though Louisville lost the game 22-21 on a disputed field goal, it had found a talented quarterback. Unitas completed 12 of 19 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-28 victory over Houston. The team finished the season 5-5 — 4-1 with Unitas as the starting quarterback. As a freshman, Unitas completed 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns (44).
By the 1952 season, the university decided to de-emphasize sports. The new president at Louisville, Dr. Phillip Davidson, reduced the amount of athletic aid, and tightened academic standards for athletes. As a result, 15 returning players could not meet the new standards and lost their scholarships.
In 1952 Coach Camp switched the team to two-way football. Unitas not only played safety or linebacker on defense and quarterback on offense but returned kicks and punts on special teams. The Cards won their first game against Wayne State, and destroyed Florida State 41-14 in the second game. Unitas completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. It was said that Unitas put on such a show at the Florida State game that he threw a pass under his legs for 15 yards. The rest of the season was a struggle for the Cards, who finished 3-5. Unitas completed 106 of 198 passes for 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore year.
The team won their first game in 1953, against Murray State, and lost the rest for a record of 1-7. One of the most memorable games of the season came in a 59-6 loss against Tennessee. Unitas completed 9 of 19 passes for 73 yards, rushed 9 times for 52 yards, returned 6 kickoffs for eighty-five yards, 1 punt for three yards, and had 86 percent of the team's tackles. The only touchdown the team scored was in the fourth quarter when Unitas made a fake pitch to the running back and ran the ball 23 yards for a touchdown. Unitas was hurt later in the fourth quarter while trying to run the ball, and on his way off the field received a standing ovation. When he got to the locker room he was so worn that his jersey and shoulder pads had to be cut off because he could not lift his arms. Louisville ended the season with 20-13 loss to Eastern Kentucky. In his junior year, Unitas completed 49 of 95 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns.
Unitas was elected captain for the 1954 season, but due to an early injury did not see much playing time. His first start was the third game of the season, against Florida State. Of the 34-man team, 21 were freshmen. The 1954 Louisville Cardinals went 3-6, with the last win at home against Morehead State. Unitas was slowed by so many injuries his senior year his 527 passing yards ended second to Jim Houser's 560.
Professional career
Pittsburgh Steelers
After college, Unitas was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL but was released before the season began as the odd man out among four quarterbacks trying to fill three spots. Among those edging out Unitas was Ted Marchibroda, future NFL quarterback and longtime NFL head coach.
Married with a child and out of pro football, Unitas worked construction in Pittsburgh to support his family. On the weekends, he played quarterback, safety and punter on a local semipro team called the Bloomfield Rams for $6 a game.
Baltimore Colts
In 1956 Unitas joined the Baltimore Colts of the NFL under legendary coach Weeb Ewbank, after being asked at the last minute to join Bloomfield Rams lineman Jim Deglau, a Croatian steel worker with a life much like Unitas', at the latter's scheduled Colts tryout. The pair borrowed money from friends to pay for the gas to make the trip. Deglau later told a reporter after Unitas' death, "[His] uncle told him not to come. [He] was worried that if he came down and the Colts passed on him, it would look bad (to other NFL teams).". The Colts signed Unitas, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland Browns, who had hoped to claim the rejected Steeler quarterback.
When starting quarterback George Shaw suffered a broken leg against the Chicago Bears in the season's fourth game, Unitas made a nervous debut. His first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he botched a hand-off on his next play, a fumble recovered by the Bears. Unitas rebounded quickly from that 58–27 loss, leading the Colts to an upset of Green Bay and their first win over Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in the season finale that started his record 47-game streak. His 55.6-percent completion mark was a rookie record.
First MVP
In 1957, his first season as the Colts full-time starter at quarterback, Unitas finished first in the NFL in passing yards (2,550) and touchdown passes (24) as he helped lead the Colts to a 7-5 record, the first winning record in franchise history. At season's end, Unitas was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA).
"Greatest Game Ever Played"
The Colts won the NFL championship under Unitas' leadership in 1958, by defeating the New York Giants 23–17 in sudden death overtime. It was the first overtime game in NFL history, and is often referred to as the "greatest game ever played." The game, nationally televised by NBC, has been credited for sparking the rise in popularity of professional football during the 1960s. In 1959, Unitas was named the NFL's MVP by the Associated Press (AP) and UPI for the first time, leading the NFL in passing yards (2,899), touchdown passes (32) and completions (193).Unitas then led the Colts to a repeat championship, beating the Giants again 31-16 in the title game.
Continued...
John Constantine "Johnny" Unitas (May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002), nicknamed The Golden Arm and often called Johnny U, was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football League's most valuable player in 1959, 1964 and 1967. His record of throwing a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games (between 1956-1960) remains unsurpassed as of 2009. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time.
Early life
Unitas was born to Lithuanian immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933, and grew up in the Mount Washington neighborhood. His father died when Johnny was four years old, and he was raised by his mother, who worked two jobs to support the family. His unusual surname was a result of a phonetic transliteration of a common Lithuanian last name Jonaitis. Attending St Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Unitas played halfback and quarterback. After high school, Unitas looked for an opportunity to play college football. He was passed over by Notre Dame and Indiana. Pitt offered a scholarship, but Unitas failed the entrance exam.
The University of Louisville finally came through with a scholarship, and Unitas left home for Kentucky.
College career
In his four-year career as a Louisville Cardinal, Unitas completed 245 passes for 3,139 yards and 27 touchdowns. It is recorded that the 6'1" Johnny Unitas weighed 145 pounds on his first day of practice at the University of Louisville. Unitas' first start was in the fifth game of the 1951 season against St. Bonaventure. The game freshman threw 11 consecutive passes and three touchdowns to give the Cardinals a 21-19 lead. Though Louisville lost the game 22-21 on a disputed field goal, it had found a talented quarterback. Unitas completed 12 of 19 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-28 victory over Houston. The team finished the season 5-5 — 4-1 with Unitas as the starting quarterback. As a freshman, Unitas completed 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns (44).
By the 1952 season, the university decided to de-emphasize sports. The new president at Louisville, Dr. Phillip Davidson, reduced the amount of athletic aid, and tightened academic standards for athletes. As a result, 15 returning players could not meet the new standards and lost their scholarships.
In 1952 Coach Camp switched the team to two-way football. Unitas not only played safety or linebacker on defense and quarterback on offense but returned kicks and punts on special teams. The Cards won their first game against Wayne State, and destroyed Florida State 41-14 in the second game. Unitas completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. It was said that Unitas put on such a show at the Florida State game that he threw a pass under his legs for 15 yards. The rest of the season was a struggle for the Cards, who finished 3-5. Unitas completed 106 of 198 passes for 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore year.
The team won their first game in 1953, against Murray State, and lost the rest for a record of 1-7. One of the most memorable games of the season came in a 59-6 loss against Tennessee. Unitas completed 9 of 19 passes for 73 yards, rushed 9 times for 52 yards, returned 6 kickoffs for eighty-five yards, 1 punt for three yards, and had 86 percent of the team's tackles. The only touchdown the team scored was in the fourth quarter when Unitas made a fake pitch to the running back and ran the ball 23 yards for a touchdown. Unitas was hurt later in the fourth quarter while trying to run the ball, and on his way off the field received a standing ovation. When he got to the locker room he was so worn that his jersey and shoulder pads had to be cut off because he could not lift his arms. Louisville ended the season with 20-13 loss to Eastern Kentucky. In his junior year, Unitas completed 49 of 95 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns.
Unitas was elected captain for the 1954 season, but due to an early injury did not see much playing time. His first start was the third game of the season, against Florida State. Of the 34-man team, 21 were freshmen. The 1954 Louisville Cardinals went 3-6, with the last win at home against Morehead State. Unitas was slowed by so many injuries his senior year his 527 passing yards ended second to Jim Houser's 560.
Professional career
Pittsburgh Steelers
After college, Unitas was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL but was released before the season began as the odd man out among four quarterbacks trying to fill three spots. Among those edging out Unitas was Ted Marchibroda, future NFL quarterback and longtime NFL head coach.
Married with a child and out of pro football, Unitas worked construction in Pittsburgh to support his family. On the weekends, he played quarterback, safety and punter on a local semipro team called the Bloomfield Rams for $6 a game.
Baltimore Colts
In 1956 Unitas joined the Baltimore Colts of the NFL under legendary coach Weeb Ewbank, after being asked at the last minute to join Bloomfield Rams lineman Jim Deglau, a Croatian steel worker with a life much like Unitas', at the latter's scheduled Colts tryout. The pair borrowed money from friends to pay for the gas to make the trip. Deglau later told a reporter after Unitas' death, "[His] uncle told him not to come. [He] was worried that if he came down and the Colts passed on him, it would look bad (to other NFL teams).". The Colts signed Unitas, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland Browns, who had hoped to claim the rejected Steeler quarterback.
When starting quarterback George Shaw suffered a broken leg against the Chicago Bears in the season's fourth game, Unitas made a nervous debut. His first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he botched a hand-off on his next play, a fumble recovered by the Bears. Unitas rebounded quickly from that 58–27 loss, leading the Colts to an upset of Green Bay and their first win over Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in the season finale that started his record 47-game streak. His 55.6-percent completion mark was a rookie record.
First MVP
In 1957, his first season as the Colts full-time starter at quarterback, Unitas finished first in the NFL in passing yards (2,550) and touchdown passes (24) as he helped lead the Colts to a 7-5 record, the first winning record in franchise history. At season's end, Unitas was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA).
"Greatest Game Ever Played"
The Colts won the NFL championship under Unitas' leadership in 1958, by defeating the New York Giants 23–17 in sudden death overtime. It was the first overtime game in NFL history, and is often referred to as the "greatest game ever played." The game, nationally televised by NBC, has been credited for sparking the rise in popularity of professional football during the 1960s. In 1959, Unitas was named the NFL's MVP by the Associated Press (AP) and UPI for the first time, leading the NFL in passing yards (2,899), touchdown passes (32) and completions (193).Unitas then led the Colts to a repeat championship, beating the Giants again 31-16 in the title game.
Continued...