johnny unitas

Manning closing in on Unitas' franchise record for touchdowns
4 days ago

INDIANAPOLIS - When Lenny Moore watches Peyton Manning he sees a little bit of John Unitas on every play.

The deliberate steps, the hunched shoulders, the way Manning carries himself on the field. It's pure Johnny U, almost down to the legendary two-minute drill.

So perhaps it's fitting that the two greatest quarterbacks in Colts history are linked in the team's record books. Manning needs three touchdown passes to break Unitas' franchise record (287), a number some people, including Moore, contend does not necessarily make Manning the better player.

"I'm happy for Peyton and I mean that in all sincerity," said Moore, a Hall of Fame running back who played with Unitas in Baltimore. "As a former player, I truly admire his ball playing. ...

"But Peyton Manning is no Johnny Unitas. The game has changed tremendously over the years, and if the game was played the way it is now, what Johnny U would have done is unbelievable."

What Unitas did then is still amazing.

Of the top 10 quarterbacks in yards passing and the top seven in TD passes, Unitas and Fran Tarkenton remain the only vestiges to the pre-merger days.

Too young to watch Unitas play live, the 31-year-old Manning still recalls his father, Archie, citing Unitas as his favourite quarterback because of his ability to run the hurry-up offence and produce heroic comebacks.

It became the model for Peyton's era. He now relies on the no-huddle as his base offence, changes plays at the line of scrimmage - like Unitas used to in the huddle - and incorporates his teammates in much the manner Unitas did.

Back then it was revolutionary. Now it's trendy.

Even the offensive components have a familiar look. Unitas relied on an array of Hall of Fame teammates such as Moore, John Mackey and Raymond Berry, while Manning's supporting cast has included Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James, the franchise's new career leaders in receiving and rushing.

Manning credits Unitas for "defining the position" for future generations. He once offered to wear a pair of Johnny U's trademark black hightops as a tribute after Unitas died Sept. 11, 2002. The NFL said no.

So despite the numbers, last year's Super Bowl MVP still finds it humbling and awkward to be mentioned in the same sentence as Unitas.

"I think he did a lot to change the true passing game in the NFL," Manning said Thursday. "I always feel a little uncomfortable when my name is mentioned in the same statistical category as him."

He'd better get used to it.

Already the franchise leader in completions (3,246), Manning is likely to pass Unitas for two more Colts records - attempts and yardage - in the next month. He needs 56 more passes and 864 more yards to surpass both.

And with some good fortune, Manning will soon be the Colts' career leader in victories, too. Unitas won 119 games as a Colt, while Manning has 97 wins in 47 fewer games entering Monday night.

Of course, the NFL regular season was shorter in Unitas' days.

Judging from Moore's description of Unitas, however, the two might be more similar than it appears on the field.

"Johnny studied the game and watched films," Moore recalls. "He and Raymond Berry took it to the nth degree about how you can do this, when you can do this or why you should do this. Johnny called things in the huddle you just wouldn't believe."

Sound familiar?

"I think Peyton's a one of a kind," Colts tight end Dallas Clark said. "I think he really revolutionized the game by bringing the offensive co-ordinator type mentality to the position. Not just getting the call to him, but he has the capability of seeing something and getting us out of bad plays."

As Manning continues to chase records, the debate among Colts fans cuts deeper than merely determining the better quarterback.

Unitas was the face of the old Colts from 1956-72 and remained loyal to Baltimore even after team owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise from Maryland to Indianapolis in 1984. When the Colts returned to Baltimore in 1998, Manning remembers seeing Unitas on the Ravens' sideline.

Manning embodies the new Colts: efficient, smart and a proficient scoring machine. Since being drafted No. 1 in 1998, he's taken Indy to the playoffs seven times, reached the AFC championship game twice and won his first Super Bowl ring in February.

Both players were rewarded with two league MVP awards.

Yet the franchise records remain a contentious subject, especially in Baltimore where many fans and ex-Colts still believe Unitas' marks belong.

"They'll be agitated saying that Johnny Unitas' record is now Peyton Manning's record," said Moore, another Baltimore loyalist. "But they'll get over it."

In the coming weeks, Manning will have a chance to catch Unitas not once but twice on the TD list.

Unitas finished his career with 290 TDs, ranking sixth all-time. Manning is seventh at 285.

But no matter the numbers, the comparisons, the mannerisms or the accolades, even Manning acknowledges he's no John Unitas.

"Mainly because of the influence he had on my dad and so many quarterbacks, you sort of keep him in his own category," Manning said. "He's arguably the greatest quarterback to play the game."


Manning closing in on Unitas' franchise record for touchdownsThe Canadian Press
- Oct 19, 2007
- Oct 19, 2007
"But Peyton Manning is no Johnny Unitas. The game has changed tremendously over the years, and if the game was played the way it is now, what Johnny U would ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
Colts' Harrison still questionable for Monday's gameUSA Today
- Oct 21, 2007
- Oct 21, 2007
MANNING CLOSES IN ON UNITAS, TWICE: Colts quarterback Peyton Manning needs three touchdown passes to surpass Johnny Unitas' career franchise record. ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
COLTS AT JAGUARSFort Worth Star Telegram, USA
- Oct 22, 2007
- 18 hours ago
285 Passing TDs by Peyton Manning, two behind Johnny Unitas on the Colts' career list. Manning is seventh on the NFL list. These teams' offenses have ...
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clipped from Google - 10/2007
Ward to welcome old friendSarasota Herald-Tribune, USA
- Oct 20, 2007
- Oct 20, 2007
"But Peyton Manning is no Johnny Unitas." "I always feel a little uncomfortable when my name is mentioned in the same statistical category as him," Manning ...
clipped from Google - 10/2007
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Blog posts


'Peyton Manning is no Johnny Unitas' Oct 19, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS - When Lenny Moore watches Peyton Manning he sees a little bit of John Unitas on every play.

NFL Colts Peyton Dominates Monday Night Football 17 minutes ago
Peyton has 98 wins in 150 games, behind only Joe Montana with 108 and Terry Bradshaw with 102, and tied with former Colt Johnny Unitas, and one ahead of Brett Favre. There are quiet claps coming from the crowd. ...

NFL Quarterback Numbers 6 hours ago
... to Roger Staubach, Joe Namath, Bob Griese and Tom Brady) Number 13 - Dan Marino Number 14 - Dan Fouts Number 15 - Bart Starr Number 16 - Joe Montana Number 17 - Steve DeBerg Number 18 - Peyton Manning Number 19 - Johnny Unitas.

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Johnny Unitas - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In his four-year career as a Louisville Cardinal, Unitas completed 245 passes for 3139 yards and 27 touchdowns. It is recorded that the 6'1" Johnny Unitas ...

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Welcome to Johnny Unitas.com
Welcome the Official Johnny Unitas Website. Johnny Unitas, one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks to ever play the game. Many of his records are still ...

The Johnny Unitas Web Site
Johnny Unitas; football player, The Greatest Quarterback of All-Time and represented by CMG Worldwide is one of the greatest Legends of the 20th Century.

Member - Pro Football Hall of Fame
John Constantine Unitas. . .Cut by 1955 Steelers, free agent with 1956 Colts, soon became legendary hero. . .Exceptional field leader, thrived on pressure. ...

Johnny Unitas
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Johnny Unitas
Position(s):
Quarterback Jersey #(s):
19
Born: May 7, 1933(1933-05-07)
Died: September 11, 2002 (aged 69)
Career Information
Year(s): 1956-1973
NFL Draft: 1955 / Round: 9 / Pick: 102
College: Louisville
Professional Teams
Pittsburgh Steelers* (1955)
Baltimore Colts (1956-1972)
San Diego Chargers (1973)
*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career Stats
TD-INT 290-253
Yards 40,239
QB Rating 78.2
Stats at NFL.com
Career Highlights and Awards
Pro Bowl (x10)
Pro Bowl MVP (3)
1959 UPI NFL MVP
1964 UPI NFL MVP
1967 UPI NFL MVP
1964 AP NFL MVP
1967 NEA NFL MVP
Bert Bell Award (x3)
Walter Payton Award

Pro Football Hall of Fame
John Constantine "Johnny" Unitas (May 7, 1933 � September 11, 2002), nicknamed The Golden Arm, was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s. He was the National Football League's most valuable player in 1959, 1964 and 1967.

Contents
1 Early life
2 College career
3 Professional career
4 Personal life
5 Death
6 Legacy
7 Trivia
8 See also
9 Sources
10 External links



[edit] Early life
Johnny was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933. His father died when Johnny was 5 years old, and he was raised by his Lithuanian immigrant 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. He played quarterback for Louisville during his college career.


[edit] 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. He 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 deemphasize 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 one-platoon football. Unitas played safety or linebacker on defense, quarterback on offense, and kick/punt returner 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 teams 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 of 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 which Unitas was intercepted twice by Roy Kidd. 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 of the season was the third game 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 that he did not lead the team in passing yards. He threw for 527 yards, second to Jim Houser's 560.


[edit] Professional career
After college, Unitas was drafted in the ninth round by the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL, but was released before the season began since there were four quarterbacks trying to fill out three quarterback spots. Coincidentally, Ted Marchibroda beat out Unitas by taking the third quarterback spot. By then he was married with a child and worked construction in Pittsburgh to support his family. On the weekends, he played on a local semipro team called the Bloomfield Rams for $6 a game.

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 much like Unitas, at the latter's scheduled Colts tryout. They borrowed money from friends to pay for the water to make the trip. Deglau, a semi-pro player and family friend, 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)." [1]. The Colts signed Unitas, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland Browns, who had hoped to claim the rejected Steeler quarterback. [2].

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. Unitas then led the Colts to a repeat championship in 1959, beating the Giants again 31-16 in the title game.

Later in his career, although he was injured through most of the 1968 season, he came off the bench to play in Super Bowl III, the famous game wherein Joe Namath guaranteed a New York Jets win despite conventional wisdom. Unitas' insertion was a desperation move in an attempt to retrieve dominance of the NFL over the upstart AFL. Sidelined virtually all season with a lame elbow, Unitas helped put together the Colts' only score, a touchdown late in the game. Despite not playing until the fourth quarter, Unitas still finished with more passing yards than the team's starter, Earl Morrall. In 1970, Unitas led the Colts to Super Bowl V. He was knocked out of the game in the second quarter, after throwing a 75-yard touchdown pass (setting a then-Super Bowl record) that helped lift the team to victory. In 1971 Unitas brought the Colts to the AFC Championship game and lost to Miami 21-0.

Unitas was involved in only one other head-to-head meeting with Namath, but it was a memorable one. On September 24, 1972, at Memorial Stadium, Unitas threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns, but Namath upstaged him again, bombing the Colts for 496 yards and six touchdowns in a 44-34 Jets victory.

Unitas was traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1973, and retired from football in 1974. He finished his 17 NFL seasons with 2,830 completions in 5,186 passes for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, with 253 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,777 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Unitas set many passing records during his career. He was the first quarterback to throw for more than 40,000 yards, despite playing during an era when NFL teams played shorter seasons of 12 or 14 games (as opposed to today's 16-game seasons). He also threw a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games between 1956 and 1960, a record that still stands and is considered by many the Mount Everest-like football equivalent to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game baseball hitting streak.

After his playing days were finished, Unitas settled in Baltimore where he raised his family, while also pursuing a career in broadcasting, doing color commentary for NFL games on CBS in the 1970s. He, Brooks Robinson and Cal Ripken Jr. are generally considered the city's foremost sports icons. After Robert Irsay moved the Colts franchise to Indianapolis, in 1984, a move reviled to this day in Baltimore as "Bob Irsay's Midnight Ride", Unitas was so outraged that he cut all ties to the relocated team (though his #19 jersey is still retired by the Colts). Other prominent old-time Colts followed his lead. He asked the Pro Football Hall of Fame on numerous occasions (including on Roy Firestone's Up Close) to remove his display unless it was listed as belonging to the Baltimore Colts. The Hall of Fame has never complied with the request. Unitas donated his Colts memorabilia to the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore; it is now on display in the Sports Museum at Camden Yards.

Unitas actively lobbied for another NFL team to come to Baltimore. After the NFL returned to Baltimore as the Ravens for the 1996 season, Unitas and most of the other old-time Colts regarded the Ravens as the true successors of the Baltimore Colts. Unitas was frequently seen on the Ravens' sidelines at home games and received a thunderous ovation every time he was pictured on each of the JumboTrons at M&T Bank Stadium.He was often seen on the 30 yard line on the Ravens side.

When the NFL celebrated its first 50 years, Unitas was voted the league's best player. Retired Bears quarterback Sid Luckman said of Unitas, "He was better than me. Better than (Sammy) Baugh. Better than anyone."

In December 2005, the state of Indiana attempted to raise funds for a new football stadium by issuing a Colts specialty license plate and auctioning off plates whose registrations represented distinctive Colts position-number pairings (e.g. "QB 18" for Peyton Manning). When the state offered Unitas's "QB 19" for bid, the Unitas family sued, eventually getting the offer revoked and receiving an out-of-court settlement. [citation needed]


[edit] Personal life
Unitas was married by his uncle to his high school sweetheart Dorothy Hoelle on November 20, 1954; they had five children. One hour after he divorced Dorothy in Reno on June 26, 1972, Unitas married Sandra Lemon; they had three children and stayed together until his death.


[edit] Death
On September 11, 2002, Unitas died suddenly of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) while working out at a physical therapy facility in Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland. After his death, many fans of the Baltimore Ravens football team petitioned the renaming of the Ravens' home stadium (owned by the State of Maryland) after Unitas. These requests, however, were unsuccessful since the lucrative naming rights had already been leased by the Ravens to the Buffalo, New York, based company, M&T Bank. However, a statue of Unitas was erected as the centerpiece of the plaza in front of the Stadium and the plaza was officially named "Unitas Plaza". Large banners depicting Unitas in his Baltimore Colts heyday now flank the entrance to the stadium. Many loyal Baltimore football fans observe the ritual of rubbing the shoe of the statue of Unitas prior to entering the stadium for Baltimore Ravens home games. Towson University, in Towson, Maryland, a suburb just north of Baltimore, named its football and lacrosse complex in honor of Unitas after his death in 2002. He was a major fund-raiser for the university, which his children attended.

Toward the end of his life, Unitas brought media attention to the many permanent physical disabilities that he and his fellow players suffered during the early years of football, before padding and other safety features designed to prevent such injuries had been invented. Unitas himself lost almost total use of his right hand, which had become mangled by the end of his playing career, with the middle finger and thumb noticeably disfigured from being horrifically and repeatedly broken.

He is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.


The gravesite of Johnny Unitas, Timonium, Maryland.

[edit] Legacy
Unitas holds the record for most Pro Bowl appearances (10) by a quarterback.
Unitas was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Johnny Unitas' #16 is the only number retired by the football program at the University of Louisville.
Unitas Tower, a dormitory at the University of Louisville, is named for Johnny Unitas.
A statue of Johnny Unitas sits in the north end zone of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium at the University of Louisville. It is tradition for each Cardinal player to touch the statue as he enters the field.
Since 1987, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award has been awarded to the top senior quarterback of the current year in college football. The award is presented annually in Louisville.
In 1999, he was ranked No. 5 on "The Sporting News'" list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, behind only Joe Montana among quarterbacks. However, in 2004, "TSN" did a special feature on the 50 Greatest Quarterbacks, and Unitas was ranked No. 1 and Montana No. 2. It is possible that Montana was ranked first in the earlier list due to the comparative proximity of his career, while Unitas was ranked first in the later list due to remembrances aired on television following his death.
An episode of the TV show The Adventures of Pete & Pete entitled "Space, Geeks & Johnny Unitas", centered around Unitas, the 1958 NFL Championship game and the cosmic connection between him, it and the Alpha Centauri star system.
Just before his death, Johnny Unitas became the community liaison for Towson University athletics in Towson, MD. The football stadium at Towson University was renamed Johnny Unitas Stadium in 2002. Unitas died less than a week after throwing his last pass in the grand opening of the stadium.
Johnny set the record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 47 games. This record is currently regarded as one of sport's "unbreakable" records. [3]
Unitas' grandson, J.C. Unitas, is currently a sophomore quarterback at Villanova University.

[edit] Trivia
Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines.
The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

Unitas worked for Bethlehem Steel in addition to playing for the Baltimore Colts, back when football did not pay nearly as much money as it does nowadays, and forced players to hold everyday jobs as well.
In rapper Everlast's song called Life's A Bitch, Unitas is mentioned in the lyrics : Manufactured sounds and images / Got me scramblin' like football scrimages / Johnny Unitas / In god I trust / I don't need to get paper everytime I bust
Unitas's first pass as a professional was caught by Dick Nyers, who was inducted into the Indiana Central University (now the University of Indianapolis) Hall of Fame in 1986.
Unitas's first touchdown pass was caught by Lloyd Colteryahn in a preseason game in 1956.
The Philadelphia Daily News wrote an article in 2003 announcing his 70th birthday. Of course, Unitas had been deceased since the previous year. After realizing the mistake, the newspaper ran a correction stating: "Johnny Unitas remains dead and did not celebrate his 70th birthday."
Was featured on The Adventures of Pete and Pete episode "Space, Geeks and Johnny Unitas".
Appeared as a color-commentator in the 1976 Disney film Gus.
He guest-starred as himself in The Simpsons episode "Homie the Clown" (first aired February 12, 1995).
In The Simpsons episode "Mother Simpson" (first aired November 19, 1995), Abe Simpson says "Now, Johnny Unitas ... there's a haircut you could set your watch to!" when comparing Joe Namath's hair to Unitas' trademark flattop.
In 1999, Unitas was an extra in Runaway Bride. He can be seen about 25 minutes into the movie sitting on the bench outside the bakery.
In 2000, Unitas was featured in the movie Any Given Sunday as the head coach of the fictional Dallas Knights.
19th Street in the city of Ocean City, Maryland, is renamed Johnny Unitas Way. The street sign is blue and has the Colts' horseshoe logo.
For the game following his death, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning requested to wear a pair of black cleats as a tribute to Johnny's signature black boots that he wore. The league denied his request and threatened Manning with a $25,000 fine. Manning decided not to wear them. Ravens QB Chris Redman wore the cleats without asking permission and was fined only $5000.
Stephen Decatur High School went through a remodeling in