 Unitas with the Baltimore Colts in 1963 | |||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Quarterback | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | May 7, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | September 11, 2002 (aged 69) Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 194 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | St. Justin's (Pittsburgh) | ||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Louisville (1951–1954) | ||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1955 / round: 9 / pick: 102 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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John Constantine Unitas (/juːˈnaɪtəs/;[a] May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002) was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts. Nicknamed "Johnny U" and "the Golden Arm", Unitas was considered the prototype of the modern era marquee quarterback and is regarded as one of the greatest NFL players of all time.[3]
During his professional career from 1956 to 1973, Unitas set many NFL records and was named Most Valuable Player three times in 1959, 1964, and 1967, in addition to receiving 10 Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro honors. He helped lead the Colts to four championship titles; three in the pre-merger era in 1958, 1959, and 1968, and one in the Super Bowl era in Super Bowl V. His first championship victory is regarded as one of the league's greatest games and is credited with helping popularize the NFL. Between 1956 and 1960, he set the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 47, which held for 52 years. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
Unitas is one of only six players to be named to the NFL's 50th, 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, one of the others being his Baltimore Colts teammate Gino Marchetti. He led the league in fourth quarter comebacks in six seasons, more than any other quarterback. He is credited with perfecting the two-minute drill.[4]
- ^ "Bio". johnnyunitas.com. Archived from the original on June 23, 2019. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
- ^ "Johnny Unitas". lithhof.org. Archived from the original on November 29, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
- ^ Clayton, John (January 19, 2010). "Playoffs raise historical stakes". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on November 25, 2015. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
- ^ Nack, William (May 7, 2001). "The Wrecking Yard". Sports Illustrated.
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