76 Facts About Johnny Unitas

John Constantine Unitas was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts.

Johnny Unitas 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.

Johnny Unitas was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Johnny Unitas led the league in fourth quarter comebacks in six seasons, more than any other quarterback.

John Constantine Unitas was born during the Great Depression on May 7,1933, in Pittsburgh to Francis J Unitas and Helen Superfisky, the third of four children.

Johnny Unitas grew up in the Mount Washington neighborhood with a Catholic upbringing.

When Johnny Unitas was five years old, his father died of cardiovascular renal disease complicated by pneumonia, leaving the young boy and his siblings to be raised by their mother.

Johnny Unitas continued the coal delivery business, and worked as an office cleaner four nights a week, from 10 pm to 6 am.

At St Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Johnny Unitas played halfback and quarterback, becoming the best quarterback in the Catholic "B" League, under coach Max Carey.

Hundreds of fans would come to his games to watch Johnny Unitas throw his "jump pass", which could be as far as 60 yards in the air.

Johnny Unitas completed 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns.

In 1952, the team's motto was, "Johnny Unitas We Stand, Divided We Fall".

Johnny Unitas maintained his by taking on a new elective: square dancing.

Johnny Unitas completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnny Unitas completed 106 of 198 passes for 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Johnny Unitas completed 9 out of 19 passes for 73 yards, rushed 9 times for 52 yards, returned six kickoffs for 85 yards, fielded one 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 Johnny Unitas made a fake pitch to the running back and ran the ball 23 yards for a touchdown.

When one of his teammates was injured in the third quarter, Johnny Unitas lifted him up and carried the injured man off the field.

Johnny Unitas himself was hurt later in the fourth quarter while trying to run the ball, and was helped off the field.

Johnny Unitas completed 49 of 95 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns.

Johnny Unitas was elected captain for the 1954 season, but due to an early injury did not see much playing time.

Johnny Unitas's first start was the third game of the season, against Florida State.

Johnny Unitas was slowed by so many injuries his senior year his 527 passing yards ended second to Jim Houser's 560.

Steelers' head coach Walt Kiesling had made up his mind about Johnny Unitas; he thought he was not smart enough to quarterback an NFL team, and he was not given any snaps in practice with the Steelers.

In 1956, Johnny 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 steelworker with a life much like Johnny Unitas, at the latter's scheduled Colts tryout.

Johnny Unitas threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in the season finale that started his record 47-game streak.

At season's end, Johnny Unitas received the Jim Thorpe Trophy as the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.

Johnny Unitas continued his prowess in 1958 passing for 2,007 yards and 19 touchdowns as the Colts won the Western Conference title.

In 1959, Johnny Unitas was named the NFL's MVP by the Associated Press for the first time, as well as United Press International's player of the year, after leading the NFL in passing yards, touchdown passes, and completions.

Johnny Unitas was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the AP and UPI for a second time.

Johnny Unitas resumed his torrid passing in 1965, throwing for 2,530 yards, 23 touchdowns and finishing with a league-high and career-best 97.1 passer rating.

In winning his third MVP award from the AP and UPI in 1967, Johnny Unitas had a league-high 58.5 completion percentage and passed for 3,428 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Johnny Unitas openly complained about having tennis elbow and he threw eight interceptions and only three touchdown passes in the final five games.

Johnny Unitas wrote in his autobiography that he felt his arm was initially injured by the use of the "night ball" that the NFL was testing for better TV visibility during night games.

Johnny Unitas would spend most of the season sitting on the bench.

Johnny Unitas's insertion was a desperation move in an attempt to retrieve dominance of the NFL over the upstart AFL.

Johnny Unitas helped put together the Colts' only score, a touchdown late in the game.

Johnny Unitas threw for 390 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in AFC playoff victories over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders.

In 1971, Johnny Unitas split playing time with Morrall, throwing only three touchdown passes.

Johnny Unitas came onto the field and threw two passes, one of which was a long touchdown to wide receiver Eddie Hinton which would be his last pass as a Colt.

Johnny Unitas was traded from the Colts to the San Diego Chargers on January 20,1973, in a transaction that originally had future considerations returning to Baltimore.

Eager to sever all ties with the Colts, Johnny Unitas signed a new two-year contract with the Chargers on June 8,1973.

Johnny Unitas succeeded John Hadl who had requested and was granted a trade to the Rams.

Johnny Unitas threw for just 55 yards and three interceptions and was sacked five times.

Johnny Unitas threw two first-half interceptions, passed for only 19 yards, and went 2-for-9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Johnny Unitas was then replaced by rookie quarterback and future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts.

Johnny Unitas won three NFL championships, and three MVP awards.

Johnny Unitas was first-team All Pro five times, and second team All-Pro three times.

Johnny Unitas was the league's passing yards leader four times, led the NFL in touchdown passes four times and led the NFL in passer rating twice.

Johnny Unitas led the NFL in fourth quarter comebacks six times, more than any other quarterback.

Johnny Unitas is credited with laying the foundation for the two-minute drill.

Johnny Unitas's 47-game consecutive touchdown streak between 1956 and 1960 was a record considered by many to be unbreakable.

Johnny Unitas led the league in touchdown passes from 1957 to 1960.

Johnny Unitas finished his 18 NFL seasons with 2,830 completions in 5,186 attempts for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, with 253 interceptions.

Johnny Unitas 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 and prior to modern passing-friendly rules implemented in 1978.

Johnny Unitas was selected to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1960s, the NFL's 50th Anniversary Team, the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Johnny Unitas was selected Player of the Decade for the 1960s, and named "Greatest Player in the First 50 Years of Pro Football".

Johnny Unitas played his entire career in what is sometimes called the "dead ball" era, before the 1978 NFL rule changes made to favor passing offense.

Johnny Unitas once said that Bears coach George Halas offered $500 to any player knocking Johnny Unitas out of the game.

Johnny Unitas' nose was busted and blood was pouring out; he would have a scar on the bridge of his nose for the rest of his life.

The trainers could not stanch the bleeding, and Johnny Unitas refused to leave the game.

Johnny Unitas scooped up mud from the field and gave it to offensive lineman Alex Sandusky who shoved it into Unitas' nostrils.

Johnny Unitas continued the game, throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Lenny Moore for a Colts victory.

Johnny Unitas said Unitas was the greatest of all the great players of that time, and the best player Adkins played against because Unitas was so tough.

Johnny Unitas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.

Johnny Unitas asked the Pro Football Hall of Fame on numerous occasions to remove his display unless it was listed as belonging to the Baltimore Colts.

Johnny Unitas donated his Colts memorabilia to the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore.

Johnny Unitas was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.

Johnny Unitas actively lobbied for another NFL team to come to Baltimore.

Johnny Unitas was often seen on the 30-yard line on the Ravens side.

Toward the end of his life, Johnny Unitas brought media attention to the many permanent physical disabilities that he and his fellow players suffered during their careers before heavy padding and other safety features became popular.

Johnny Unitas had both knees replaced because of an injury in a 1963 Bears game.

Johnny Unitas sought league financed disability payments, but was refused because he was receiving a pension and had not sought disability by age 55, even though the severe hand problem did not arise until he was 60.

On September 11,2002, Johnny Unitas died from a heart attack while exercising at the Kernan Physical Therapy Center in Baltimore.

Johnny Unitas's funeral was held at Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore.

Johnny Unitas was buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.