John Constantine Unitas

Edit Table Data

	Happy Birthday May 7, 1933
	Birthplace United States
	Age Died at 69
	Birth Sign Taurus

Bio Graphy Block

<p>It was in 1933, in Pittburgh Pennsylvania that the football world would change forever, even if it wouldn&rsquo;t be realized for many years. John Constantine Unitas was born to Leon Unitas and Helen Superfisky, but by the time Johnny was five years old, his father would die of cardiovascular renal disease, causing him to be raised by his mother who would be forced to work two jobs in order to support her family. Unitas would attend high school and play on the team as a quarterback, and after high school, he would begin to seek an opportunity to play college ball. The University of Louisville gave him the chance he needed, and Unitas departed Pennsylvania to seek his future in the great state of Kentucky.It was in 1933, in Pittburgh Pennsylvania that the football world would change forever, even if it wouldn&rsquo;t be realized for many years. John Constantine Unitas was born to Leon Unitas and Helen Superfisky, but by the time Johnny was five years old, his father would die of cardiovascular renal disease, causing him to be raised by his mother who would be forced to work two jobs in order to support her family. Unitas would attend high school and play on the team as a quarterback, and after high school, he would begin to seek an opportunity to play college ball. The University of Louisville gave him the chance he needed, and Unitas departed Pennsylvania to seek his future in the great state of Kentucky. Unitas had an outstanding career at Louisville, but in 1952, the new president of the university, Dr. Philip Grand Davidson reduced the funding to the athletic programs and installed stricter academic standards for athletes. With that being the case, fifteen players failed to meet those standards and lost their scholarship. Unitas, however, would take on square dancing as an elective, and thereby kept his scholarship. From there on out, his career became even more impressive, helping to bring wins against top schools like Wayne State and Florida State. During his sophomore year at Louisville, Unitas completed 106 of 198 passes.</p>
<h2>Most Known For</h2>
<p>Unitas is remembered as the league&rsquo;s best player, perhaps being partially responsible for the NFL&rsquo;s return to Baltimore (The Ravens), where he often stood on the sidelines during their games. As his life drew to a close, Unitas would draw heavy attention to the permanent physical injuries that both he and his fellow players would endure in their careers before the introduction of heavy padding.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2>Where Are They Now</h2>
<p>On September 11, 2002, Unitas suffered a heart attack that claimed his life while undergoing treatment at the Kernan Physical Therapy Center. A statue of him was erected in front of a stadium named in his honor, ensuring that he will always be remembered. He is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, Timonium, Maryland. Image Credit: &nbsp;istockphoto.com &nbsp;</p>
<h2>Career Accomplishments</h2>
<p>Following college, Unitas was drafted by the <a href="http://www.steelers.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pittsburgh Steelers</a>, but he was released before the&nbsp; beginning of the season due to three other quarterbacks attempting to fill the spots. The head coach for the Steelers believed that Unitas was not smart enough to fill the quarterback spot, and therefore failed to give Unitas a chance. At this point, Unitas left the pro football scene and married. He worked construction, and played football on the weekends for a local semi-professional team. In 1956 Unitas managed to join the Baltimore Colts, and there were some rough patches in the beginning. For example, during a game against the Chicago Bears his first pass was intercepted and he even managed to fumble during a play. He did manage to recover however, and from there on out, his career was solidified, particularly in 1958. Playing for the Colts in 1958, Unitas&nbsp; helped to defeat the New York Giants 23-17 in a sudden death overtime. While this might not sound like a big deal today, there had never been an overtime in NFL history&nbsp; until that day. When this game is referred to, it is called &lsquo;The Greatest Game Ever Played&rsquo;. In fact, this game is generally referenced as the reason for the rise in the popularity of football in the 60&rsquo;s. Unitas went on to earn several awards including his first MVP in 1959. Unfortunately, the Colts&rsquo; success began to decline in the early 1960&rsquo;s, but Unitas would win a second MVP, finishing with 2,824 yards passing. Unitas won a third MVP in 1967, at which point he began to complain of &lsquo;tennis elbow&rsquo;. In the last game of the 1968 pre-season Unitas suffered an injury when hit by a member of the Dallas Cowboys defense , causing him to spend the rest of the season sitting on the bench. In Super Bowl III, Unitas came off the bench, and even managed to rebound later with a considerable amount of physical therapy. Unitas left the colts in 1973 after being traded&nbsp; to the San Diego Chargers, though he was arguably past his prime. Unitas ended up retiring in 1974 after 18 season in the NFL, his stats being as follow:</p>
<ul>
<li>2,830 Completions</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>290 Touchdowns</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>253 Interceptions</li>
</ul>
<p>In addition to that he was the first quarterback to throw more than 40,000 yards, which is impressive in an era when NFL teams played shorter seasons. Though Unitas had a good run, all things must come to an end, and in his post-football days, he settled in Baltimore to raise his family. He immediately pursued a career in broadcasting, and would do commentary for NFL games on CBS. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979 and following that, he was inducted into the American Football Association&rsquo;s Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.</p>

Net Worth Block