JOHNNY UNITAS
Name: Johnny Unitas
Born: May 7, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died: September 11, 2002 Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
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. 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)
is unsurpassed. He is widely considered the greatest quaterback in NFL history.
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.
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, 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 repeatedly broken.
He is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.
The gravesite of Johnny Unitas, Timonium, Maryland.
Name: Johnny Unitas
Born: May 7, 1933 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died: September 11, 2002 Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
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. 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)
is unsurpassed. He is widely considered the greatest quaterback in NFL history.
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.
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, 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 repeatedly broken.
He is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium, Maryland.
The gravesite of Johnny Unitas, Timonium, Maryland.