Johnny Unitas

John Constantine Unitas
Born: May 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Died: Sep. 11, 2002
 
Hall of Fame Professional Football Player. Played 19 years (1955 to 1973), 18 with the Baltimore Colts, and one with the San Diego Chargers. Considered by most to be the greatest quaterback of all time. He broke nearly every NFL passing record and won three championships with the Baltimore Colts in an 18 year career. In 1958 and 1959 he led the Baltimore Colts to NFL championships and in 1970 to the Superbowl. Twice he was voted Most Valuable Player (1964 and 1967). In 1979, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

In 1993 after suffering a heart attack, he had triple bypass surgery. On September 11, 2002, while exercising at a fitness facility in Maryland he suffered a heart attack and died. He was 69 years old. His uniform number, 19, was retired by the Baltimore Colts. 

Without a doubt, it was his last-second heroics in the 1958 NFL title game, often called "the greatest game ever played," that turned Johnny Unitas into a household name. The New York Giants, with two minutes to play, were leading, 17-14, when the Colts started a last-gasp drive at their own 14. - Mr. Clutch - went coolly to work with seven straight passes that set up a game-tying field goal with seven seconds left. Unitas then engineered a textbook perfect 80-yard march to win the game in overtime.