3 Reasons Why Johnny Unitas Has GOAT Status
When it comes to the National Football League, the phrase “greatest of all time” is thrown around with legends like Jerry Rice, Jim Brown, and Ray Lewis, but everyone knows that quarterbacks dominate the conversation. Joe Montana, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady are among the best of the best, based on various metrics, but old school gunslingers are often forgotten from the conversation. Johnny Unitas is amongst the greatest quarterbacks of all time because of the records he set, the way he was a game changer, and because of his revered stature.
Johnny Unitas was the original record book-writing quarterback of the NFL. Unitas, quarterback of the then-Baltimore Colts, first joined the team in 1957 and remained a Colt until 1972 (He would then play one year in San Diego before retiring). Despite being an old school quarterback, he is considered the purest passer of both his era and the modern era. When compared to his contemporaries and those who came shortly after, Unitas was miles ahead. In 1959, Unitas’ 32 touchdowns were twelve more than the next closest player, Detroit’s Bobby Layne with 20. From 1950–1970, Unitas was the number one passer by over 8000 yards and a 44 touchdown margin, with Sonny Jurgesen being the next closest person. Unitas maintained the all-time yard record through 1975 by 1400 yards and trailed Fran Tarkenton by only one all-time touchdown. Even by 1990, Tarkenton was still the only person ranked ahead of Unitas with touchdowns, and Dan Fouts surpassed him in yards in 1987, but the former played 36 more games and the latter benefitted from Don Coryell’s high-flying “Air Coryell” offense. Over that same span, the former Colt ranked 21st overall in yards per game, an incredible feat considering how much the game had changed since his retirement. In almost every percentage category from touchdown to interception to completion, Unitas ranked top 15 or better all-time through 1980. One of the greatest records in all of sports was the consecutive touchdown pass streak, and Johnny Unitas threw a touchdown in forty-seven straight games at a time when the offenses were run-oriented. Drew Brees would break his record in 2012, but by the 21st century, the game had drastically changed to a pass-happy league. Unitas was on top of his game when statistics like his were simply sensational, while Brees’ record came when high stats were expected. The record stood for a near half century, and when someone owns a record of that magnitude, it is never truly broken, simply retired.
Additionally, Unitas is the inventor of many aspects that are a part of the game today. In the modern NFL, the game is a passing league, but in the fifties and sixties, defense and running backs took precedence over signal callers. Unitas effectively pioneered the passing game and was ahead of his time. He invented the three and five step drops that are so ingrained in the game now that people tend to overlook them as basics. The most notable Johnny Unitas staple, however, was the two-minute drill. In 1958, Unitas reached legendary status in that year’s NFL championship game that made the NFL well known, dubbed “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” In that game against the New York Football Giants, Unitas led his Colts down the field as time ran out in the fourth quarter for the game tying field goal. He then would repeat the feat in the first overtime game ever, ending it with a touchdown run by his halfback. No one had ever seen the quarterback march his team like a field general to score is such a quick and efficient manner. To this day, Unitas ranks eighth in all-time game-winning drives (38 total) and fourth in 4th quarter comebacks (34 total), behind only Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees.
Finally, Johnny Unitas is still honored by those who know of his legacy. Johnny U, as he was affectionately known, was the father of modern quarterbacking. The eighties had Dan Marino and Joe Montana, and the modern era claims Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Drew Brees as flashy signal callers, but every single one of these legends has Unitas to thank for paving the way for quarterbacks. Without Unitas, there would be no records for Dan Marino to break, and without Marino’s records, then Manning and Brees would be nowhere. Without Unitas, there would be no two-minute offense for Montana, Manning, and Brady to master, thusly no fourth quarter comebacks. The old school quarterback was so beloved by the city of Baltimore that a statue was erected in his honor, and when people spoke of the late, great Unitas, they were in awe of his game.
All in all, many great quarterbacks have come and gone, but few have impacted the game with records, innovation, and legacy like Johnny Unitas. The Golden Boy is the gold standard of quarterbacking for good reason: he was the first to truly be great.
