Johnny Unitas was born 75 years ago today, May 7, 1933. In my view, Johnny U. was the greatest quarterback of all time.
When OldCleat was growing up, there was no doubt who the best quarterback in NFL history was. It was Johnny U. When he retired, he held the career marks for most seasons leading the league in TD passes, most touchdown passes, most yards gained passing, most passes attempted and most passes completed. He was top five in the NFL in yards per pass in 11 different seasons. He was first team All-Pro in five seasons. He went to 10 Pro Bowls. The Favres and Marinos and Montanas and Elways and Mannings be damned, I still think Johnny U. is the greatest.
In the first round of the 1955 NFL Draft, the first selection overall, the Baltimore Colts selected George Shaw of Oregon. In the ninth round that year, 102nd overall, the Colts selected Johnny U.
Here are some other facts.
The second QB taken in the first round of the 1955 draft was Notre Dame's Ralph Gugliemi, by the Washington Redskins. Then, in the seventh round, the Cardinals selected Ohio State's Dave Leggett.
The Steelers in 1955 drafted quarterback and punter Vic Eaton out of Missouri. Eaton made the squad. Unitas was cut.
The Green Bay Packers in the 16th round of the draft, 185th overall, selected quarterback Charlie Brackens out of Prairie View. Brackens made the Packers, played in one game, and was the third African-American player to play quarterback in the NFL.
The two quarterbacks on the 1955 Steelers were Jim Finks, who later became a Hall of Famer as a GM, and Ted Marchibroda, who had two different stints as the Colts head coach. Finks was a Pro Bowl quarterback in 1952.
The card image is from MacCauley Sports Cards.
thankyouverymuch,
OldCleat
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