John Constantine Unitas (/juːˈnaɪtᵻs/; May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002), nicknamed "Johnny U", or "The Golden Arm", was an American professional football player from the 1950s through the 1970s. He spent the majority of his career playing for the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football League's most valuable player in 1959, 1964 and 1967. For 52 years he held the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (which he set between 1956–1960), until New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees broke his long standing record on October 7, 2012. Unitas was the prototype of the modern era marquee quarterback with a strong passing game, media fanfare, and widespread popularity. He has been consistently listed as one of the greatest NFL players of all time.

Early life

John Constantine Unitas was born to Francis J. Unitas and Helen Superfisky, who both were of Lithuanian descent, in Pittsburgh, in 1933, and grew up in the Mount Washington neighborhood. His father died when Johnny was five years old of cardiovascular renal disease complicated by pneumonia, and he was raised by his mother, who worked two jobs to support the family. His unusual surname was a result of a phonetic transliteration of a common Lithuanian last name Jonaitis. Attending St. Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Unitas played halfback and quarterback. After high school, Unitas looked for an opportunity to play college football.