Johnny Unitas - Legacy

Legacy

  • Unitas held the record for most Pro Bowl appearances (10) by a quarterback until Brett Favre broke his record in 2009.
  • Unitas set the original standard for most wins as a starting quarterback with 118 regular season victories (since surpassed by Fran Tarkenton, Dan Marino, John Elway, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, and Tom Brady).
  • Unitas was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979.
  • 1987 American Football Association Semi Pro Hall of Fame
  • Johnny Unitas' #16 is the only number retired by the football program at the University of Louisville.
  • Unitas Tower, a dormitory at the University of Louisville, is named for Johnny Unitas.
  • A statue of Johnny Unitas sits in the north end zone of Papa John's Cardinal Stadium at the University of Louisville. It is tradition for each Cardinal player to touch the statue as he enters the field.
  • Since 1987, the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award has been awarded to the top senior quarterback of the current year in college football. The award is presented annually in Louisville.
  • In 1999, he was ranked No. 5 on "The Sporting News'" list of the The Sporting News - Football's 100 Greatest Players|100 Greatest Football Players, behind only Joe Montana among quarterbacks.
  • In 2004, The Sporting News ranked Unitas No. 1 among the NFL's 50 Greatest Quarterbacks, with Joe Montana at No. 2.
  • In 1999, ESPN's Sportscentury: 50 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century ranked Unitas #32
  • Just before his death, Johnny Unitas became the community liaison for athletics in Towson, Maryland. The football stadium at Towson University was renamed Johnny Unitas Stadium in 2002. Unitas died less than a week after throwing his last pass in the grand opening of the stadium.
  • Set the record for consecutive games with at least one touchdown pass at 47 games. This record was surpassed by Drew Brees in 2012.
  • Set the record for consecutive games with at least two touchdown passes at 12 games. This record was surpassed by Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Aaron Rodgers with 13.
  • Unitas' grandson, J.C. Unitas, was a junior quarterback at Villanova University. He currently attends the University of Tampa.
  • Tied with Kurt Warner for most consecutive games with at least a 120 passer rating (4)

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Famous quotes containing the word legacy:

    “What is popularly called fame is nothing but an empty name and a legacy from paganism.”
    —Desiderius Erasmus (c. 1466–1536)