Johnny Unitas: America's Quarterback

From Booklist
Anyone who saw Unitas play quarterback in his salad days--an era when quarterbacks called their own plays, and "roughing the passer" was the goal of the defense rather than grounds for a 15-yard penalty--uses him as the benchmark by which all other quarterbacks are judged. Veteran sports journalist Sahadi combines game accounts and interviews with teammates and coaches to tell Unitas' story, which makes ideal fodder for the daydreams of aspiring athletes: skinny kid gets cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers, plays semipro ball for a year, gets a second chance with the Baltimore Colts, and rides to the rescue--and immortality--when the starter gets hurt. He also recounts Unitas' last years, when surgery left his formerly golden right arm virtually useless and the National Football League turned its back on his medical issues. Pro-football fans of a certain age will relish every word of this biography, which asks us to celebrate a skinny kid who threw touchdown passes in 47 straight games and will always be known as America's quarterback. Wes Lukowsky
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved


Book Description
Johnny Unitas was and forever will be the quintessential football hero. He was a fearless competitor and a legendary leader. His crewcut, black, high-topped shoes, and golden arm are forever etched in our minds as symbols of greatness for a league he led to prominence. But Unitas’ road to stardom was filled with adversity that helped shape him as a football player and as a man. Johnny Unitas: America’s Quarterback is the only work of its kind that adequately explores both the heroic and human sides of an American legend.


From the Inside Flap
Sports Illustrated triumphantly hailed Johnny Unitas as "The Greatest There Ever Was." And the incomparable Baltimore Colts quarterback was certainly just that, as evidenced by the accolades that poured in from all over the country upon his death on September 11, 2002—two years after he was selected as the quarterback of the All-Time NFL Team by the Hall of Fame selection committee. Unitas virtually ushered the National Football League into the American consciousness, laying the groundwork for the tremendous global success it enjoys today. In an age when defenses were allowed to run wild and unrestrained, he was the picture of fearlessness. In fact, no other quarterback before or since struck as much fear into the hearts of defenders, as he would courageously stand in the pocket and methodically pick teams apart with his golden arm and unshakeable demeanor. There has never been a complete biography of this fascinating icon—until now. Johnny Unitas: America’s Quarterback is the ultimate biography by an author who walked the streets the great quarterback grew up on, interviewed scores of people who knew him intimately—including family, friends, and colleagues both inside and outside the NFL—and produced a comprehensive and authoritative picture of an American legend. The book is also unique in including a never-before-published interview with Unitas himself, an unusual treasure given his reserved nature and reluctance to be in the spotlight. Johnny Unitas poignantly chronicles John Constantine Unitas’ unlikely path from the Pennsylvania coal mines to NFL superstardom. It eloquently tells the inspirational story of an undersized and overlooked long shot that paid off. Nothing was ever handed to young John Unitas, and he had to work particularly hard for every chance he ever got in life. But he did more than make the most of his chances, and by the time he was leading the Baltimore Colts to multiple NFL championships, he had earned heroic stature for both his athletic abilities and leadership qualities. As a quarterback, Johnny Unitas was a true American idol the likes of which we have not seen since. As a man, he was a respectful, private person who captured a nation’s imagination. Johnny Unitas is the first book to accurately examine both characters: the quarterback and the man.


About the Author
Lou Sahadi is one of the country's most prolfic sports authors. He has collaborated on the official autobiographies of Len Dawson, Don Shula, Hank Stram, and Willie Mays. Johnny Unitas: America's Quarterback is his 20th book. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida.


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Johnny Unitas won his fame in leading the Colts to a 23-17 win over the New York Giants in the 1958 "greatest game ever played." From humble beginnings in Depression-era Pittsburgh, he found his niche in Baltimore, leading the Colts to two more National Football League (NFL) titles. In 17 seasons with the Colts and Chargers, he won Hall of Fame honors and records and also was named the All-Time NFL team's quarterback. Sadly, his final years were marked by illness, bankruptcy, and displeasure with the current game before his death in 2002. Sahadi (Autobiography of Willie Mays) gives Johnny U a glowing portrait that is suitable for popular collections, especially in the Baltimore area.-Morey Berger, St. Joseph's Hosp. Lib., Tucson Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.


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