became the high priest, the Man with the Golden Arm.Įvery kid wanted to wear No.

So we talked about how he came out of coal country and went to Louisville, where they later named streets and dorms and statues after him how he went back to Western Pennsylvania, drafted by the Steelers how they cut him and sent him home with just bus fare, him and another guy. He died when he could no longer throw a ball with no ripple. In a way, he died back when his right hand began to become useless after the beating he stoically took in the League. with Andy and Steve when the word came in that Johnny U. Happened to be doing a radio show in D.C. threw for 290 TDs and 40,000 yards back when rules didn't favor for the passer, back in the era of Jim Brown, when the third leg of the three-legged stool of Unitas, Brown and Rozelle helped make the NFL what it is, the ultimate platform of men who play a game of quiet desperation. came Starr, Dawson, Namath, Bradshaw, Staubach, Montana, Marino, Simms, Williams, Young, Elway, Favre, now Brady.

There had been quarterbacks of note before Johnny Unitas, but not with his story, none who threw such a beautiful ball, such perfect ropes to such timeless, agile targets at Raymond Berry and Lenny Moore none who led two drives of such quiet desperation in the game they called the Greatest, in '58 against the Giants in Yankee Stadium none whose play-passes made Pete Rozelle go, 'Hmm.' None who better personified pro football, who gave Pete Rozelle something to market - the field general who led last-minute drives of quiet desperation while stoically throwing balls with no ripple. And the defensive grunts in the old, three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust NFL. Pete Rozelle noticed first, as did the people of Baltimore. In a world and from a man of imperfections, perfect spirals.

Field general 2 game