[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 126 (Tuesday, October 1, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H6859-H6862]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING JOHNNY UNITAS AND EXTENDING CONDOLENCES TO HIS FAMILY ON HIS 
                                PASSING

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 538), honoring Johnny Unitas and extending 
condolences to his family on his passing.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 538

       Whereas, as a member of the Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas' 
     leadership and passing skills helped change the game of 
     football;
       Whereas throughout his life, Unitas defined humility, 
     grace, and determination;
       Whereas in 1955 Unitas played for the love of the sport of 
     football, earning just $6 per game as a player in the Greater 
     Pittsburgh Football League;
       Whereas Unitas led the Baltimore Colts over the New York 
     Giants for the 1958 NFL championship in what came to be known 
     as ``The Greatest Game Ever Played'' and quarterbacked the 
     Colts to a 2nd consecutive title in 1959;
       Whereas Unitas threw a touchdown pass in the Colts victory 
     over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V;

[[Page H6860]]

       Whereas when Unitas retired from the NFL in 1974, he held 
     22 NFL records, including the record of 47 consecutive games 
     with a touchdown pass;
       Whereas Unitas was named Player of the Year in 1959, 1964, 
     and 1967, and played in 10 Pro Bowls;
       Whereas Unitas completed 2,830 of 5,186 passes for 40,239 
     yards and 290 touchdowns during his career;
       Whereas Unitas was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame 
     in 1979;
       Whereas Unitas was named the ``Greatest Player in the First 
     50 Years of Pro Football'', and named to the NFL's 75th 
     Anniversary Team;
       Whereas throughout his career Unitas played for the love of 
     the game, his city, and its fans;
       Whereas Unitas established the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm 
     Educational Foundation, supported cystic fibrosis research, 
     and with his wife Sandra, sought to assist victims of sexual 
     assault and domestic violence; and
       Whereas Unitas' compassion and sense of charity gave hope 
     to those in need in Baltimore and throughout the Nation: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) celebrates the remarkable life of Johnny Unitas and his 
     indelible impression on the City of Baltimore;
       (2) honors him for his leadership, sportsmanship, and 
     outstanding achievements on the football field;
       (3) recognizes his remarkable spirit and tireless work to 
     improve the lives of those in need; and
       (4) extends its heartfelt condolences to the family of 
     Johnny Unitas on his passing.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).


                             General Leave

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on House Resolution 538.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Oklahoma?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider House Resolution 
538, important legislation introduced by my distinguished colleague, 
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich). This resolution celebrates 
the life and achievements of the greatest quarterback who ever lived, 
Johnny Unitas.
  Johnny Unitas passed away suddenly last month at the age of 69. He 
may be gone but his greatness on the football field will never be 
forgotten. Unitas played 17 seasons for the Baltimore Colts. He led the 
Colts to three NFL championships and held nearly every NFL passing 
record at the time of his retirement in 1973. He was the first 
quarterback to throw over 40,000 yards in a career and holds the record 
for throwing a touchdown pass in an incredible 47 consecutive games, 
nearly a 4-year span of games. But numbers alone do not adequately tell 
the story of his greatness on the football field.
  Considered the ultimate team leader, Unitas is credited with 
inventing the 2-minute drill, leading the Colts to many victories in 
the final seconds of the game. His most famous game-winning drive came 
in 1958 when he led the Colts on an 80-yard drive in a sudden death 
overtime to beat the Giants for the NFL championship. To this day the 
1958 championship game is known as the greatest game ever played. His 
composure and courage on the field were legendary. Former teammate John 
Mackey, himself a Hall of Famer and considered by many the best tight 
end to have played, once said of Unitas, ``It's like being in the 
huddle with God.''
  Unitas led by example. On a Colts team full of tough, gritty players, 
former teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Art Donovan was asked who he 
considered to be the toughest of all. Without hesitation Donovan said 
``Unitas, because he took the punishment. And never said a word about 
it.''
  After his football career ended in 1973, Unitas made Baltimore his 
home. The city loved and admired Unitas not only for his toughness and 
ability on the field but for his humanity. Even though he was revered 
by millions, he was a humble and gracious man. At his funeral mass in 
Baltimore, his youngest daughter, Paige, spoke of her father's 
tenderness. When she once grew impatient with fans seeking his 
autograph, Unitas told her, ``It takes so little to make people 
smile.'' He was untiring in his work for charity, including supporting 
research for leukemia, cystic fibrosis, and prostate cancer. Also, he 
formed the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Educational Foundation to provide 
financial assistance to underprivileged and deserving young scholar-
athletes.
  Johnny Unitas may have left us too soon, but his legend will live on. 
The sight of a hunched-over Johnny U., No. 19, slowly walking off the 
field at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium in his black high-topped shoes 
after throwing a touchdown pass will be etched in the memories of 
football fans for years to come. We offer condolences to Unitas's 
family and celebrate the life of the greatest quarterback who ever 
played the game, Johnny Unitas. Mr. Speaker, I ask all Members to 
support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
might consume.
  National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue said, ``Unitas 
epitomized football, the enduring values of toughness and competition, 
and he epitomized this community and America.''

                              {time}  1745

  Johnny Unitas, the Hall of Fame quarterback who broke nearly every 
National Football League passing record and won three championships 
with the Baltimore Colts in an 18-year career, died of a heart attack 
in Baltimore on September 11.
  Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1933, Johnny Unitas was raised 
in a working-class family during the Depression. His father, a coal 
delivery man, died when he was 5, and his mother worked two jobs to 
raise four kids.
  Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1979, 
Unitas retired after the 1973 season with 22 National Football League 
records, among them marks for the most passes attempted and completed, 
most yards gained passing, most touchdown passes, and most seasons 
leading the league in touchdown passes.
  Unitas was voted the Most Valuable Player in 1964 and in 1967, and 
played in 10 Pro Bowls. He led Baltimore to the National Football 
League championship in 1958, 1959, and the Super Bowl in 1970. He was 
named the Greatest Player in the First 50 Years of Pro Football, and 
was named to the National Football League's 75th anniversary team.
  This long list of accomplishments stems from a player who hitchhiked 
home from his first National Football League training camp after the 
Pittsburgh Steelers cut him in 1955. He spent that season playing 
semipro football on rock-and-glass covered fields in Pittsburgh for $6 
a game and working as a pile driver at a construction site.
  At his induction in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Unitas said, ``A 
man never gets this station in life without being helped, aided, 
shoved, pushed and prodded to do better. I want to be honest with you: 
the players I played with and the coaches I had, they are directly 
responsible for my being here. I want you all to remember that. I 
always will.''
  Those who helped, aided, shoved, pushed and prodded him to do better, 
the players he played with and the coaches, as well as those who simply 
enjoyed watching him play the game of football, will always remember 
him and his contributions to the sport. His comments epitomize the 
career of Johnny Unitas, who was always giving credit to others for 
helping to make him the star that he was.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge Members to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich).
  Mr. EHRLICH. Mr. Speaker, we have heard about the numbers, about the 
greatest game ever played; and I just spoke with the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cardin) about what a sad day it was at the funeral.
  But I have a quick story about my friend and constituent. A couple 
years ago, Johnny Unitas was doing an event for me and the Q&A time 
came. The question was, ``Mr. Unitas, if you were playing today, how 
much money would you be making?''

[[Page H6861]]

  The gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) will appreciate this. 
Johnny thought for a second and said, ``About 3 million bucks.''
  There was a murmur in the crowd, and they were all thinking 3 million 
bucks for Johnny U, and that players get $100 million contracts these 
days and so the questioner said, ``Aren't you really underselling 
yourself, the greatest quarterback who ever played?''
  Johnny thought for a second and said, ``Well, I am 66 years old.''
  Mr. Speaker, I have told that story a lot because it says all one 
needs to know about my friend and my constituent. And as Kendall 
Ehrlich, my wife, always likes to say, the coolest celebrity she has 
ever met because Johnny U. will always be the coolest celebrity one 
could ever meet because he was an ordinary person who was able to 
achieve extraordinary things on the football field and he never took 
himself too seriously. He always had time for whomever wanted an 
autograph or needed help, the charity of the day, the week, the month 
or of the year in Baltimore, the State of Maryland, or in the United 
States of America.
  That was our Johnny U. I will miss him. The people of Baltimore, the 
State of Maryland, United States of America, sports fans around the 
world will miss No. 19.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin).
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, let me pay my respects to Johnny Unitas, what he meant 
as an individual and what he meant to our community. I agree with the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich) and his comments. I feel very 
privileged because I had the opportunity to witness Johnny play at just 
about every one of his home football games in Baltimore.
  During the NFL's 50th anniversary, he was voted the Greatest 
Quarterback of All Times, and clearly he was the greatest quarterback 
of all times on the field. He established just about every record 
during his time, and currently holds the record for throwing a 
touchdown pass in the most consecutive games, a record that is not 
likely to be challenged for a long time to come.
  But that is just half the story about Johnny Unitas. Members know him 
as a great athlete, a person during the time of football when the 
quarterback really controlled the game, called the plays, was 
responsible for the leadership of the team. Johnny Unitas represented 
the best that there was in that regard. He is responsible for getting 
the American public interested in the game of football. He probably is 
responsible for a lot of the high salaries today because of the 
interest on television for football today.
  But the other story is Johnny Unitas the individual, off the field. I 
feel privileged not only to have witnessed him as a great athlete on 
the field, but to see how he worked within our community. He was always 
there to help our community. Baltimore was his adopted home. He came to 
us through other towns, but Baltimore is where he lived his life and 
where he gave back so much to the community. He was responsible for a 
lot of charitable activities. He always worked with young people and 
never turned down a request for an autograph, not because he was 
honored to be asked to give an autograph, but because he did not want 
to disappoint anybody. That was the type of life he lived. He was a 
great individual.
  He will always be remembered as the person who led Baltimore to 
championships, the person who always was on the sidelines during all of 
our games. His number 19, of course, is known by all; but he is clearly 
number one in the hearts of all of the people of the Nation. I thank 
the gentleman for bringing this resolution before us.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Osborne).
  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 538. I was 
fortunate enough to play in several games against Johnny Unitas, I 
guess maybe a better word is ``unfortunate'' because Johnny's team 
always came out on top.
  One time we played in Baltimore, and they had a white horse that ran 
around the field every time Baltimore scored. On that day we almost 
killed the horse because the horse ran around the field 15 to 20 times. 
Johnny was sharp that day, and we were not very good.
  Johnny had a quick release, excellent skills, arm strength and 
accuracy. But as many Members have mentioned, probably his greatest 
attribute was physical toughness because at the time Johnny played, we 
did not have the rules protecting the quarterback that we have today. 
Today players can hardly touch a NFL quarterback, but Johnny took a 
licking for 18 years, and he always got up. I was impressed by his 
leadership and his physical toughness.
  He did not have early NFL success. As was mentioned, he was cut by 
the first team he tried out for. He played semipro football for $6 a 
game, a tough league. Many Members have mentioned the 1958 championship 
game against the Giants, which the Colts won 23 to 17. That was a 
landmark game. I remember watching that game that day. That was the 
game that caught people's attention. That was the game that launched 
the National Football League as it is today.
  Johnny played at a unique time. The top players were paid $10,000 a 
year. When compared to today's salaries, just imagine the difference. 
Most players at that time worked in the off season to make ends meet. 
He had no agent. He had great loyalty to his team and community. He did 
not bounce around for the best deal. He stayed most all of his career 
in one place.
  When he played, there were 36 players on a team. Today there are 53, 
so every one of those 36 players had to contribute. At that time there 
were about one dozen NFL teams. Today there are roughly 30.
  I think today's NFL teams and players owe a lot to Johnny Unitas and 
others like him who played at that time. He was a great humanitarian 
and a great human being. Much has been said about his 22 NFL passing 
records, his three NFL MVPs, his 18 years with one team; but probably 
the greatest credit to Johnny was the fact that he was named the 
greatest NFL player in the first 50 years of the league. Of course, 
that takes in a lot of great players. I urge support of this resolution 
and again would like to offer my condolences to the family and in 
support of Johnny and all that he represents.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I do not have any additional 
requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Maryland for bringing this 
resolution to the floor and giving this House the opportunity to 
express its admiration for this extraordinary athlete and extraordinary 
man.
  We extend our condolences to the Unitas family on the death of Johnny 
Unitas. To us, he was the greatest quarterback to ever play the game of 
football, a man whose toughness and compassion embodied the spirit of 
Baltimore and whose talent on the gridiron made him a legend in his own 
time.
  But he was much more. They know him as a husband and father and had 
the opportunity to share in his extraordinary life.
  We can only hope that the outpouring of admiration from the many 
people who were touched in some way by Johnny Unitas will provide a 
comfort to them in the days ahead. I urge all Members to support this 
resolution.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in favor of H. Res. 538 honoring 
Johnny Unitas and extending condolences to his family on his passing. I 
thank my Maryland colleague and friend Congressman Ehrlich for 
introducing this legislation.
  Johnny Unitas set 22 NFL records, went to 10 pro bowls, was player of 
the year 3 times, and was named Pro Football's Greatest Player in the 
first 50 years. But interestingly, all this came from an inauspicious 
beginning.
  Notre Dame didn't want him because he was thought to be too small. 
Others didn't think he had the smarts to play quarterback. The 
Pittsburgh Steelers drafted and promptly cut him. Later, with the 
Baltimore Colts, Johnny Unitas was put in for their injured starter, 
and his pass was intercepted. On the next two possessions, he fumbled. 
Since the other Colts backup quarterback had decided to go to law 
school, Unitas started the next game. Unitas and the Colts beat the 
Green Bay Packers; then they beat the Cleveland Browns; and so began 
Johnny Unitas's ascendance. Later that very season, he began

[[Page H6862]]

his string of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. That record 
is still unrivaled to this day. And no one has even come close.
  He typified an athletic style that at times seems of a bygone era. He 
was famously hard-working, had a self-effacing manner, and was public 
spirited with an uncanny devotion to his adopted city and fans. With 
his modest style, it was said that one couldn't tell from the way 
Johnny Unitas walked off a football field whether he'd thrown a 
touchdown or an interception. In fact, the photo of him taken moments 
after he threw the game-winning overtime touchdown in the 1958 NFL 
Championship--in what is known as the Greatest Game Ever Played--shows 
Johnny Unitas, head bent, walking toward the Colts bench as if nothing 
much had happened.
  His skills, warmth, charities, and remarkable life have touched 
people far beyond the grid-iron. During his funeral, a small plane 
pulled the same banner that flew above Memorial Stadium on his last 
game in Baltimore. It read: ``Unitas We Stand.''
  He played for the love of the game, his city, and its fans. He was 
Baltimore. Our prayers are with the Unitas family. We all miss you, 
Johnny U.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Johnny 
Unitas--a great football player, a great Baltimorean, and a great human 
being. Johnny Unitas epitomized all that is right about sports, and he 
put Baltimore on the map with his dazzling skill and workmanlike 
attitude.
  Johnny Unitas hitchhiked home from his first training camp in 1955, 
cut from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent that year playing semipro 
ball for $6 a game, and working at a construction site nearby to make 
ends meet. The rest, as they say, is history.
  The Baltimore Colts signed Unitas the next year. He retired after the 
1973 season, setting 22 NFL records, including the most passes 
attempted and completed, most yards gained passing, most touchdown 
passes and most seasons leading the league in TD passes.
  Unitas completed 2,830 of 5,186 passes for 40,239 yards and 290 
touchdowns. He completed at least one touchdown pass in 47 straight 
games, a record not challenged since it was set from 1956-60.
  Johnny Unitas was the Most Valuable Player in 1964 and 1967 and 
played in 10 Pro Bowls. He led Baltimore to the NFL championship in 
1958 and 1959 and the Super Bowl in 1970. On the NFL's 50th anniversary 
in 1969, Unitas was voted the greatest quarterback of all time. He also 
was selected at quarterback for the NFL's All-Time team in 2000 by the 
36 Pro Football Hall of Fame voters.
  To many, including myself, Johnny Unitas was the greatest quarterback 
to play the game. He left an indelible mark on football, Baltimore, and 
this nation.
  Johnny never strayed far from the game. After his retirement in 1973, 
he was a fixture in the Baltimore football scene that he made famous, 
watching the Baltimore Colts move to Indianapolis and the Ravens take 
their place.
  Johnny was famous for saying, ``Talk is cheap. Let's go play.'' I 
believe this is advice we could all afford to heed.
  On September 11, at the age of 69, Johnny Unitas suffered a heart 
attack and passed away.
  I extend my condolences to the family of Johnny Unitas, to his fans, 
and to all those people he touched. He will be missed.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 538.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________