[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16659]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING JOHNNY UNITAS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the untimely death 
of Johnny Unitas, whom I think everyone would agree is the greatest 
football quarterback of all time.
  Johnny, ``The Golden Arm,'' died Wednesday, September 11, 2002 of a 
heart attack at age 69. The Hall of Famer came to Baltimore from 
Pittsburgh to work for Bethlehem Steel at Sparrow's Point. He played 
for the Baltimore Colts from 1956 until 1973.
  The Baltimore Sun described Johnny's legacy perfectly: ``Baltimoreans 
fell in love with a plain-spoken, rough-hewn hero who epitomized their 
city of steelworkers and longshoremen.'' Unitas retired in 1973, 
holding 22 NFL records. He completed at least one touchdown pass in 47 
straight games, a record that no one has even come close to matching. 
He did that during the years from 1956 through 1960. He led the 
Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship in 1958 and 1959, and the Super 
Bowl in 1970. Johnny Unitas was inducted into the Football Hall of Fame 
in 1979.
  On the NFL's 50th anniversary, Johnny was voted the greatest 
quarterback of all times. With the aid of national television, Johnny 
catapulted the NFL into the public's eyes every day, driving the 
growing popularity of professional football.
  Mr. Speaker, he was responsible for developing the national 
phenomenon of enjoying football the way we do today.
  Johnny's trademark hunched shoulders, crew cut, black high-top cleats 
and stern look found a home in the heart of every Baltimorean. I was a 
teenager when Johnny Unitas played for the Colts. I remember fondly the 
days of his 18-year NFL career. More than a football player, Johnny 
touched the community with his devoted service to charitable causes; he 
was kind, warmhearted and affable.
  This past week I had the opportunity to be with him at Towson 
University. He was continuing his community service. He never denied a 
person an autograph, not because he thought he was a star, but he knew 
that he would disappoint the youngster, or even an older person, if he 
would not give that person his autograph. He was always available to 
help in our community for charitable events.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in remembering Johnny 
Unitas, a legacy not only in Baltimore, but across the Nation. On the 
field, he will always be known as No. 19, but he will surely remain 
number one in our hearts. We offer our condolences to his family. We 
will always remember what he has meant to professional football, and 
what he has meant to Baltimore.

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