154-763: Lamar J. Lundy, Jr. (April 17, 1935 – February 24, 2007) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1969. Along with Deacon Jones , Merlin Olsen , and Rosey Grier , Lundy was a member of the Fearsome Foursome , often considered one of the best defensive lines in NFL history. All four also did some acting; Lundy portrayed
308-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
462-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
616-552: A 16.7 yards per catch average, and 6 touchdowns . Twenty-five of those receptions were in 1958. He switched to defensive end full time in 1960. He scored an additional 3 touchdowns on interception returns, an NFL record for defensive linemen (and the only 3 interceptions of his NFL career). He was a member of the Rams "Fearsome Foursome" defensive lines, with hall of fame defensive end Deacon Jones and hall of fame tackle Merlin Olsen , and originally tackle Roosevelt "Rosey" Grier in
770-434: A 1–3 record as a starter, Unitas retired in the preseason of 1974. Unitas won three NFL championships (1958, 1959, 1970), and three MVP awards (1959, 1964, 1967). He was first-team All Pro five times (1958, 1959, 1964, 1965, 1967), and second team All-Pro three times (1957, 1960, 1963). He was also chosen for ten Pro Bowls (1957—1964, 1966, 1967). He was the league's passing yards leader four times (1957, 1959, 1960, 1963), led
924-645: A 29–22 Colts win. Namath threw 62 passes and broke his hand on the final play of the game, ending his season. Unitas threw for 390 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in AFC playoff victories over the Cincinnati Bengals and the Oakland Raiders. In Super Bowl V against the Dallas Cowboys , he was knocked out of the game with a rib injury in the second quarter, soon after throwing
1078-430: A 35–28 victory over Houston (a 19-point favorite), including a 92-yard touchdown pass. The team finished the season 5–4 overall and 4–1 with Unitas starting. He completed 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns (44). In 1952, the team's motto was, "Unitas We Stand, Divided We Fall". However, the university had decided to de-emphasize sports. The new president at Louisville, Dr. Philip Grant Davidson, reduced
1232-527: A 75-yard touchdown pass (setting a then-Super Bowl record) to John Mackey . However, he had also thrown two interceptions before his departure from the game. Earl Morrall came in to lead the team to a last-second, 16–13 victory. In 1971, Unitas split playing time with Morrall, throwing only three touchdown passes. He started both playoff games, a win over the Cleveland Browns that sent the Colts to
1386-475: A 90 rating. Thus, it has been said that the records from the two eras cannot be fairly compared. More rules aimed at protecting quarterbacks from physical harm also have been implemented since Unitas retired. In describing Unitas in 2002 after his death, Sports Illustrated writer Paul Zimmerman observed of this earlier era, "The NFL hadn't liberalized the passing rules. His receivers could get mugged downfield. Defensive linemen could head-slap their way into
1540-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1694-530: A broken leg against the Chicago Bears . In his first serious action, Unitas's initial pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. Then he botched a hand-off on his next play, resulting in a fumble recovered by the Bears. Unitas rebounded quickly from that 58–27 loss, leading the Colts to an upset of Green Bay and their first win over Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in
SECTION 10
#17328014277441848-607: A disappointing 8–5–1 record and missed the playoffs. In 1970, the NFL and AFL had merged into one league, and the Colts moved to the new American Football Conference , along with the Cleveland Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers . He threw for 2,213 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading the Colts to an 11–2–1 season. In their first rematch with the Jets, Unitas and Namath threw a combined nine interceptions in
2002-399: A field goal attempt, which (if successful) would have cut the Jets' lead to 16–10. Despite not playing until late in the third quarter, he still finished the game with more passing yards than the team's starter, Earl Morrall. After an off-season of rehabilitation on his elbow, Unitas rebounded in 1969, passing for 2,342 yards and 12 touchdowns with 20 interceptions. But the Colts finished with
2156-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2310-591: A game against the San Diego Chargers on October 7, 2012. Unitas finished his 18 NFL seasons with 2,830 completions in 5,186 attempts for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, with 253 interceptions. He also rushed for 1,777 yards and 13 touchdowns. Plagued by arm trouble in his later seasons, he threw more interceptions (64) than touchdowns (38) in 1968–1973. After averaging 215.8 yards per game in his first 12 seasons, his production fell to 124.4 in his final six. His passer rating plummeted from 82.9 to 60.4 for
2464-457: A group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in a game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change
2618-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
2772-603: A local semi-professional team called the Bloomfield Rams for $ 6 a game. In 1956, Unitas joined the Baltimore Colts of the NFL under legendary coach Weeb Ewbank , after being asked at the last minute to join Bloomfield Rams lineman Jim Deglau, a Croatian steelworker with a life much like Unitas, at the latter's scheduled Colts tryout. The pair borrowed money from friends to pay for the gas to make
2926-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
3080-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
3234-510: A modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as the "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton
SECTION 20
#17328014277443388-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
3542-583: A player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits, the game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as
3696-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
3850-456: A rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop the offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over
4004-511: A round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton, a feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with
4158-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
4312-403: A separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble a gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following
4466-611: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Johnny Unitas John Constantine Unitas ( / j uː ˈ n aɪ t ə s / ; May 7, 1933 – September 11, 2002)
4620-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
4774-416: A touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish
Lamar Lundy - Misplaced Pages Continue
4928-427: A transaction that originally had future considerations returning to Baltimore. The deal's only obstacle was the personal services contract he had signed with the Colts in 1970 which would have kept him employed within the organization on an annual salary of $ 30,000 over ten years once his career as an active player ended. The pact had been signed when the ballclub was owned by Carroll Rosenbloom who subsequently acquired
5082-595: A week, from 10 pm to 6 am. At St. Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Unitas played halfback and quarterback, becoming the best quarterback in the Catholic "B" League, under coach Max Carey. Hundreds of fans would come to his games to watch Unitas throw his "jump pass", which could be as far as 60 yards in the air. In his senior year, Unitas was named quarterback on Pittsburgh's All-Catholic High School Team. In his younger years, Unitas dreamed about being part of
5236-460: Is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used a round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with
5390-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
5544-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
5698-579: Is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in the United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However,
5852-562: Is credited with perfecting the two-minute drill . John Constantine Unitas was born during the Great Depression on May 7, 1933 in Pittsburgh to Francis J. Unitas and Helen Superfisky, the third of four children. Both parents were of Lithuanian descent; his surname was a result of a phonetic transliteration of a common Lithuanian last name Jonaitis . The elder Unitas ran a modest coal delivery business. Unitas grew up in
6006-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
6160-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
6314-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
Lamar Lundy - Misplaced Pages Continue
6468-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
6622-545: The AFC Championship game against Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins , which they lost by a score of 21–0. Unitas threw three interceptions in the game, one of which was returned for a touchdown by safety Dick Anderson . The 1972 season saw the Colts declining. After losing the season opener, Unitas was involved in the second and final regular season head-to-head meeting with "Broadway" Joe Namath. The first
6776-534: The Boilermakers football team in receiving his senior season and was a two time All-Big Ten (2nd Team) end. As a collegiate basketball player at center , Lamar scored 678 points (73rd all-time for the Boilermakers) and collected 533 rebounds (29th all-time for the Boilermakers). He averaged 10.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game from 1954 to 1957. He was a 3rd team All-Big Ten Center in 1957. Lundy
6930-776: The Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on the field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league;
7084-465: The Chicago Bears . Unitas once said that Bears coach George Halas offered $ 500 to any player knocking Unitas out of the game. In the same game, Gino Marchetti said he was hit high and at the knees by two Bears, the hardest he was ever hit in a football game, one of the Bears later apologizing that Halas had told them to do it. With 17 seconds left in the game (Bears up 20-17), Unitas said that hall of fame Bears middle linebacker Bill George had Unitas by
7238-598: The Los Angeles Rams on July 13, 1972, in a franchise swap with Robert Irsay . The deal was completed when the Chargers purchased that contract. Eager to sever all ties with the Colts, Unitas signed a new two-year contract with the Chargers on June 8, 1973. He succeeded John Hadl who had requested and was granted a trade to the Rams. Unitas started the season with a 38–0 loss to the Washington Redskins . He threw for just 55 yards and three interceptions and
7392-524: The Mount Washington neighborhood with a Catholic upbringing. When Unitas was five years old, his father died of cardiovascular renal disease complicated by pneumonia , leaving the young boy and his siblings to be raised by their mother. When some relatives wanted to split up her children to different homes she refused, determined to keep the family together. She continued the coal delivery business, and worked as an office cleaner four nights
7546-598: The NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in the world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but
7700-670: The NFL's Most Valuable Player by the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA). Unitas continued his prowess in 1958 passing for 2,007 yards and 19 touchdowns as the Colts won the Western Conference title. The Colts won the NFL championship under his leadership on December 28, 1958, by defeating the New York Giants 23–17 in sudden death overtime on a touchdown by fullback Alan Ameche . It
7854-507: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, but when he tried out for the team, coach Frank Leahy said that he was just too skinny and he would "get murdered" if he was put on the field. Other sources say Leahy was not present at Unitas's workout for Notre Dame, and assistant coach Bernie Crimmins passed on Unitas, because he thought the team's fans could not accept a 135 pound quarterback. A later scholarship offer at
SECTION 50
#17328014277448008-744: The Pro Football Hall of Fame on numerous occasions (including on Roy Firestone 's film Up Close ) to remove his display unless it was listed as belonging to the Baltimore Colts. The Hall of Fame has never complied with the request. Unitas donated his Colts memorabilia to the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore. They were on display at the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards until its closure in 2015. Unitas
8162-472: The University of Pittsburgh was withdrawn. In 1952, Crimmins became Indiana University 's head coach and attempted to recruit Unitas away from a collapsing Louisville program, but Unitas was loyal and stayed at Louisville. Instead, Unitas attended the University of Louisville , under coach Frank Camp , after being recruited by young assistant coach Frank Gitschier. Gitschier would later teach Unitas
8316-412: The center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until the snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform
8470-409: The commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to a league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of
8624-555: The forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of the features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered
8778-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
8932-407: The neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912, the field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance
9086-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
9240-466: The " Mel Blount Rule " limiting the amount of physical play a defender can use against a receiver, and the rule allowing offensive lineman to extend and grab while blocking instead of keeping their fists closed. The top four hall of fame quarterback ratings from the dead ball era are Sonny Jurgenson (82.62), Len Dawson (82.56), Bart Starr (80.47), and Unitas (78.2). There are 34 modern quarterbacks with ratings higher than Jurgenson, with thirteen above
9394-413: The 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained a tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement
SECTION 60
#17328014277449548-567: The 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap
9702-504: The 30 touchdown mark in a season. Early in his career he broke the single season records for completion percentage by a rookie (1956), total passing yards (1960), total completions (1963), and yards per passing attempt (1964). His 47-game consecutive touchdown streak between 1956 and 1960 was a record considered by many to be unbreakable. He led the league in touchdown passes from 1957 to 1960. The streak stood for 52 years before being broken by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in
9856-456: The Cleveland Browns in the 1964 NFL Championship Game , losing 27–0. Unitas resumed his torrid passing in 1965, throwing for 2,530 yards, 23 touchdowns and finishing with a league-high and career-best 97.1 passer rating. But he was lost for the balance of the season due to a knee injury in a week 12 loss to the Bears. Backup quarterback Gary Cuozzo also suffered a season-ending injury the following week, and running back Tom Matte filled in as
10010-451: The Colts ran off 10 straight victories to finish with a 12–2 record. The season was one of Unitas's best as he finished with 2,824 yards passing, a league-best 9.26 yards per pass attempt, 19 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions. He was named the NFL's Most Valuable Player by the AP and UPI for a second time. However, the season ended on a disappointing note for the Colts, as they were upset by
10164-510: The Fearsome Foursome to pass away. Lundy was ill with diabetes , Graves disease , myasthenia gravis , cancer , and heart disease . At the time of his death he had 5 children, 19 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. American football American football , referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on
10318-768: The Lundy League, a capital gift society for donors to support Purdue Athletics, and to honor Lundy and his "above and beyond" mentality. At 6'7" or 6'8" and 245 or 250 pounds, Lundy was selected by both NFL and the NBA teams, but he opted for a career in football. He was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks in the 1957 NBA draft , and the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 1957 NFL draft (47th overall). Early in his professional career (1957-1959), Lundy (number 85) played mostly at tight end, catching 35 passes for 584 yards,
10472-459: The NEA), Unitas had a league-high 58.5 completion percentage and passed for 3,428 yards and 20 touchdowns. He openly complained about having tennis elbow and he threw eight interceptions and only three touchdown passes in the final five games. Once again, the season ended in loss for the Colts, as they were shut out of the newly instituted four-team NFL playoff after losing the divisional tiebreaker to
10626-516: The NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at the time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from
10780-570: The NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in the FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by
10934-583: The NFL in passing yards (2,899), touchdown passes (32), and completions (193). He then led the Colts to a repeat championship, sparking a fourth quarter comeback to beat the Giants again 31–16 in the title game. With the Colts fresh off back-to-back championships, Unitas was lauded by rookie head coach of the Green Bay Packers , Vince Lombardi , who said of the 26-year-old signal caller: "Without him, they're just ordinary. With him, they're great. He's
11088-414: The NFL in touchdown passes four times (1957–1960) and led the NFL in passer rating twice (1958, 1965). Unitas led the NFL in fourth quarter comebacks six times (1958, 1961, 1962, 1965, 1967, and 1970), more than any other quarterback. He is credited with laying the foundation for the two-minute drill. His 32 touchdown passes in 1959 were a record at the time, making Unitas the first quarterback to hit
11242-586: The NFL over the upstart AFL . Although the Colts won an NFL Championship in 1968 , they lost the Super Bowl to the AFL Champion New York Jets, thus becoming the first-ever NFL champions that were not also deemed world champions. Unitas helped put together the Colts' only score, a touchdown late in the game. Unitas also drove the Colts into scoring position following the touchdown and successful onside kick, but head coach Don Shula eschewed
11396-482: The NFL's Western Conference, but they did end the season on a strong note by winning their final three games. The season was very successful for Unitas personally, as he led the NFL in passing yards with a career-best total of 3,481 and also led in completions with 237. In the 1964 season the Colts returned to the top of the Western Conference. After dropping their season opener to the Minnesota Vikings ,
11550-479: The NFL. Between 1956 and 1960, he set the record for most consecutive games with a touchdown pass at 47, which held for 52 years. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. Unitas is one of only six players to be named to the NFL's 50th , 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, one of the others being his Baltimore Colts teammate Gino Marchetti . He led the league in fourth quarter comebacks in six seasons, more than any other quarterback. He
11704-555: The NFL’s 50th Anniversary Team, the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. He was selected Player of the Decade for the 1960s, and named "Greatest Player in the First 50 Years of Pro Football". Unitas played his entire career in what is sometimes called the "dead ball" era, before the 1978 NFL rule changes made to favor passing offense. The two key rules being
11858-623: The Rams, a 34–10 rout in the regular season finale. In the final game of the 1968 preseason, the muscles in Unitas's arm were torn when he was hit by a member of the Dallas Cowboys defense. Unitas wrote in his autobiography that he felt his arm was initially injured by the use of the "night ball" that the NFL was testing for better TV visibility during night games. In a post-game interview the previous year, he noted having constant pain in his elbow for several years prior. He would spend most of
12012-527: The Rams, leading the team in quarterback sacks in 1961, with 60.5 sacks over his Rams' career. He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1959, and was All Pro in 1967 . When he retired as a player, Lundy became an assistant coach for the San Diego Chargers under hall of famer Sid Gillman , but was forced by illness to cease coaching. Lundy died at age 71 on February 24, 2007. He was the first of
12166-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
12320-486: The amount of athletic aid and tightened academic standards for athletes. As a result, 15 players scholarships were terminated. Unitas maintained his by taking on a new elective: square dancing. In 1952, coach Frank Camp switched the team to two-way football . Unitas not only played safety or linebacker on defense and quarterback on offense, but also returned kicks and punts on special teams. The Cardinals won their first game against Wayne State , and then Florida State in
12474-428: The backfield, and when they homed in on a quarterback they could hit him any way they wanted. None of today's cellophane-wrapper protection from the officials. ... And Unitas got hit plenty." Upton Bell , former Colts and Patriots executive and son of NFL Commissioner Bert Bell , in comparing Unitas to modern quarterbacks stated, "They damaged quarterbacks in previous eras. Today they try to preserve them." Bell observed
12628-572: The ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play a game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of
12782-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
12936-532: The ball, and was helped off the field. As described by Bob Wilson of the Knoxville News-Sentinel , "'Battered and bruised, Unitas was helped off the field later in the final period as the [Tennessee] spectators saluted his gifted and courageous play with an ovation that resounded across Loudon Lake." When he got to the locker room he was so tired that his jersey and shoulder pads had to be cut off because he could not lift his arms. Louisville ended
13090-430: The ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on the offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except
13244-404: The basics of quarterback play, give the introduction speech at Unitas's Hall of Fame induction in 1979, and in 2002 give a eulogy at Unitas's funeral. In his four-year career as a Louisville Cardinal , Unitas completed 245 passes for 3,139 yards and 27 touchdowns. Reportedly, the 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Unitas weighed 145 pounds (66 kg) on his first day of practice. His first start
13398-417: The best quarterback I've ever seen." As the 1960s began, the Colts' fortunes (and win totals) declined. Injuries to key players such as Alan Ameche , Raymond Berry , and Lenny Moore were a contributing factor. Unitas's streak of 47 straight games with at least one touchdown pass ended against the Los Angeles Rams in week 11 of the 1960 season. In spite of this, he topped the 3,000-yard passing mark for
13552-647: The boulder-hurling cyclops in the unaired pilot of Lost in Space (this pilot was later made into episode 4 of the series, entitled "There Were Giants in the Earth"). Lundy was born in Richmond, Indiana , on April 17, 1935, the first child of Lamar Lundy Sr. and Sarah Corine (Ferguson) Lundy. He attended Nicholson Elementary School and Test Junior High School in Richmond, and graduated from Richmond High School where he
13706-454: The city hope.'" In 1999, NFL Films and HBO produced a documentary about Unitas. Pro Football Hall of Fame writer Ray Didinger , one of the program's writers and producers, emphasized that they wanted to show the relationship between the Colts and Baltimore as a powerful part of Unitas's story. After Robert Irsay moved the Colts franchise to Indianapolis in 1984, a move known to this day in Baltimore as "Bob Irsay's Midnight Ride," he
13860-411: The college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following the 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with
14014-552: The conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for the second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of
14168-551: The conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in the United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of
14322-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
14476-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
14630-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
14784-476: The effects on a quarterback's passing if he knew he would be hit after throwing (old rules) or not (modern rules), and how the best quarterbacks of the modern era would not have been healthy enough to play at a high level into their later thirties if they had been subjected to the unchecked violent play of earlier eras. The Colts played the most brutal game in their history on November 13, 1960, in Chicago against
14938-617: The emergency quarterback for the regular season finale and in a playoff loss to the Packers. The Colts and Packers finished in a tie for first place in the Western Conference, and a one-game playoff was played in Green Bay to decide who would be the conference representative in the 1965 NFL Championship Game . The Colts lost in overtime 13–10 due in large part to a game-tying field goal by Don Chandler that many, including Colts hall of fame coach Don Shula and Chandler himself years later, say
15092-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
15246-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
15400-499: The feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create a standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from
15554-474: The field and gave it to offensive lineman Alex Sandusky (or Dick Syzmanski in other tellings) who shoved it into Unitas' nostrils. Unitas continued the game, throwing a 37-yard touchdown pass to Lenny Moore for a Colts victory. However, the battered Colts did not win another game the rest of the season, and lost their opportunity for a third consecutive world championship. The 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 257 lb (117 kg), Adkins stated it
15708-461: The first time and led the league in touchdown passes for the fourth consecutive season. After three middle-of-the-pack seasons, Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom fired Weeb Ewbank and replaced him with Don Shula , who at the time was the youngest head coach in NFL history (33 years of age when he was hired). The Colts finished 8–6 in Shula's first season at the helm, good enough for only third place in
15862-416: The football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking the ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from
16016-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
16170-655: The game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in the formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect
16324-533: The greatest of all time isn't his arm or even his football sense. ... It's his courage.'" After his playing days were finished, Unitas settled in Baltimore where he raised his family while also pursuing a career in broadcasting, doing color commentary for NFL games on CBS in the 1970s. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1979. He was said to be in tune with the psyche of Baltimore, and former Mayland Governor and Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer said, "He never passed anybody by. ... He gave
16478-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
16632-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
16786-555: The illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922,
16940-451: The innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become the most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced
17094-413: The legs after a blitz, the ball having been thrown, holding Unitas upright at the behest of hall of fame defensive end Doug Adkins whose ensuing tackle hit Unitas in the head. Unitas' nose was busted and blood was pouring out; he would have a scar on the bridge of his nose for the rest of his life. The trainers could not staunch the bleeding, and Unitas refused to leave the game. He scooped up mud from
17248-597: The mid-1960s and then from 1967 to 1969 tackle Roger Brown , with some considering them the most dominant defensive line in NFL history. Jones, a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team at defensive end (Olsen holding the same honor at tackle), considered Lundy his mentor in Jones' difficult early years with the Rams. Lundy was on the Rams defense that ended hall of fame, and 100th anniversary team member, Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas 's 47 game touchdown streak. Lundy played 152 games over thirteen years for
17402-531: The more memorable moments in football history came on Unitas's last game in a Colts uniform at Memorial Stadium, in a game against the Buffalo Bills . He was not the starter for this game, but the Colts were blowing the Bills out by a score of 28–0 behind Marty Domres ; Unitas entered the game due to the fans chanting, "We want Unitas!!!", and a plan devised by head coach John Sandusky to convince Unitas that
17556-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
17710-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
17864-451: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
18018-556: The primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football,
18172-429: The primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play the sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in
18326-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
18480-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
18634-631: The rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands the ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
18788-507: The role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when the AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain
18942-465: The same periods. Even so, Unitas set many passing records during his career. He was the first quarterback to throw for more than 40,000 yards, despite playing during an era when NFL teams played shorter seasons of 12 or 14 games (as opposed to today's 17-game seasons) and prior to modern passing-friendly rules implemented in 1978. Unitas was selected to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1960s ,
19096-489: The season finale that started his record 47-game streak. His 55.6-percent completion mark was a rookie record. In 1957, his first season as the Colts full-time starter at quarterback, Unitas finished first in the NFL in passing yards (2,550) and touchdown passes (24) as he helped lead the Colts to a 7–5 record, the first winning record in franchise history. At season's end, Unitas received the Jim Thorpe Trophy as
19250-501: The season sitting on the bench. The Colts still marched to a league-best 13–1 record behind backup quarterback and ultimate 1968 NFL MVP Earl Morrall . Although he was injured through most of the season, Unitas came off the bench to play in Super Bowl III , the famous game where Joe Namath guaranteed a New York Jets win despite conventional wisdom. Unitas's insertion was a desperation move in an attempt to retrieve dominance of
19404-429: The season with a 20–13 loss to Eastern Kentucky . Unitas completed 49 of 95 passes for 470 yards and three touchdowns. Unitas was elected captain for the 1954 season, but due to an early injury did not see much playing time. His first start was the third game of the season, against Florida State. Of the 34-man team, 21 were freshmen. The 1954 Cardinals went 3–6, with their last win at home against Morehead State . Unitas
19558-463: The second game. Unitas completed 16 of 21 passes for 198 yards and three touchdowns. In the next game against Florida State, Louisville won 41-14. While under the Seminole rush, Unitas, a right-hander, threw a left-handed pass between his legs for 15 yards, as reported by future Florida State quarterback Lee Corso who had seen film of the play and marveled at Unitas' quickness. The rest of the season
19712-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
19866-539: The sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in the rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of
20020-439: The sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp , the "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized
20174-407: The starting quarterback was injured. Unitas came onto the field and threw two passes, one of which was a long touchdown to wide receiver Eddie Hinton which would be his last pass as a Colt. The Colts won the game by a score of 35–7. A small plane flew over the stadium trailing a banner that read, “Unitas We Stand”. Unitas was traded from the Colts to the San Diego Chargers on January 20, 1973, in
20328-414: The team's tackles. The only touchdown the team scored was in the fourth quarter when Unitas made a fake pitch to the running back and ran the ball 23 yards for a touchdown. His also kicked off and punted that day. When one of his teammates was injured in the third quarter, Unitas lifted him up and carried the injured man off the field. Unitas himself was hurt later in the fourth quarter while trying to run
20482-513: The trip. Deglau later told a reporter after Unitas's death, "[His] uncle told him not to come. [He] was worried that if he came down and the Colts passed on him, it would look bad (to other NFL teams)." The Colts signed Unitas, much to the chagrin of the Cleveland Browns , who had hoped to claim the former Steeler quarterback. Unitas made his NFL debut with an inauspicious "mop-up" appearance against Detroit, going 0–2 with one interception. Two weeks later, starting quarterback George Shaw suffered
20636-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
20790-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
20944-408: The young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for a common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of
21098-641: Was a struggle for the Cardinals, who finished 3–5. Unitas completed 106 of 198 passes for 1,540 yards and 12 touchdowns. The team won their first game in 1953, against Murray State , and lost the rest for a record of 1–7. One of the most memorable games of the season came in a 59–6 loss against Tennessee , which was played in Knoxville, Tennessee . Unitas completed 9 out of 19 passes for 73 yards, rushed 9 times for 52 yards, returned six kickoffs for 85 yards, fielded one punt for three yards, and had 86 percent of
21252-678: Was a two-sport star in basketball and football, and was an All-American in both sports. Lundy led the Red Devils to the State Finals in basketball, playing for Hall of Fame Coach, Art Beckner . He was selected to the Indiana Basketball All-Star team that defeated the Kentucky All-Stars in 1953. He was also an All-State player in football. He was All State in football in 1951 and 1952. The football team
21406-487: Was an American professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Baltimore Colts . Nicknamed " Johnny U " and " the Golden Arm ", Unitas was considered the prototype of the modern era marquee quarterback and is regarded as one of the greatest NFL players of all time. During his professional career from 1956 to 1973, Unitas set many NFL records and
21560-435: Was in 1970 (won by the Colts, 29–22). The last meeting took place on September 24, 1972, at Memorial Stadium . He threw for 376 yards and three touchdowns, but Namath upstaged him again, bombing the Colts for 496 yards and six touchdowns in a 44–34 Jets victory – their first over Baltimore since the 1970 merger. After losing four of their first five games, the Colts fired head coach Don McCafferty, and benched Unitas. One of
21714-451: Was in the fifth game of the 1951 season against St. Bonaventure (quarterbacked by future NFL player and coach Ted Marchibroda ), where Unitas completed 11 consecutive passes and three touchdowns to give the Cardinals a 21–19 lead. Louisville ended up losing the game 22–21 on a disputed field goal, but found a new starting quarterback. Unitas also played safety on defense. Unitas completed 12 of 19 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns in
21868-440: Was incorrectly ruled good. Unitas, healthy once more, threw for 2,748 yards and 22 touchdowns in 1966 in a return to Pro Bowl form. However, he posted a league-high 24 interceptions. After once again finishing second in the Western Conference in 1966, the Colts rebounded to finish 11–1–2 in 1967 tying the Los Angeles Rams for the NFL's best record. In winning his third MVP award from the AP and UPI in 1967 (and his second from
22022-767: Was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1975, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990, and the Purdue Hall of Fame in 1995; being one of only two people inducted into both Indiana's football and basketball halls of fame. In June of 1968, he was honored by the city of Richmond. Lundy played in the Chicago All Star game , where college all-stars played an NFL team. In 2023, the John Purdue Club created
22176-418: Was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included the reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams,
22330-433: Was named Most Valuable Player three times in 1959, 1964, and 1967, in addition to receiving 10 Pro Bowl and five first-team All-Pro honors. He helped lead the Colts to four championship titles; three in the pre- merger era in 1958 , 1959 , and 1968 , and one in the Super Bowl era in Super Bowl V . His first championship victory is regarded as one of the league's greatest games and is credited with helping popularize
22484-440: Was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed a rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football
22638-531: Was not his intention to hurt Unitas, as his shoulder pad inadvertently got under Unitas' helmet. He said Unitas was the greatest of all the great players of that time, and the best player Adkins played against because Unitas was so tough. In describing Unitas' last second pass to Moore that day, Adkins said, "You had to beat [Unitas] the whole 60 minutes." Hall of Fame defensive tackle, and NFL 100th Anniversary All Time teammate of both Adkins and Unitas, Merlin Olsen said of Unitas, "'The thing that makes Johnny Unitas
22792-485: Was not smart enough to quarterback an NFL team, and he was not given any snaps in practice with the Steelers. Among those edging out Unitas was Ted Marchibroda , whom Unitas defeated in his first college game years earlier, future longtime NFL head coach. Out of pro football, Unitas—by this time married—worked in construction in Pittsburgh to support his family. On the weekends, he played quarterback, safety and punter on
22946-556: Was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine a national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to
23100-470: Was sacked five times. His final victory as a starter came against the Buffalo Bills in Week 2. Unitas was 10–18 for 175 yards, two touchdown passes, and no interceptions in a 34–7 Chargers rout. Unitas threw two first-half interceptions, passed for only 19 yards, and went 2-for-9 against the Pittsburgh Steelers . He was then replaced by rookie quarterback and future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts . After posting
23254-512: Was slowed by so many injuries his senior year his 527 passing yards ended second to Jim Houser's 560. During his time at Louisville, Unitas was 247 for 502 passing, for 2,912 yards and 27 touchdowns. After his collegiate career, the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL drafted Unitas in the ninth round. However, he was released before the season began as the odd man out among four quarterbacks trying to fill three spots. Steelers' head coach Walt Kiesling had made up his mind about Unitas; he thought he
23408-605: Was so outraged that he cut all ties to the relocated team (though his No. 19 jersey is still retired by the Colts), declaring himself strictly a Baltimore Colt for the remainder of his life. Some other prominent old-time Colts followed his lead, although many attended the 1975 team's reunion at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2009. A total of 39 Colts players from that 1975 team attended said reunion in Indianapolis, including Bert Jones and Lydell Mitchell . Unitas asked
23562-481: Was the first overtime game in NFL history, and is often referred to as the " greatest game ever played ". The game, nationally televised by NBC , has been credited for sparking the rise in popularity of professional football during the 1960s. In 1959, Unitas was named the NFL's MVP by the Associated Press (AP) for the first time, as well as United Press International 's player of the year, after leading
23716-399: Was undefeated in 1952 and 1953, and the basketball team went to the final four in 1953. He was named a distinguished alumnus in 1998. When it came time to choose a college, Lamar selected and attended Purdue University , where he was the first black student to receive a football scholarship, and where he was named MVP of both the football and basketball teams in his senior year. He led
#743256