Why they rank here
The prototype of the modern drop-back quarterback, Unitas rose from a semi-pro sandlot to become the face of the NFL as it conquered television. His masterful two-minute drive to force overtime in the 1958 Championship, the Greatest Game Ever Played, helped make pro football a national obsession. He threw a touchdown pass in 47 consecutive games, a record that stood from 1960 until 2012, and won three MVP awards. Unitas retired with 40,239 passing yards and 290 touchdowns, enormous totals for a run-heavy era, and led the Colts to three championships, including a win in Super Bowl V. His gunslinger command, audibling at the line and taking downfield shots, defined quarterback play for a generation that followed.
Career profile
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