Johnny UnitasSan Diego Chargers · #19
Johnny Unitas passed for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns over 18 seasons, won three NFL MVP awards, led Baltimore to three championships including Super Bowl V, set a record 47-game touchdown streak, and entered the Hall of Fame in 1979.
Johnny Unitas — the report card
Read his whole game at a glance, then dive into any skill. Grades are percentiles vs every active player at his position.
Where Johnny Unitas stands
Live ladders from the Balladex models, and what he's chasing. Rankings recompute nightly from real production, accolades, and search demand.
Johnny Unitas — every number, three levels deep
Headline → metric → the raw history behind it. Real career data; tracking-only metrics labeled.
How the model sees Johnny Unitas
Projection = recency-weighted per-season production, nudged along a position aging curve, banded by his year-to-year volatility. No black box — every number shows its work.
Johnny Unitas career stats, season by season
| Season | G | Cmp% | Yds | TD | INT | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | 12 | 55.6 | 1,498 | 9 | 10 | 74.0 |
| 1957 | 12 | 57.1 | 2,550 | 24 | 17 | 88.0 |
| 1958 Champ | 10 | 51.7 | 2,007 | 19 | 7 | 90.0 |
| 1959 MVP | 12 | 52.6 | 2,899 | 32 | 14 | 92.0 |
| 1960 | 12 | 50.3 | 3,099 | 25 | 24 | 73.7 |
| 1961 | 14 | 54.5 | 2,990 | 16 | 24 | 66.1 |
| 1962 | 14 | 57.1 | 2,967 | 23 | 23 | 76.5 |
| 1963 | 14 | 57.8 | 3,481 | 20 | 12 | 89.7 |
| 1964 MVP | 14 | 51.8 | 2,824 | 19 | 6 | 96.4 |
| 1965 | 11 | 58.2 | 2,530 | 23 | 12 | 97.4 |
| 1966 | 14 | 56.0 | 2,748 | 22 | 24 | 74.0 |
| 1967 MVP | 14 | 58.5 | 3,428 | 20 | 16 | 83.6 |
| 1968 | 5 | 34.4 | 139 | 2 | 4 | 30.1 |
| 1969 | 13 | 54.4 | 2,342 | 12 | 20 | 64.0 |
| 1970 SB | 14 | 51.7 | 2,213 | 14 | 18 | 65.1 |
| 1971 | 13 | 52.3 | 942 | 3 | 9 | 52.3 |
| 1972 | 8 | 56.1 | 1,111 | 4 | 6 | 70.8 |
| 1973 | 5 | 44.7 | 471 | 3 | 7 | 40.0 |
| Career | 211 | 40,239 | 290 | 253 |
The Lab
Every number, live and interactive. Real career data; models labeled.
Are the San Diego Chargers built to win?
Team projection rolled up from the roster + last-season baselines — and what it means for his role.
The Ballad of Johnny Unitas
Birth to now — the making of a legend, narrated and scored.
The beginning
Johnny Unitas was the prototype of the modern quarterback, a golden-armed field general whose Baltimore Colts teams and record touchdown streak defined pro football's rise to national prominence.
Turning pro
Drafted 1955, Round 9 (#102 overall) as a Quarterback.
true
Cut by the Steelers in 1955 and played semipro ball before Baltimore signed him.
Chapter
Led the Colts to the 1958 NFL title in 'the greatest game ever played.'
Chapter
Won Super Bowl V after the 1970 season to complete his championship résumé.
Off the court
- Height
- 6'1"
- Weight
- 194 lb
- Draft
- 1955, Round 9 (#102 overall)
- Born
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Age
- 93
- Jersey
- #19
Unitas's rise from a sandlot castoff to NFL icon became one of football's defining underdog stories. After football he pursued business ventures and remained a beloved ambassador for the game until his death in 2002.
Tough, unflappable, and innovative, Unitas played with a workmanlike calm that masked a fierce competitive drive and pioneering command of the passing game.
Johnny Unitas — frequently asked
The questions people ask most about Johnny Unitas, answered.
