GOAT Index

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Johnny Unitas: the case for the GOAT

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    Johnny Unitas: the case for the GOAT

    QB · Colts · Born 7 May 1933, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA · Died 2002 · Career 1956–1973

    Quarterback who went from semi-pro football to stardom with the Baltimore Colts, finishing his career with one season in San Diego.

    Career highlights

    Why Johnny Unitas could be the GOAT

    Unitas was the first modern quarterback, and his overtime drive in the 1958 title game helped make the NFL a television sport. His streak of 47 straight games with a touchdown pass stood for 52 years. Every quarterback who followed was building on what he invented.

    What fans say

    Johnny Unitas is #29 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 0–2 head-to-head record from 74 NFL votes. See the full NFL GOAT ranking

    Johnny Unitas head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

    One vote per matchup per person. If you see a pairing again in another session your new answer replaces the old one, so nobody can stuff the ballot by repeating a matchup.

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