Johnny Unitas Statue (Baltimore, MD)
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Location
W Hamburg Street & Russell Street (Street View)
GPS: 39° 16′ 45.09″ N 76° 37′ 19.89″ W
History
Johnny Unitas was one of the greatest American football players of all time. When he retired from the league, in 1974, he held practically every record for quarterbacks, finishing his career with 290 touchdowns and over 40,000 yards passing. After attending Louisville University, Unitas was drafted by his hometown Pittsburgh Steelers, but did not make the team. He eventually landed at a tryout for the Baltimore Colts and was asked to join the organization. That following NFL season when the Colts starting quarterback went down he was inserted in to the starting lineup, and ended up winning the MVP award. The next year he led the team to their first of back-to-back championships in what sports historians call the greatest game ever played. Unitas died of heart attack on September 11, 2002.
Notes
The fourteen-foot tall monument depicts Unitas in a throwing motion, seemingly heaving a long pass down field. Erected at the north entrance of Ravens Stadium, the statue sits in the middle of Unitas Plaza. Giant posters of the legendary quarterback flank the ticket gates on either side of the bronze likeness. 290 replicas of the sculpture, each standing 21 inches tall, were created as well, one for each touchdown Unitas threw during his professional career. Dedicated on October 20, 2002, the statue is the creation of artist Frederick Kail. A slightly smaller Unitas memorial also made by Kail is situated at the Louisville University football stadium.
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