Review of "Pro Quarterback: My Own Story," by Johnny Unitas

 Review of

Pro Quarterback: My Own Story, by Johnny Unitas

Five out of five stars

The quarterback of the sixties

 In the 1960’s there were really only two superstar quarterbacks, Bart Starr and Johnny Unitas. Both were incredible leaders and were winners. They were gutsy, generally called their own plays and were not afraid to take a calculated risk. Even on third and short the defense could not crowd the line for fear of being the victim of a long pass.

 This is the story of Johnny Unitas up until 1965, after he had several successful seasons. It is both personal and professional, he talks about his childhood, college career, breaking into the pros and what he does to achieve and maintain stardom. He is constantly going over the playbook, watching film, practicing and talking football. His descriptions of Raymond Berry and the dedication he had to being a wide receiver are revealing. There were many faster and shiftier than Berry, yet there were none with his skills for getting open and catching any ball that came near.

 It is clear from this book that Unitas was a very humble man. He gives great credit to his teammates and explains how his success starts with the performance of the offensive line. Modern books by sports stars tend to concentrate on the tell-all and not about the subject at hand, how football is played. This book is in the old school, it is about Unitas and his life as well as the details that need to be mastered in order to be successful as a pro quarterback.