The Pittsburgh Steelers boast a rich history filled with gridiron legends since their inception as a football franchise in 1933. However, one decision stands out as a missed opportunity: the departure of former NFL legendary quarterback Johnny Unitas early in his career. The Steelers could have had one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time, but they let him walk.
Unitas was drafted by the Steelers in the ninth round (102nd overall) of the 1955 NFL Draft. Despite his undeniable talent, the Steelers already had a surplus of quarterbacks, and their coach at the time didn't hold Unitas in high regard.
In a revealing interview on public access television several decades ago, Art Rooney Jr. shed light on the Steelers' decision to part ways with Unitas when asked by Lee Adams. Rooney Jr. provided insight into the reasoning behind Unitas' departure from the team.
“He never got a chance. They had Jimmy Finks, who was a good football player… and a kid I think his name was Vic Eaton, who was like a two-way player and a punter. Well you save money on that, two-way player and a punter. Anytime it got to be Unitas’ time to do a drill, coaches would look at their watch and blow the whistle. He never got a chance to do anything.”
Ted Marchibroda, Vic Eaton, and Jim Finks held the quarterback positions ahead of Unitas on the Steelers' depth chart. While they received ample practice reps, Unitas did not. The coach at the time, Walt Kiesling, had already formed his opinion of Unitas. He doubted Unitas' intelligence for playing quarterback and lacked belief in his abilities.
“He was a guy that stayed after practice and got all the ball boys and equipment guys and told them ‘just run it’ and he’d bounce the ball off their heads.”
Rooney Jr. detailed Unitas' practice routine, describing how he would stay after practice to get his reps in, often working out with the equipment staff and ball boys. Additionally, his brother Tim penned a lengthy letter, spanning several pages, addressed to Art Rooney Sr.
“My brother Tim wrote, all the kids knew how good his arm was and a lot of the players knew it too. Tim wrote my dad an 11-page letter… how great of a player Unitas was going to be and how stupid the coaches were because they were going to fire him and that’s the way it worked out.”
In hindsight, Rooney Sr. might have benefited from heeding the letters he received from Tim. While the Steelers eventually achieved significant success in the 1970s, clinching four Super Bowl victories, the inclusion of Unitas might have expedited their journey.
However, it's also possible that embracing Unitas earlier could have altered the team's trajectory, potentially impacting the emergence of other football legends. As the old adage goes, everything unfolds according to its own course.
Steelers’ Art Rooney Sr. Was Always Rooting For Johnny Unitas
Rooney Jr. recounted a memorable incident involving his father, Rooney Sr., Kiesling, and his brother John. They were driving together in cars lacking air conditioning, necessitating rolled-down windows.
John, behind the wheel, engaged in conversation with a fellow driver at a traffic light, who turned out to be none other than Unitas. Upon realizing this, Rooney Sr. urged John to speed up and catch Unitas. They caught up to Unitas' car and Rooney Sr. enthusiastically declared his hope for Unitas to become the greatest football player of all time. As the light changed, Rooney Sr. shot a disapproving glance at Kiesling, the coach who had cut Unitas, implying that Kiesling had made a grave error in judgment.
Unitas indeed proved Kiesling wrong, achieving remarkable success in his career. He earned a place in the Hall of Fame, secured ten Pro Bowl selections, garnered five All-Pro honors, clinched a Super Bowl title, won three NFL championships, and claimed three AP MVP awards, among numerous other prestigious accolades. Over his 18-year career with the Baltimore Colts and the San Diego Chargers, Unitas threw 290 touchdowns and 253 interceptions.
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