2019 Winter Auction Closing March 2
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/2/2019
For 17 seasons, Johnny Unitas was the stoic face of the Baltimore Colts, quarterbacking his men to three NFL titles and the Super Bowl V championship. Unitas, forged in the Cradle of Quarterbacks in Western Pennsylvania, played with a unique fearlessness and swagger, instantly cementing his personality on the young Colts franchise. In Unitas’ first full season as the Colts QB, in 1957, the former Louisville Cardinal led the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, a trend that would occur again and again throughout the late 1950’s and 1960’s. Unitas won a trio of NFL MVP awards and his 10 Pro Bowl selections was an all-time record for quarterbacks until Brett Favre broke Unitas’ record. Upon his retirement, Unitas was in possession of 22 NFL records, including his unprecedented streak of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, a record that stood until 2012. Unitas retired from the NFL after spending the 1973 season with the San Diego Chargers. In 1979, “Johnny U” was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Presented here is a gold Western Division Pro Bowl helmet worn by Unitas. Unitas appeared in 10 Pro Bowls, with this helmet matching the style worn in the 1968 Pro Bowl, at the end of the 1967 NFL season. Unitas had a typically incredible season in 1967, leading the Colts to an 11-1-2 record while passing for 3,428 yards and 20 touchdowns. The former Louisville star led the NFL in completion percentage (58.5) and led the Colts to four fourth-quarter comebacks in his final Pro Bowl season. This offered Riddell RK 4 helmet uses a three-loop, six-point suspension system and features a two-bar facemask. A piece of athletic tape with “Unitas” handwritten in black marker is adhered to the inside crown of the helmet. A NFL logo decal is applied to each side of the helmet, although both decals exhibit some wear and damage from usage. A blue-white-blue stripe bisects the helmet. The Riddell chinstrap is still attached to this helmet. Repairs are present on the two bars of the face mask. The helmet is accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from the person who purchased the helmet from Heckle Lynn, a Los Angeles Rams assistant.