FROM THE SPORTS IMMORTALS COLLECTION

Johnny Unitas 1965 Game Worn and Signed Baltimore Colts Jersey

$10 / SHARE

An uber-rare memento from a next-level signal caller, this jersey feels infused with some of the magic that made Johnny U. one of the best.

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IN BRIEF

“Conceit is bragging about yourself. Confidence is knowing you can get the job done.”

Johnny Unitas

Always in the conversation for the best quarterback in NFL history, Johnny Unitas overcame his diminutive size and limited athleticism and starred for the Baltimore Colts for a whopping 17 seasons. The Hall of Famer led the Colts to three pre-Super Bowl NFL championships and one Super Bowl victory, picking up three league MVP awards along the way.

The ten-time All-Pro finished his career having thrown for 40,239 yards and 290 touchdowns, but perhaps his most impressive number was W’s—he finished his career in 1973 with 118 wins and only 63 losses. Unitas was the template for pocket passers such as fellow Colts legend Peyton Manning, and is still viewed with reverence by players and coaches throughout the NFL

10

Price Per Share

5,000

Shares Offered

165,000

Market Cap (Seller is retaining equity)
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ABOUT THE ASSET

Presented is a jersey worn and signed by Johnny Unitas. The jersey has been photomatched to September 26, 1965, a game that pitted his Baltimore Colts against the Green Bay Packers in which Unitas threw for 211 yards and a touchdown. 

The jersey comes with a notarized letter that it was obtained by Joel Platt, the founder

of Sports Immortals, Inc., by the Colts’ equipment manager Fred Schubach, a good

friend. Several years later Platt met Johnny Unitas at a banquet in Pittsburgh where he signed the jersey for him with the inscription, “Best Wishes Joel.” In 2020, James Spence Authentication (JSA) certified the autograph and inscription as authentic.

The item is consistent with specifications of the professional jersey style for the Colts during the 1965 season. White nylon dureen fabric pull-over long-sleeve jersey manufactured by MacGregor. “19” centered on the front and back in one color blue tackle twill. No name on the back, which is correct for the period.

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A Macgregor manufacturer size 46 tag is sewn in the tail of the jersey. Directly to the left of it is a washing instruction manufacturer tag. All tagging matches exemplars on hand.

It is clear that this jersey has been washed and used many times. There are team repairs on the front and back of the jersey. Dirt stains are present throughout. Twill numbers shows heavy puckering and the manufacturer tag is starting to come apart from repeated use, which is to be expected. Aside from the team repairs, the jersey remains unaltered and is 100% original.

COMPARABLES

In 2015, Hunt Auctions sold a 1968 Unitas jersey for $103,000.

That same year, Grey Flannel sold a Unitas jersey with no definitive date for $118,230.

Over the past decade, the value of a mint condition Unitas’ 1957 Topps rookie card has more than quadrupled to $82,000.

Jerseys are considered by some as the most valuable sports memorabilia because they are the closest thing to the athletes, literally the shirts off their back.

One of the world’s most valuable pieces of sports memorabilia is a 1920 game worn Babe Ruth uniform top, which SCP Auctions sold for $4,425,658 in 2012.

ATHLETE TIMELINE

May 7, 1933

John Constantine Unitas is born in Pittsburgh, PA.

1951

Named to the All-Catholic High School team in Pittsburgh.

1951

Receives scholarship from University of Louisville.

1955

Selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the ninth round of the NFL Draft, but is cut before the regular seaso

1956

The Baltimore Colts offered a $7,000 signing bonus in early 1956.

1956

In his rookie season, he starts his record 47-game touchdown streak.

1957

Finishes first in the NFL in passing yards (2,550) and touchdown passes (24).

1958

Leads Baltimore to a 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in the 1958 championship, a game often proclaimed as football's “greatest ever played.”

1959

Wins his first NFL MVP and leads the Colts to a repeat championship against the Giants.

1964

Winning second MVP, compiles a league-best 9.26 yards per pass attempt, 19 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions.

1967

Racks up a league-high 58.5 completion percentage, 3,428 yards in passing, and 20 touchdowns, earning him his third MVP.

1968

Participates in Super Bowl III, despite injury, in losing cause against the Jets.

1970

Leads the Colts in two playoff victories, but is injured in Super Bowl V win.

1974

Retires in the preseason while playing for the San Diego Chargers.

1979

Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

September 11, 2002

Dies from a heart attack while working out
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Written By David Seideman

Johnny Unitas: The Ultimate Underdog

When it comes to sports, everyone loves the underdog who beats daunting odds to win the day. The word miracle usually comes to mind. Think of the 1969 Miracle Mets or the 1980 US Olympic hockey team’s “Miracle on Ice.”

It’s hard to believe that Johnny Unitas, the immortal Hall of Fame quarterback, personifies the underdog.  But the man alternately nicknamed “Johnny U” or “The Golden Arm” was no Terry Bradshaw, John Elway, or Peyton Manning— all number one quarterback NFL draft picks.

“The Baltimore Colts got it right,” Bob Carter wrote for ESPN in story titled “Unitas Surprised Them All.” “Unitas, six feet and a mere 145 pounds in high school, became a nowhere-to-somewhere story, a backup who kept getting opportunities to succeed at every level. Give me a chance, the crew-cut quarterback would say, and I’ll show you. He went from semi-pro dirt fields to stardom in the NFL.”

John Constantine Unitas was born on May 7th 1933 in a working class neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  His father ran a small business delivering coal. If Johnny— the third of four children— ever played catch with his dad, it ended abruptly. When Johnny was five, the senior Unitas died of cardiovascular issues, forcing his mother to take over the coal business and do odd jobs to support the family.

At St. Justin’s, a small Catholic high school in Pittsburgh, Unitas played halfback and end until replacing the starting quarterback who broke his ankle early in his junior year. During his junior year, he flourished and was named to the All-Catholic High School team in Pittsburgh, then, as a senior, Unitas caught the eyes of some colleges…but not many.  

Since he was a boy, Unitas had fantasized about starring for Notre Dame, but the school’s coach thought his slight build would cause him to get “murdered” on the field, thus preventing him from securing a scholarship. Indiana also rejected him. The University of Pittsburgh offered him a scholarship, but Unitas flunked the entrance exam. 

Unitas landed at the University of Louisville with a scholarship, who were far more interested in his services after he sprouted to 6’1’ and bulked up to 190.  While earning the starting quarterback position in his freshman season, it was his misfortune to play on so-so teams. In 1951, he bided his time for a good part of the season. His big break came in game five when he threw 11 straight complete passes against St. Bonaventure in a losing cause. As a starter, he completed 46 of 99 passes for 602 yards and nine touchdowns.

The following season, he faced a double whammy. First, the university decreased student aid and tightened academic standards for athletes, which forced the team to revoke scholarships for 15 players. Unitas kept his scholarship by taking another elective— square dancing. 

The second whammy was the coach’s decision to convert the team to two-way football. As a result, Unitas played safety and linebacker on defense while remaining the team’s signal caller. He even returned kicks and punts on special teams. Considering this triple duty, it was little surprise he missed time from injuries, and completed his career with less-than-impressive QB numbers: 245 completions, 3139 yards, and 27 touchdowns. Good, but not great.

But greatness was just around the corner.

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Take a deeper dive

THE BEST FROM THE BEST

Unitas at his finest

HEEERE’S JOHNNY

Unitas talks before the 1971 Super Bowl

HORSING AROUND’

All about Unitas’ Baltimore Colts

Unitas was a mediocre pro prospect, selected deep in the draft in the ninth round by the NFL’s Pittsburgh Steelers in 1955. They cut him before the regular season began because there were three quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart and the Steelers head coach believe Unitas lacked the intelligence to be an NFL quarterback. He didn’t play a second in any of the five exhibition games, nor did he get a single snap in practice.

“The Steelers in the 50s were a far cry from the powerhouse they are today.,” writes Oliver Connolly. “The organization reeked of failure and mismanagement, and there is probably no finer example of this than their decision to cut Unitas without even giving him a shot.”

But the strong, silent Unitas was never one to complain…most of the time. “Most of the time they acted like I wasn’t there,” he said of the Steelers.

Unitas was reduced to hustling construction jobs to support his wife and small child. On weekends, he played quarterback and defensive back with old equipment on sandlot fields for a semiprofessional team in Bloomfield in the Pittsburgh area for $6 a game. (Sandlot may be too generous a term. The litter-strewn field was actually dirt rather than grass and sprayed with oil before games to keep the dust down.)

Fortunately, Unitas did not toil in vain. An admirer noticed his exploits on the sandlots.

“We received a letter from a fan telling us there was a player in Bloomfield deserving a chance,” the NFL Baltimore Colts coach Weeb Ewbank said. “I always accused Johnny of writing it.”

The Colts gave Unitas a tryout. He and a friend, a lineman on his sandlot team, had to borrow money from friends to pay for the gas for the trip. The friend later recalled that Unitas’ uncle told him not to go for fear of disappointment. 

The Colts offered a $7,000 signing bonus in early 1956, and he joined them for their spring exhibition. Ewbank liked everything he saw, even Unitas’ size. “He was a big boy with good speed,” Ewbank said. “Not dazzling speed, but good speed. And he was so very eager to learn.”

In an episode eerily reminiscent of high school, Unitas was pressed into service as a starter after the first-string quarterback broke his leg during the fourth game of Unitas’s rookie season.  (The other backup was in law school.) His beginning was inauspicious. His first pass in his starting role was a Pick 6. Then in his very next play, he fumbled a hand-off and the Bears recovered. The Colts lost 58-27.  

He bounced back quickly, leading the Colts to an upset of Green Bay and their first win against Cleveland. He threw nine touchdown passes that year, including one in the last game that started his record 47-game touchdown streak. His 55.6-percent completion rate also set a rookie record.

He was the starter behind the center for good. After earning an MVP award in 1957, by 1958 Unitas was regarded as the best quarterback in the NFL. He led Baltimore to a 23-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants in the 1958 championship on national TV, a game often proclaimed as football’s “greatest ever played.” Unitas’ meteoric rise to fame from such humble beginnings made him the classic rags-to-riches hero as professional football exploded in popularity; soon rivaling America’s national pastime, baseball.

On the NFL’s 50th anniversary in 2009, Unitas was voted the greatest quarterback of all time. He was Most Valuable Player three times and played in 10 Pro Bowls. He led his team to the NFL championship in 1958 and 1959 and the Super Bowl in 1970. To cap it all off, he was inducted into the football Hall of Fame in 1979.  

But he never lost sight of where he came from.

“The most important thing of all about Unitas is that he had a real hunger,” said Eubanks. “This was a kid who wanted success and didn’t have it so long that he wasn’t about to waste it when it came.”

David Seideman is a Senior Editor for Collectable. His sportswriting has been seen in Time, Sports Illustrated, and Forbes.

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HOW TO

Breakdown of Unitas’ throwing style

GOLDEN ARM, INDEED

Unitas interviewed at 1999 award ceremony