Colts

Johnny Unitas - 1965
(Authentic Reproduction)

Dear NFL gods:
When the games start up this Sunday please magically turn back the schedule to the late 1950s or early 1960s and broadcast a game from Memorial Stadium. Allow us the privilege to experience one last time as......................  

Mr. Unitas is hunched well over the center as he calls the signals. His rail thin body is motionless from the neck down as only his head pivots quickly from side to side mimicking the body language of a wise old owl. In the split second before the ball is hiked he defines the word confidence and leadership to the rest of us mere mortals. He and he alone has drawn up the play (if it was ever sent in OLE Johnny would simply leave the field) and he will endure and overcome almost unrestricted punishment from the opposition in his quest to make it successful. And when it becomes successful we look back up the field always anticipating to find him in a celebratory posture but he has already began preparation for his next move probably wondering why anyone would ever get excited over something that has happened that they intended to have happen to begin with.      

Well, if the NFL will not consider our request at least we can enjoy the everlasting image of John's early 1960s Colts helmet. The John Unitas "on field" look is best captured by the combination of his crew cut hairstyle, black Riddell hightop cleats (with double bow laced knots), and his Riddell model "RK-4" helmet. John always wore his two bar facemask angled slightly more upward than the standard Riddell factory mounting position perhaps to better protect his often injured nose and upper lip area. If you look closely you will see that his facemask (thanks again Hobie) is one of the original Riddell two bar facemasks. When this facemask was first introduced in the late 1950s it did not have the two smaller vertical support bars that connected the two main horizontal bars of the facemask. Although these support bars were added shortly after the original facemask was introduced both Johnny and Lenny Moore continued to wear the original version well into the early 1960s. The Colt's horseshoe decals during this era were wider and less stylized (meaning: more attractive -- to us old timers) than the current version. The 2" navy rounded font player identification numerals on the rear of the helmet were far superior to the hand written (in marker) numerals as used by the Colts in the 1958 championship season. That was back when a younger Mr. Unitas wearing a Riddell model "TK-5" ("TRU-KURV" or rounded shaped shell) coupled with a one bar facemask defeated the Giants in the famous first ever overtime championship game.