This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/11/2019
Though his career statistics pale in comparison to the great quarterbacks of today's pass-happy offenses, many football aficionados consider Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas to be one of the greatest signal-callers in NFL history if not the best. Drafted by the Steelers in the 9th round of the 1955 NFL draft, Pittsburgh head coach Walt Kiesling chose to release his new rookie without having him take even a single snap in practice, deciding that his draftee simply wasn't, nor ever would be, smart enough to quarterback an NFL team. The Baltimore Colts sure do have a different opinion as Johnny U went on to win three NFL championships and was selected to 10 Pro Bowls. Unitas entered the 1960 season with a streak of three consecutive seasons as the league's TD passing leader (which he would repeat again to make it four in a row) and wore these black cleats with metal spikes onto the field of battle. The shoes show extensive wear and game-use, most noticeable at the front tips, with plenty of turf and dirt residue on the soles. Unitas' uniform number 19 is written on the inside of both cleats. The provenance of these shoes is rock-solid, confirmed by longtime Unitas teammate and fellow Hall of Famer Art Donovan, who acquired them to sell in a charity auction in the Baltimore area. A letter attesting to this is signed by Donovan with a full LOA from JSA to authenticated that it is indeed Art Donovan's signature. A fantastic piece of game-used equipment from one of the National Football League's most beloved players. Action photos are provided for style-match purposes.