The Rise of Johnny Unitas: From Rejection to Fame – A RAINBOW OF ROLE MODELS {WEDNESDAY SERIES}
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Johnny Unitas – The Golden Arm Who Refused to Break – A RAINBOW OF ROLE MODELS {WEDNESDAY SERIES}
I Have Been Told I Was Not Smart or Good Enough
When the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan over me, I was just not good enough! That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it!
I have been told I was not smart/good enough. In some cases, they were right. But often I proved to myself (who gives a damn what others think) that I was indeed capable.
A friend told me this week that an attorney suggested litigation versus protesting in support of affirmative action. When you ask a lawyer for a solution, 100% of the time, it’s sue someone! But seriously, what laws are holding me back? None. The choice to yield to doubters or succeed is yours. Sometimes, the most intelligent decision you can make is to ignore those, even your people, who say you can’t!
Today’s role model proves that the power to defy others’ limitations lies within our determination.
Johnny Unitas – The Golden Arm Who Refused to Break
History’s pages are filled with brilliant minds once dismissed as not “smart enough.” Abraham Lincoln, whose wisdom would later preserve a nation. Albert Einstein revolutionized our understanding of the universe. John F. Kennedy would lead America through some of its most challenging moments.
Picture a young man standing on the sidelines, helmet in hand, his heart pounding with unrealized potential. Day after day, he watched others take snaps while he stood frozen, not even allowed to practice. The Pittsburgh Steelers had four quarterbacks and room for three. Johnny Unitas, deemed not smart enough to cut, was shown the door before he could prove them wrong.
Sometimes, being cut is just the first chapter of a greater story.
Back in Pittsburgh, newly married with a family to feed, Johnny traded his football helmet for a construction hard hat. The dream could have died there, buried under bills and responsibilities. Instead, it smoldered. Every weekend, he’d pull on a worn jersey and play for the Bloomfield Rams, a semi-pro team where he earned six dollars a game. Six dollars to keep hope alive. Six dollars to prove everyone wrong.
Fate has a way of rewarding persistence. When his Rams teammate Jim Deglau got a tryout with the Baltimore Colts, Johnny tagged along—their gas tank filled with borrowed dollars and borrowed faith. His uncle discouraged him: “What if the Colts say no? It’ll ruin you with the others too.” But Johnny understood something profound:
The biggest risk is not taking one at all.
The beginning wasn’t pretty. His NFL debut read like a cautionary tale: two passes, zero completions, one interception. When he finally got real playing time, his first two plays were disasters—an intercepted pass returned for a touchdown followed by a fumbled handoff. Lesser men would have crumbled under the weight of such public failure.
What followed was nothing short of legendary. Unitas transformed those early stumbles into a streak of 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass—a record that stood for decades.
Then came 1958
The year everything changed — not just for Johnny, but for football itself. The Colts clinched the Western Conference under his steady hand, and in a cold, electric December showdown, they faced the New York Giants for the NFL Championship. The nation watched, breathless, as Johnny orchestrated a masterpiece. The game was knotted at 17-17, a deadlock dragging into sudden death overtime — the first in NFL history.
And when it mattered most, Johnny was unbreakable. He drove the Colts down the field with a surgeon’s calm, leading to Alan Ameche’s dive into the end zone, sealing a 23–17 victory. That game wasn’t just a win. It was a turning point. The moment football went from a gritty pastime to a national obsession. And at the center of it all, there was Johnny Unitas — the kid nobody wanted, hoisting the dreams of millions on his shoulders, proving once and for all that sometimes, the most intelligent man on the field is the one nobody saw coming.
The kid, they said, wasn’t smart enough? He became one of the most intelligent quarterbacks ever to play the game. His understanding of defenses, ability to read the field, and tactical brilliance made him a legend. Johnny Unitas didn’t just prove his critics wrong—he rewrote the definition of what a quarterback could be.
His story reminds us that intelligence comes in many forms, and true greatness often lies in the heart of those who refuse to accept others’ limitations. When they tell you you’re not smart enough, remember Johnny Unitas—the construction worker who became a legend, the rejected quarterback who changed the game forever.
The choice to yield or succeed truly is yours. Sometimes, the most intelligent decision you can make is to ignore those who say you can’t.
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I am a proud nerd (as my beautiful wife and daughter have told me) investment and finance blogger with an N.C. State, Chemical Engineering, University Rutgers, MBA and Harvard University, Advanced Management education.
I left a corporate career because I desired to make a difference as a speaker and writer. I was blessed to be coached and mentored by strong women and men in my family and professional life. It is my time to serve and give back.
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I started my first business at ~13 years of age (a small but brilliantly created plant nursery). I am a successful investor in stocks, options, and real estate and am happy to share my finance and investment lessons. I am NOT a licensed financial advisor. Please do not construe my suggestions on this blog as recommendations for your situation. As an investor, you must establish your risk/loss tolerance. Investment in any asset involves risk, including complete loss.
Please seek your licensed CPA or fiduciary financial advisors for individual financial advice.
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