Editing Johnny Unitas (section)

==Early life==
John Constantine Unitas was born during the [[Great Depression in the United States|Great Depression]] on May 7, 1933, in [[Pittsburgh]] to Francis J. Unitas and Helen Superfisky, the third of four children. Both parents were of Lithuanian descent; his surname was a result of a [[phonetic]] [[transliteration]] of a common Lithuanian last name ''Jonaitis''. The elder Unitas ran a modest coal delivery business. Unitas grew up in the [[Mount Washington (Pittsburgh)|Mount Washington]] neighborhood with a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] upbringing.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/bestgameevergian00bowd|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/bestgameevergian00bowd/page/46 46]|title=The Best Game Ever|author=Mark Bowden|year=2008|publisher=Atlantic Monthly Press|isbn=978-0-87113-988-7}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=DeMarco|first=Donald|date=October 20, 2002|title=Faith Made Johnny Unitas the Best There Ever Was|url=https://www.ncregister.com/news/faith-made-johnny-unitas-the-best-there-ever-was|access-date=August 5, 2021|publisher=National Catholic Register|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805185212/https://www.ncregister.com/news/faith-made-johnny-unitas-the-best-there-ever-was|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Sahadi |first=Lou |title=Johnny Unitas America's Quarterback |publisher=Triumph Books |year=2004 |isbn=1-57243-610-7 |pages=27–33}}</ref>

When Unitas was five years old, his father died of cardiovascular renal disease complicated by [[pneumonia]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Johnny Unitas Dead At 69 |url=https://gocards.com/news/2002/9/11/Johnny_Unitas_Dead_At_69?path=football |access-date=2025-03-03 |website=University of Louisville Athletic |language=en}}</ref> leaving the young boy and his siblings to be raised by their mother. When some relatives wanted to split up her children to different homes she refused, determined to keep the family together. She continued the coal delivery business, and worked as an office cleaner four nights a week, from 10 pm to 6 am.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hall of Fame QB Unitas dead at 69 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/09/11/unitas_obit_ap/ |website=sportsillustrated.cnn.com |access-date=January 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021002075241/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/news/2002/09/11/unitas_obit_ap/ |archive-date=October 2, 2002 |date=September 11, 2002}}</ref><ref name=":8" />

At St. Justin's High School in Pittsburgh, Unitas played [[halfback (American football)|halfback]] and quarterback, becoming the best quarterback in the Catholic "B" League, under coach Max Carey. Hundreds of fans would come to his games to watch Unitas throw his "jump pass", which could be as far as 60 yards in the air. In his senior year, Unitas was named quarterback on Pittsburgh's All-Catholic High School Team.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Eisenberg |first=John |date=October 20, 2002 |title=Youngster's drive couldn't be sacked |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2002/10/20/youngsters-drive-couldnt-be-sacked/ |work=Baltimore Sun}}</ref><ref name=":8" />