Editing Johnny Unitas (section)

==Personal life==
[[File:Johnny Unitas grave.jpg|thumb|The gravesite of Unitas in [[Timonium, Maryland]]]]
On November 20, 1954, Unitas, at age 21, married his high school sweetheart Dorothy Hoelle. They lived in [[Towson, Maryland]]<ref>{{cite web| url= http://patch.com/maryland/towson/unitas-home-hits-the-market |title= Johnny Unitas' Former Home To Hit the Market |work= Towson, Maryland Patch|date= January 25, 2012 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20180308231611/https://patch.com/maryland/towson/unitas-home-hits-the-market |archivedate=March 8, 2018 | access-date= October 24, 2012}}</ref> and had five children before divorcing. Unitas's second wife was Sandra Lemon, whom he married on June 26, 1972. They had three children, lived in [[Baldwin, Maryland|Baldwin]],<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/BSO-Decorators-Show-House-highlights-Johnny-Unitas-home/19846946| title= BSO Decorators' Show House highlights Johnny Unitas' home| website= WBALTV.com| publisher= WBAL| date= October 24, 2014| access-date= October 24, 2014| archive-date= March 4, 2016| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160304000132/http://www.wbaltv.com/news/maryland/baltimore-county/BSO-Decorators-Show-House-highlights-Johnny-Unitas-home/19846946| url-status= live}}</ref> and remained married until his death.

[[Towson University]], where Unitas was a major fund-raiser and which his children attended, named its football and lacrosse complex [[Johnny Unitas Stadium]] in recognition of both his football career and service to the university.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050103aab.html |title=Towson To Immortalize Johnny Unitas By Naming Football Stadium After Former Colts QB |publisher= | work= PatriotLeague.org |date=May 1, 2003 |access-date=October 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151123031251/http://www.patriotleague.org/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/050103aab.html |archive-date=November 23, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Toward the end of his life, Unitas brought media attention to the many permanent physical disabilities that he and his fellow players suffered during their careers before heavy padding and other safety features became popular. Unitas had both knees replaced because of an injury in a 1963 Bears game. As the result of an injury to his right arm and elbow first suffered against the Dallas Cowboys in 1968, he eventually could not pick up a fork to feed himself with his right hand in later years. Also, his fingers had been repeatedly broken over the years, and he had no use of the middle three fingers on his right hand. He would slowly sign autographs with his thumb and little finger, and play golf by strapping his hand to the club with a [[Velcro]] strip. He could not perform any physical activity more strenuous than golf due to his artificial knees.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Litsky |first=Frank |date=September 12, 2002 |title=Johnny Unitas, NFL's Genius of the Huddle, Dies at 69 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/12/sports/johnny-unitas-nfl-s-genius-of-the-huddle-dies-at-69.html |work=New York Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 7, 2001 |title=Video |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022464/2/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101024134340/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1022464/2/index.htm |archive-date=October 24, 2010 |access-date=November 23, 2010 |work=CNN}}</ref><ref name="Nack">{{cite magazine| last= Nack| first= William| url= https://www.si.com/vault/2001/05/07/303033/the-wrecking-yard-as-they-limp-into-the-sunset-retired-nfl-players-struggle-with-the-games-grim-legacy-a-lifetime-of-disability-and-pain| title= The Wrecking Yard| magazine= Sports Illustrated| date= May 7, 2001| accessdate= November 23, 2010| archive-date= August 11, 2014| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140811004851/http://www.si.com/vault/2001/05/07/303033/the-wrecking-yard-as-they-limp-into-the-sunset-retired-nfl-players-struggle-with-the-games-grim-legacy-a-lifetime-of-disability-and-pain| url-status= live}}</ref><ref name=":17" />

In 1997, a five-hour surgery on the arm was not successful. He sought league financed disability payments, but was refused because he was receiving a pension and had not sought disability by age 55, even though the severe hand problem did not arise until he was 60. Although his hand was virtually useless, the league also said he was not totally and permanently disabled.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":17" /> Shortly after his death, an opinion column noted that it was "a sad commentary on a league that Unitas helped bring into the television age. It was his mastery of the game that attracted countless numbers of fans to the sport and television."<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 13, 2002 |title=Johnny Unitas: The NFL's Blue-Collar Hero |url=https://www.carolinajournal.com/opinion/no-630-johnny-unitas-the-nfls-blue-collar-hero/ |work=The Carolina Journal}}</ref>

In 1991, Unitas and his wife filed for bankruptcy protection under [[Chapter 11, Title 11, United States Code|Chapter 11]].<ref>{{cite news| title = Unitas Files for Bankruptcy| newspaper = [[Chicago Tribune]]| date = February 27, 1991| url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-02-27-9101180926-story.html| access-date = April 15, 2023| archive-date = April 15, 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230415120855/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1991-02-27-9101180926-story.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Their court filings showed that the couple owed creditors as much as $3.2 million but had assets of about $1.4 million.<ref>{{cite news| title = Bankrupt Unitas Is $3.2 Million in Debt| newspaper = [[Los Angeles Times]]| date = April 12, 1991| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-12-sp-240-story.html| access-date = April 15, 2023| archive-date = April 15, 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230415120855/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-04-12-sp-240-story.html| url-status = live}}</ref> His financial problems arose in part from a business venture in which he and two partners took out loans to buy National Circuits Inc., a maker of printed circuit boards, and the firm subsequently failed.<ref>{{cite news| last = Singletary| first = Michelle| title = Johnny Unitas files for bankruptcy| newspaper = [[The Baltimore Sun]]| date = February 26, 1991| url = https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-02-26-1991057186-story.html| access-date = April 15, 2023| archive-date = April 15, 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230415120855/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-02-26-1991057186-story.html| url-status = live}}</ref>

On September 11, 2002, Unitas died from a heart attack while exercising at the [[Kernan Hospital|Kernan Physical Therapy Center]] (now The University of Maryland Rehabilitation & Orthopaedic Institute) in Baltimore. His funeral was held at [[Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Baltimore|Cathedral of Mary Our Queen]] in Baltimore.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Morgan|first=Jon|date=September 18, 2002|title='We won't see another Johnny Unitas'|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-te.sp.unitas18sep18-story.html|access-date=August 5, 2021|work=The Baltimore Sun|archive-date=August 5, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210805190925/https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-te.sp.unitas18sep18-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Unitas was buried at [[Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens]] in [[Timonium, Maryland]].

Between his death and October 4, 2002, 56,934 people signed an online petition urging the [[Baltimore Ravens]] to rename the [[M&T Bank Stadium|Ravens' home stadium]] (owned by the State of Maryland) after Unitas.<ref name=":20">{{cite news |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-mackey100502-story.html |title=Ravens to honor Unitas, ex-Colts |work=The Baltimore Sun |last=Hensley |first=Jamison |date=October 5, 2002 |access-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191104035818/https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/ravens/bal-mackey100502-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> These requests were unsuccessful since the lucrative naming rights had already been leased by the Ravens to [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]]-based [[M&T Bank]]. However, on October 20, 2002, the Ravens dedicated the front area of the stadium's main entrance as Unitas Plaza and unveiled a statue of Unitas as the centerpiece of the plaza; as well as adding Unitas and the other Baltimore Colt hall of famers (Lenny Moore, [[Art Donovan]], [[Jim Parker (American football)|Jim Parker]], Raymond Berry, and John Mackey) to the Ravens Ring of Honor.<ref name=":20" />