Comparing All-Time Great NFL Quarterbacks To American Presidents

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 06: U.S. President Barack Obama holds up a Denver Broncos jersey presented to him as a gift by Annabel Bowlen (R), wife of Broncos majority owner Pat Bowlen, while welcoming the National Football League Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos to the White House Rose Garden on June 6, 2016 in Washington, DC. The Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers 24-10 in Super Bowl 50. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) /

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circa 1801: Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826), the third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) /

Johnny Unitas: Thomas Jefferson

Maybe one of of the greatest presidents that most people forget. Thomas Jefferson did so much during his run in American politics. He wrote the Declaration of Independence, purchased the Louisiana Territory that almost doubled the country in size, and was a staunch defender of free speech and freedom of press. That he had the hard luck to follow so closely in the steps of George Washington and didn’t serve during a major conflict overshadows how great he was.

In many ways Johnny Unitas embodies that. People can trace modern quarterback play and how essential it is today back to him. He was the one who pioneered everything from the 3, 5 and 7-step drops to the timing patterns and two-minute drill. He made the position like having a coach on the field and defenses didn’t know how to defend that. His success in the 1958 NFL championship transformed football from an also-ran sport into an American pastime.

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