Listen free for 30 days
-
Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL
- Narrated by: Kevin F Spalding
- Length: 12 hrs and 48 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Collision of Wills: Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, and the Rise of the Modern NFL
Buy Now for $31.26
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
In their seven years together, quarterback Johnny Unitas and coach Don Shula, kings of the fabled Baltimore Colts of the 1960s, created one of the most successful franchises in sports. Unitas and Shula had a higher winning percentage than Lombardi's Packers, but together they never won the championship. Baltimore lost the big game to the Browns in 1964 and to Joe Namath and the Jets in Super Bowl III both in stunning upsets. The Colts near misses in the Shula era were among the most confounding losses any sports franchise ever suffered. Rarely had a team in any league performed so well, over such an extended period, only to come up empty.
The two men had a complex relationship stretching back to their time as young teammates competing for their professional lives. Their personal conflict mirrored their tumultuous times. As they elevated the brutal game of football, the world around them clashed about Vietnam, civil rights, and sex. Collision of Wills looks at the complicated relationship between Don Shula, the league's winningest coach of all time, and his star player Johnny Unitas, and how their secret animosity fueled the Colts in an era when their losses were as memorable as their victories.
The book is published by University of Nebraska Press. The audiobook will be published by University Press Audiobooks.
What the critics say
"With passion for the subject, extensive reporting, and sharp analysis, Jack Gilden brings to life Johnny Unitas, Don Shula, their team, their era, and their city." (John Eisenberg, former Baltimore Sun sports columnist)
"A revealing look behind the scenes of one of the game's most idolized players, and one of its most triumphant coaches..." (Michael Olesker, Baltimore Jewish Living)