Collision of Wills

Out from the University of Nebraska Press, the novel by Jack Gilden looks deep in to the conflicted relationship between two titans of the NFL - Johnny Unitas and Don Shula - and how this helped model the present day NFL

Johnny Unitas is lauded as the first great quarterback, his legacy is untouchable as that of a gifted athlete but a born leader who helped the Baltimore Colts be vaulted to elite status as one of the premier teams of American football before the merger of the AFL and NFL which led to the Super Bowl being created. While Unitas never won the premier competition, his influence and type of play to change it from a brutal battle reminiscent of trench warfare to one embracing passing quarterbacks and dynamic receivers is relevant today more than ever.

The first modern day QB - Johnny Unitas

Don Shula is one of the great coaches in NFL history, winner of two Super Bowls and still the only coach to oversee a perfect season in the sport when with the Miami Dolphins in 1972.  Yet he started as a player himself, playing with Unitas as a linebacker for the Colts before becoming a coach.  When he became coach of the Colts, his style and manner clashed directly with Unitas who was the figurehead of the franchise - one is outgoing, personable and respected; the other (Shula) was introvert, cold and demanding.

This collision of personality types led to a complex relationship between two men who were very similar in terms of Christian values, morality and work ethic; yet this tempestuous relationship played out against a changing social-political landscape of the United States in the mid to late 1960s with the advent of the sexual freedom, the Vietnam war, political assassinations and civil rights.

Don Shula and  Unitas (19)

The times were a changing, as they were in the NFL, gone were the days of running backs pounding the rock time after time into monsters of defensive lineman, the game used to be won at the line of scrimmage but the advent of west coast offence and embracing of athleticism meant that more faith was being thrust into the now archetypal figure of the quarterback - a man who can make decisions based on defensive shifts and blitz coverage, he passed the ball in the air more to receivers running down field. More points were being scored and games were becoming more appealing to broadcasters who began to screen games live in prime time; and the person throwing the ball became the photogenic persona that praise was bestowed upon weekly.

Gilden's expertly researched book is full of anecdotes about not just the two named stars of the book but also the luminaries and contemporaries who are connected to the two men either as team-mates, rivals, coaches. The roll call of Hall of Fame talent that are name checked are Vince Lombardi, Jim Brown, Dick Butkus, Bart Starr, Jim Taylor , George Halas, Chuck Noll, Al Davis, Joe Namath and Bubba Smith.

Namath is testament to the quarterback becoming the star, a charming handsome man who famously guaranteed that the New York Jets would defeat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl 3 in Miami; Namath was true to his word as the Colts suffered five turnovers as Shula had no answer to the Jets defence, shepherded by another famous name, Weeb Ewbank.

In the UK, we have a shorter history and knowledge of the NFL, names that I have mentioned before will be well known to many a true NFL fan, yet for all my knowledge I cannot recall nor remember hearing the name of Weeb Ewbank before.

Weeb Ewbank and QB, Joe Namath - Champions of Super Bowl 3, January 1969

Ewbank was the coach of the Jets during Super Bowl 3 and was also the coach of the 1958 Championship game won by the Baltimore Colts. Both times Ewbank built small teams from ruins and created winning franchises; created two greatest-ever quarterbacks for their franchises in Unitas and Namath; yet he was unceremoniously sacked from the Colts pathing the way for Shula to take an already excellent team and make them winners.

Yet reading Gilden's transcript of the Super Bowl triumph, it is Ewbank who marshals the team to victory - Namath does not throw that much but is accurate when he needs to be, the defence swamp Earl Morrall forcing mistakes that they capitalise on.

While Lombardi and Shula became the mouthpieces for their team, Ewbank gladly stepped aside and let his players take the credit, even if it means overshadowing his achievements.

Written with great purpose and elaborating cleverly on the socio-political context of the late 1960s, Gilden makes clear that without these men as forefathers you cannot have the spectacle that the NFL has become now, this institution that has become the No. 1 sport in America. During the 1960s, it was behind baseball in terms of popularity and exposure. Now the NFL is far and away the biggest team sport in America, with talk continuing of a franchise being based in London someday.

Without this collision between Unitas and Shula, we would not be in a position we are now, and thanks to Unitas he made the athlete the star. Many casual observers can name a dozen starting quarterbacks easily, can they name five head coaches.

Collision of Wills is published by University of Nebraska Press on October 1st.