The day I met Johnny Unitas

A fans true adventure

My husband, Bernie, and I always took off for the Orioles Opening Day Game at Memorial Stadium.

It was April of 1970 and I was twenty-one years old. My husband always was able to get great seats. This year we were in the center seventh row directly behind home plate. As the game progressed, we noticed Johnny Unitas was setting four rows in fronts of us, in the WBAL box seats. He was laughing and appeared to be with the two other men seated next of him.

  During the course of the game people were coming up to him and asking for his autograph. They did not mob him. Each person respectfully approached him and it was very low key. It seemed to me, he was quietly holding court. Each time a fan approached he would smile and discretely place his cup of National Bo under his seat. He would sign each persons program or just say hello with a warm smile or handshake. 

  My husband kept bugging me to go and get an autograph. I kept telling him no, I was to shy to boldly approach such a super star. During the seventh inning stretch, I got up and walked into the aisle. Bernie shoved me down the steps and before I knew it I was stand directly in front of The Man.

  All I remember was I stared at him, I could not talk. He had the bluest eyes I had ever seen. His hair was cut like my brothers, one of those short wiffel cuts with the front slicked up with that sticky stuff.  He had the most genuine smile. He was talking to me but I could not hear one word. My ears were ringing and all I could hear was my own heartbeat. The next thing I knew he had pulled me down on his lap! I was sitting on Johnny Unitas lap! He asked me my name and took my baseball program out of my hand. He wrote, To Judy~ best always Johnny U and kissed my left cheek.

  I floated back to my seat and I don’t remember anything about the rest of the ballgame. I did not wash my cheek for a week. 

(Post Script: During the course of my divorce my signed program mysteriously disappeared from my scrapbook. Image that.)

 

 

Judy M .Crouse

May 3, 2009

Reviews

[Judy]

Yeah, he was a real peach.

[Samuel Dickens]

That sure wasn't very nice of your ex. You have the memory, though, and no one can touch that.