Johnny Unitas Character Analysis

Johnny Unitas was a quarterback who grew up in a culture of self-effacement half a generation before another famous quarterback, Joe Namath. David Brooks contrasts Unitas with Namath to show the glaring difference between an old culture and a new culture that began around the 1960s. Unitas represents an old culture in which people were reserved in manner and hard on themselves. Unitas approached football as if he were an honest worker doing an honest job. He’d often blame himself for his teams’ mistakes, and he never bragged about his own greatness. Moreover, his lifestyle wasn’t part of his fame. He dressed simply and kept his personal life private. For Brooks, he represents the culture of moral realism.