Joe Flacco on playing Johnny Unitas: I was honored to be asked
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco admitted on Friday that he's a little nervous about portraying former Baltimore Colts quarterback Johnny Unitas in the movie 'Unitas We Stand.' However, he also said he was honored to be asked to play the Hall of Fame quarterback.
By
John Breech
•
1 min read
It's now been a week since Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was selected to play Johnny Unitas in the upcoming film 'Unitas We Stand.'
In that week, we've heard from Unitas' son Joe -- who co-wrote the screenplay and personally picked Flacco to fill the role -- and we've heard from Unitas' grandson Johnny (J.C.) -- who called Flacco an 'embarassing choice' for the role.
The one person we haven't heard from? Flacco himself. Flacco finally opened up about the subject on Friday and said he was honored to be asked.
"This really was the fact that this is Johnny Unitas, and he's one of the greatest quarterbacks that has ever played," Flacco told Baltimore's team website. "It's just one of those things that comes along and I was honored to be the guy that was asked."
Flacco didn't specifically comment on being called an 'embarrassing choice' for the role, but he does admit to being nervous about playing Unitas, "I'm a little nervous about the fact that I'm probably not going to replicate him perfectly," Flacco said. "I don't know if they're going to want me to go out there and just look like me or if they're going to want me to actually look like him a little bit. I'm sure that will be a little tough to do, but I'm going to try and do it."
Besides getting the chance to play Unitas, Flacco also took the role because it was the chance to be in a movie.
"I thought it would be a pretty cool opportunity for myself when I'm a little bit older and I can look back and say that I had done it," Flacco said.
The AFC East might have Tom Brady and his Hollywood good looks, but it's the AFC North that's turning into the Hollywood division for quarterbacks. Flacco joins division rival Ben Roethlisberger as AFC North signal callers that have made it on to the silver screen. Roethlisberger, of course, made a brief appearance in the Batman movie: The Dark Knight Rises.
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