Garo Yepremian, kicker: Died in Pennsylvania in 2015, at age 70, after a bout with high grade. [37], Following their win against the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins hosted the New England Patriots at the Orange Bowl for Week 9. The Dolphins clinched the AFC East title in Week 10 with Morrall at quarterback. The NFL celebrated its 100th season in 2019, and through the first 100 seasons, only one team can call itself perfect. On New York's subsequent drive, Joe Namath found Jerome Barkum for a 52-yard gain which gave the Jets first-and-goal at the one-yard line. Bottom line: After impressing for three seasons as a backup, Mercury Morris was promoted to starting halfback in 1972 and led the NFL in rushing touchdowns. He was the quarterback coach at the University of Miami where he groomed Jim Kelly and Vinny Testaverde among others. Las mejores ofertas para 1972 Miami Dolphins DICK ANDERSON Signed 4x6 Photo FOOTBALL AUTOGRAPH 1A estn en eBay Compara precios y caractersticas de productos nuevos y usados Muchos artculos con envo gratis! [42], The Dolphins remained at home at the Orange Bowl in Week 11 for a Monday Night Football game against the St. Louis Cardinals. Will an NFL team ever go 19 0? They . Anderson returned the ball to the New England 4-yard line before fumbling. He hosts many outdoors and hunting-based shows in addition to running a seafood restaurant in the Orlando, Florida, area. The Dolphins scored a second touchdown on an 18-yard pass from Earl Morrall to Howard Twilley to take a 173 lead into halftime. $19.99. [44], The Dolphins would widen their lead by two touchdowns in the third quarter. Dallas Cowboys' running back Duane Thomas takes the hand off and runs with the ball against the Miami Dolphins during Super Bowl VI at Tulane Stadium. Fred McNeill, to confirm the diagnosis after his death. The 76-year-old former middle linebacker for the Dolphins and Patriots was diagnosed with dementia in October 2016. However, with only about one minute remaining by then, the Dolphins won the game by a score of 2423. He went to Buffalo where, in 1970, he turned into one of the best receivers in the newly merged NFL. . That means the 1972 Miami Dolphins still reign as the only NFL team. The Redskins came into the game as a three-point favorite, surprisingly. Picture 1 of 1. Bill Stanfill, a defensive lineman for the 1972 Miami Dolphins, died in 2016 at age 69. Against the Redskins in the Super Bowl, Csonka led all players with 112 rushing yards and was in the running to be named MVP until safety Jake Scott picked off his second pass of the game in the fourth quarter. The 49ers happen to have a direct connection to that team. President Richard Nixon, many of his White House staff, and members of Congress were angered by the blackout rules, as they could not watch the home games of the Dolphins eventual Super Bowl opponent, the Redskins, even though all games at RFK Stadium had been sold out since 1966. The Dolphins were beneficiaries of a weak AFC East that saw the Colts lapse from a perennial contender into a three-year stretch in which they would win only 11 games; a Bills team yet to find its legs with O. J. Simpson and the return of coach Lou Saban; a dysfunctional Patriots organization that had little to no talent to surround former No. Many players and coaches helped the Dolphins achieve glory, and in football retirement, some of them even exceeded their success on the gridiron. [53] Although this narrowed the Dolphins lead to 2117, the Steelers did not score again as the Dolphins intercepted Bradshaw twice in the final minutes of the game. Earlier this week, Sports Illustrated profiled the decline of the Dolphins' rugged captain, Nick Buoniconti. State officials hope to track brain injuries among high school sports to discover whether more needs to be done to improve player safety and protect athletes. Although it appeared that the Patriots may have recovered the fumble, the officiating crew ruled that they did not. Marlin Briscoe, who became the first Black starting quarterback in the American Football League more than 50 years ago and was a member of the Miami Dolphins' two Super Bowl championship teams, died Sunday. They attempted the third-fewest passes in the league, but Paul Warfield was their clear No. Garo Yepremian's extra point allowed the Dolphins to take a 70 lead. However, Cleveland failed to score in the first half, leaving Miami with a 100 at the intermission. He had been suffering from dementia and Parkinson's. Shortly thereafter, Don Shula replaced Morrall with Griese at quarterback. They took their undefeated record to the Super Bowl against the Redskins. An All-Pro that season, Briscoe ranked second in the league in catches (57) and yards (1,036). 1 : Yepremian, Garo: 57 : Kolen, Mike: 11 : Del Gaizo, James: 58 : Jenkins, Alfred: 12 : Griese, Bob: 59 : Swift, Doug: 13 : Scott, Jake: 62 : Langer, Jim: 15 The Dolphins defense limited the Patriots to just 77net passing yards and 92rushing yards, including four sacks against Plunkett for a loss of 40yards. Related:Don Shula's Legendary Career in Photos, NFL experience: 14 years, all with Dolphins (1967-80), Career stats: 1,926 CMP, 3,429 ATT, 25,092 YDS, 192 TD, 172 INT, 77.1 RAT, 1972 stats: 53 CMP, 97 ATT, 638 YDS, 4 TD, 4 INT, 71.6 RAT, 1972 postseason stats: 11 CMP, 16 ATT, 158 YDS, 1 TD, 1 INT, 95.3 RAT. He was 30 years old. [39], In the third quarter, Morrall threw a 16-yard pass to Marlin Briscoe, increasing the Dolphins lead to 380. They were a great "team." Bottom line: Jake Scott led the '72 Dolphins in interceptions during the regular season and his penchant for picking off quarterbacks continued in the postseason. On the sixth play following the interception, Dolphins running back Jim Kiick reached the end zone on a 2-yard run. [9][10] Wilson also signed Manny Fernandez and traded for Nick Buoniconti, Larry Little, and Paul Warfield. [36] The Bills then overtook the Dolphins on a drive capped off by quarterback Dennis Shaw throwing a 13-yard pass to running back Randy Jackson, although John Leypoldt's extra point attempt would be blocked. Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese entered the game in the fourth quarter, his first time on the field since his injury against the Chargers in Week 5. New York responded with another touchdown, the result of an 81-yard, 12play drive which again ended with a 1-yard run by Johnson. [52] The Steelers, who defeated the Raiders in the previous round via the Immaculate Reception,[53] jumped to an early 70 lead when Steelers guard Gerry Mullins recovered Terry Bradshaw's fumble in the end zone. After a few more plays, Morris scored a 7-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a Yepremian extra point. Even though hes in his late 70s, Fleming is still a kid at heart and even enjoys skateboarding near his home near Venice Beach, California. Morrall replaced an injured Bob Griese in Week 5 of the 1972 season and reeled off 11 straight wins all the way to the Super Bowl. Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com In the Divisional Round the year prior, Miami defeated Kansas City at Kansas City Municipal Stadium in double overtime, the longest game in NFL history. The 1972 Miami Dolphins made history as the only team to ever go undefeated and win the Super Bowl in a single season. Over time, these hard impacts result in confusion, depression and eventually dementia. He also ran for 1,000 yards, but not without some controversy. Leader Of A Generational Defense, Zach Thomas Gets The Call To Canton. Paul Warfield led the team in receptions and receiving yards. The 1972 Miami Dolphins were named the No. The team drafted quarterback Bob Griese in 1967, fullback Larry Csonka in 1968, and defensive end Bill Stanfill and running back Mercury Morris in 1969. The Dolphins shut out the Baltimore Colts, Shula's former team, to reach Super Bowl VI, where they lost 243 to Dallas. Miami won by a score of 2014. New York responded with an 80-yard drive that included several short passes from Namath, before eventually ending with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by fullback John Riggins. The Dolphins sacked Tarkenton five times and intercepted him three times. Pastorini completed three of ten passes for minus-ten yards in the first half. The team will be honored Sunday night at . Fifty years later, the 1972 Miami Dolphins are still the only NFL team to complete an entire season undefeated. Morris, the leading rusher of the game, accumulated 90rushing yards and 35receiving yards; he scored 3rushing touchdowns. [58], The NFL capitalized on the legend during a commercial that aired during Super Bowl LIII commemorating the 100th year of the NFL. NFL experience: 9 years, all with Dolphins (1968-74, 1976-77). Later in the first quarter, New York's Rocky Thompson fumbled during a kickoff return, with the ball recovered by Miami running back Charles Leigh. Miami then went on an 80-yard touchdown drive, which featured a 52-yard pass to Paul Warfield and ended with a 2-yard rush by Kiick. Briscoe was part of the Dolphins Super Bowl victories in 1972 and 1973. What I stressed in the locker room was that we wanted to make sure this wouldnt happen again. The. Mark Gastineau, a former New York Jets defensive line backer, revealed earlier this year he is suffering from dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease following his NFL career. 'Football's important to us, but there are other things out there that are more important,' DeLong told Good Morning America. He had a career high in rushing yards in 1972 as the Dolphins, as a team, set the leagues single-season rushing mark. He died from the disease in 2015 at the age of 70. He has shunned many anniversary celebrations for the '72 Dolphins team as well as celebrations honoring Super Bowl MVPs. Since retiring from the NFL in 1980, Griese has dabbled in real estate and splits his time between South Florida and North Carolina. He became a touchdown vulture by the time the playoffs rolled around and scored four of the Dolphins seven touchdowns in the postseason. [28] In the third quarter, Morrall's second touchdown pass increased the lead to 243. It is also in Ohio where Shula has an endowment in his name at his alma mater, John Carroll University. He was the second defensive player to be named Super Bowl MVP, and he is still just one of two safeties to win the award. Swift made a career change a couple of years after that perfect season and walked away from the game at 27. Miami Dolphins 50 years on, the 1972 Miami Dolphins' undefeated season remains undefeated Don Shula is carried off the field by his players after the 1972 Miami Dolphins completed. The antecedent drive included several long runs and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty against the Bills. [34] Miami scored in the first quarter on an 80-yard drive that included a 20-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiver Howard Twilley, a 32-yard rush by running back Larry Csonka, a 19-yard rush by running back Mercury Morris, and finally a 1-yard rush by Csonka for a touchdown. One publication even named him as the most outstanding blocker in the entire league, and Don Shula praised Little for not only his play but his influence on younger teammates. However, this does not constitute any record; the 1975 Minnesota Vikings, who began 100 and finished 122, played 14 opponents with an average winning percentage of .332, and nine of their games were against teams 410 or worse.[63]. With the victory, the Dolphins also clinched the AFC East title. After Maulty Moore blocked another Gerela field goal attempt, the Dolphins increased their lead to 2110 following a 49-yard drive capped by another rush by Kiick, this time by 3yards. But the Dolphins failed to capitalize and both teams exchanged punts, while Kilmer threw another interception to Nick Buoniconti, who then returned the ball for 32yards, with two minutes remaining in the half. Kuechenberg, who was a six-time Pro Bowl selection,. [54] Consequently, Miami remained undefeated and advanced to Super Bowl VII. He was third on the team in rushing but also finished second with 21 receptions. Less than two minutes in, Bill Stanfill returned a Hoyle Granger fumble to Houston's one-yard line to set up a Jim Kiick touchdown. Del Gazio threw two touchdown passes in the final quarter a 51-yard pass to Briscoe and a 39-yard pass to Jim Mandich. 0: 0: 10: 185: 352: Miami Dolphins: 1/14/1973: Super Bowl: MIA @ WAS. He would go on to play nine seasons, including three with the Dolphins. Sign up for the Dolphins Wire newsletter to get our top stories in your inbox every morning. Subsequently, Miami's next drive stalled at Washington's 34-yard line. Bottom line: Some 45 years before Nick Foles went from backup to Super Bowl-winning quarterback, Earl Morrall nearly did the same. A Garo Yepremian 33-yard field goal allowed Miami to take an early 30 lead. THE 1972 MIAMI DOLPHINS ROSTER NUMBER, NAME, POSITION: CURRENT STATUS, '72 HIGHLIGHT 1. He was arrested twice, in 1988 and '89, for possession of small amounts of cocaine. NFL experience: 11 years (1968-74, 1976-79), Years with Dolphins: 8 years (1968-74, 1979), Career stats: 1,891 ATT, 8,081 YDS, 4.3 AVG, 64 TD, 106 REC, 820 RYDS, 4 RTD, 1972 stats: 213 ATT, 1,117 YDS, 5.2 AVG, 6 TD, 5 REC, 48 RYDS, 0 RTD, 1972 postseason stats: 51 ATT, 212 YDS, 4.2 AVG, 0 TD, 2 REC, 8 RYDS, 1 RTD. Dolphins running back Mercury Morris then scored a touchdown on a 4-yard rush. Miami scored on every possession they had during the first half, leading the Patriots 310 at intermission. [6], The 1972 Dolphins ranked number 1 on the 100 greatest teams of all-time by the NFL on its 100th anniversary. Sign up for our newsletter and get every update delivered to your inbox! The center has posthumously examined the brains of six members of the 1972 Dolphins, who were 17-0. Briscoe, an Omaha, Nebraska native, was a star quarterback at Omaha University before the Denver Broncos drafted him as a cornerback in the 14th round in 1968. [7][8], The Miami Dolphins franchise was founded in 1966 under head coach George Wilson. The winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula died on Monday, May 4, 2020. Denver didnt give him a chance to compete for the quarterback job in 1969, so he asked to be released. [26] New York maintained this advantage until early in the second quarter when a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bob Griese to Howard Twilley tied the game. [45] The Dolphins increased their lead further in the second quarter, with a 10-yard field goal by Yepremian and a 1-yard rush by running back Jim Kiick on a drive that spanned 89yards. Bottom line: Doug Swift was the Dolphins' biggest playmaker among their linebacker group, and he finished tied for second on the team with three interceptions. After serving three years in a jail cell that was in the shadow of the Orange Bowl, Morris was granted a new trial due to entrapment and reached a plea deal, which got him out of prison. Miami returned to the playoffs in 1971 and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs in the longest game in NFL history to secure the franchise's first playoff victory. https://dolphinswire.usatoday.com/2022/06/27/dolphins-marlin-briscoe-passes-away/, One free agent each NFL team should re-sign in 2023, Texas LB says he'd love to play with former teammate with Dolphins, Here are all the available free agent cornerbacks in 2023, Here are all the available free agent linebackers in 2023, Vikings GM explains why he hired Brian Flores as defensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel explains why Dolphins fired OL coach Matt Applebaum, Dolphins' 2023 home and away opponents set, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The team was led by third-year head coach Don Shula and achieved the only perfect season in NFL history. He said he made a mistake in starting tackle football at 9 years old and joined an initiative for tackle football to be banned for those under 14 years old. The Dolphins were told heart failure was the cause of death. However, in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins put together another scoring drive that included a 26-yard pass from Morrall to Morris and then 4-yard rush by Morris for the touchdown. Miami has decisions to make on their quarterback. Miami would ultimately win the game by a score of 2824 and improve to 100. With 9:18 remaining in the final period, the Dolphins scored again with a 15-yard run by Morris, amassing 106 rushing yards in the game. Just perfection. Since the 1975 season, teams that have won their division and have had a superior record than their opponent (as was the case with the 1972 Dolphins when they faced the Steelers) would play their postseason games at home. Kidwiler Collection / Diamond Images/Getty Images. "[64] Asked why the team had not been invited by President Richard Nixon in 1973, Larry Csonka stated that he did not feel neglected as it had not been a regular occurrence at the time. The ball was too big for the 5-foot-7 Yepremian, and it slipped out of his hands and right to a Redskins defender. The Miami Dolphins chose a hard reset after a 7-9 record in 2018. Bottom line: Even though he was a great player and a six-time Pro Bowler, Bob Kuechenbergs legacy was sometimes overshadowed by his mouth and the controversial comments he made. The Miami Dolphins of the National Football League ended the 1972 season with a record of 14 wins and 0 losses, finishing first in the NFL's East Division of the American Football Conference. Bottom line: Tim Foley had a bittersweet 1972 season despite it ending with a Super Bowl victory. Free shipping for many products! There might have been better, or even more memorable, teams than those Dolphins, but nobody can argue with 14-0 in the regular season and 3-0 in the postseason. Morrall, a thirty-eight-year-old who spent much of his career backing up stars including Griese, Johnny Unitas, and Bobby Layne, was named MVP in 1968 under Shula when the pair led the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship.