The team was led by third-year head coach Don Shula and achieved the only perfect season in NFL history. Wilson led the Dolphins to just fifteen wins in four seasons before being fired and replaced by Baltimore Colts head coach Don Shula. Jake Scott, former Miami Dolphins safety who was MVP at 1972's Super Bowl VII, died Thursday after a fall at the age of 75. . The Miami Dolphins legend led the team to the Perfect Season of 1972, going 17-0 to become the only NFL team to complete [65] However, MSNBC reported that this was a deliberate snub by Nixon, who was a Redskins fan, even though Nixon owned a vacation home in nearby Key Biscayne, Florida and telephoned Shula only hours after the Dolphins defeated the Colts in the 1971 AFC Championship game to suggest a play for Miami to use in Super Bowl VI (a down-and-out pass to Warfield that was broken up by Cowboys safety Cornell Green). The Dolphins held a 140 lead at halftime. The 1972 Dolphins are STILL the only undefeated NFL team in the history of the world. By the beginning of the fourth quarter, with little doubt about which team would win, Dolphins quarterback Jim Del Gazio replaced Morrall. He unofficially had 10 sacks that season and another 3.5 sacks in the postseason. By the end of the first half, the Dolphins led by a score of 1713. On Washington's subsequent drive, Jake Scott intercepted Billy Kilmer's pass. In 1972, the Miami Dolphins created NFL history by having a perfect season. He was diagnosed with dementia and when his family reached out to the NFL for help, they constantly got the runaround. Our goal was not to go to the Super Bowl but to win it. 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. Both teams scored a field goal in the second quarter, from 49-yards and 25-yards by Jim Bakken of the Cardinals and Garo Yepremian of the Dolphins, respectively. [53], The Steelers retook the lead, 107, early in the third quarter when Roy Gerela kicked a 14-yard field goal. Shortly thereafter, Don Shula replaced Morrall with Griese at quarterback. At training camp in 1972, he made his team watch the entire Super Bowl twice and years later said, "What I stressed in the locker room was that we wanted to make sure this wouldnt happen again. Coach Don Shula also died in that timeframe (May 4, 2020). He coached the Dolphins to the league's only undefeated season (17-0) in 1972, culminating in a 14-7 victory over the Washington . A second Yepremian field goal cut Minnesota's lead to one point, but the Vikings responded with thirteen-play drive which ended in a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. Garo Yepremian's extra point allowed the Dolphins to take a 70 lead. Our goal was not to go to the Super Bowl but to win it.. In Super Bowl VIII, against the Minnesota Vikings, Briscoe caught two passes for 19 yards. Miami Dolphins Rumors & News - SportsOverdose Leon Sandcastle Kansas City Chiefs Custom Football Card. Mike Kolen, a starting linebacker for both Dolphins' Super Bowl-winning teams, told the Herald that he was recently diagnosed with initial stages of Alzheimer's. What the 2022 49ers Have in Common with the Undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins Anderson was so popular as a player that after retiring in 1978, he was immediately elected to the Senate in Florida. Those are seven individuals who are known to have been diagnosed with football-related illnesses. In the game's second quarter, Morrall fumbled on a lateral pass, with the ball being recovered by cornerback Earlie Thomas of the Jets at the Dolphins 38-yard line. Fifty years ago, history was made when the Miami Dolphins completed a perfect 17-0 season by winning Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles..In its newest episode, ESPN E60 examines what made that team so good and how the undefeated season unfolded. The Dolphins made the playoffs for the first time in 1970, and in 1971, Miami won its first playoff game after defeating Kansas City in the longest game in league history. Jim Langer, shown playing for the Dolphins in Super Bowl VII, died at age 71. 1972 Miami Dolphins Nick Buoniconti, Jake Scott, Jim Kiick had CTE The Patriots scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the first being an 8-yard pass from quarterback Brian Dowling to running back John Tarver and the second being a 1-yard rush by Dowling. The Jaw by any name, Shula still the king Columnist", "Urban Legends Reference Pages: 1972 Miami Dolphins Toast First Losses by Undefeated Teams", "David Moulton: A final salute to the 1972 Dolphins " Naples Daily News", "40 yrs Later, Nixon Shunned '72 Dolphins Get White-House Respect", "1985 Chicago Bears Visit the White House | The White House", "At least three '72 Dolphins refuse White House invite", 1972 Miami Dolphins Season at Pro-Football Reference, Perfect Season Podcast a 50th anniversary podcast with an episode for each game of the 1972 season, starring several members of the team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1972_Miami_Dolphins_season&oldid=1135686326, Kiick 6-yard pass from Griese (Yepremian kick), Anderson 35-yard defensive fumble return (Yepremian kick), Warfield 19-yard pass from Morrall (Garo Yepremian kick), Csonka 1-yard rush (Yepremian kick failed), Briscoe 16-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Mandich 39-yard pass from Del Gaizo (Yepremian kick), Twilley 9-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Mumphord 28-yard interception return (Yepremian kick), Stowe 27-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Mandich 3-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Briscoe 14-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Warfield 34-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), Csonka 9-yard pass from Morrall (Yepremian kick), This page was last edited on 26 January 2023, at 05:41. Denver didnt give him a chance to compete for the quarterback job in 1969, so he asked to be released. [42], Early in the third quarter, Morrall rushed for 31yards for a touchdown. TEAM DATE ROUND TM OPP . Swift made a career change a couple of years after that perfect season and walked away from the game at 27. In all, roughly a quarter of the 1972 team's players are dead, and so far three of them have been found to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease associated with repeated head trauma that can only be diagnosed after death. Early in the fourth quarter, Miami capitalized on a long pass interference penalty against Steve Tannen with a second Jim Kiick touchdown run. Miami quickly responded with a 10play, 82-yard drive capped off by a 12-yard rush by Mercury Morris for a touchdown and a successful extra point attempt by Garo Yepremian. That's probably appropriate, as they remain the only team in the Super Bowl era to go undefeated, finishing with a perfect. 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. They are the only team in NFL history to go undefeated and untied in the regular season and postseason. Bottom line: A converted linebacker, Jim Langer became a starter in the 1972 season and never looked back. 1972 Miami Dolphins Roster & Players - Pro-Football-Reference.com The offensive line included future Hall of Famers Jim Langer and Larry Little. [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. In fact, ever since the incorporation of the playoff . St. Louis finally responded again in the fourth quarter via a 2-yard rush by running back Leon Burns. You're a trailblazer.". Yes, it was the 1972 Dolphins who went on a perfect season including winning the playoffs and super bowl Is Actor Brian Wilde still alive or dead? He suffered from numerous health ailments after his playing days and had three surgeries to fuse vertebrae in his spine. THE 1972 MIAMI DOLPHINS ROSTER NUMBER, NAME, POSITION: CURRENT STATUS, '72 HIGHLIGHT 1. 1972 was the seventh consecutive season that Warfield averaged at least 20 yards per reception, and he caught three of the teams seven completions in the Super Bowl. Cacophony breaks out, and three members of the 1972 Dolphins, Larry Little, Paul Warfield, Larry Csonka, are shown casually sitting at a table together uniquely dressed in aqua-colored formal coats, and all three are drinking champagne, laughing at the chaos happening around them.[59]. Bill Stanfill, a defensive star for the team, died last fall at age 69. Dolphins cornerback Curtis Johnson blocked a punt by David Lee of the Colts and recovered the football at Baltimore's 22-yard line. The 1972 Miami Dolphins were named the No. 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. Kiick is part of the league's $1 billion concussion settlement, which could result in a payout as high as $620,000, but the familys journey to that point has been costly in its own right. The Dolphins scored first, with a 40-yard field goal by Garo Yepremian in the first quarter. 22:54 GMT 13 May 2017. Garo Yepremian, kicker: Died in Pennsylvania in 2015, at age 70, after a bout with high grade. Just perfection. . [42], The Dolphins remained at home at the Orange Bowl in Week 11 for a Monday Night Football game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Dolphins won all fourteen games of the regular season, won two playoff games, and defeated the Washington Redskins . Many players and coaches helped the Dolphins achieve glory, and in football retirement, some of them even exceeded their success on the gridiron. However, the Dolphins blocked Pete Gogolak's extra point attempt. It is also in Ohio where Shula has an endowment in his name at his alma mater, John Carroll University. $19.99. Career stats: 212 REC, 3,064 RYDS, 14.5 AVG, 23 TD, 1972 stats: 20 REC, 364 RYDS, 18.2 AVG, 3 TD, 1972 postseason stats: 4 REC, 61 YDS, 15.3 AVG, 1 TD. That player then returned the fumble for Washington's only score of the game. 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. Tackles were not officially tracked back then, but Buoniconti unofficially had 162 tackles, a then-team record. 1972 Topps Garo Yepremian All Pro Football Card #275 Miami Dolphins EX Throughout the contest, Browns quarterback Phipps was intercepted five times by the Dolphins defense. Over time, these hard impacts result in confusion, depression and eventually dementia. Miami now led by 243 after the third quarter. Miami fumbled a punt deep in its own territory in the fourth quarter and allowed New York cut the lead to 2417, but a late field goal put the game out of reach as the Dolphins won 2717. Jake Scott, member of undefeated Dolphins team and Super Bowl VII MVP Football and broadcasting run through the Griese blood as Bobs son, Brian, was also a longtime NFL quarterback and currently is a broadcaster for ESPN. [46], With the win, the Dolphins became only the third team in NFL history to win at least 12 consecutive games, after the 1934 Chicago Bears and 1969 Minnesota Vikings. Often called the greatest second-string QB in NFL history, Earl Morrall backed up Johnny Unitas, Bob Griese, Fran Tarkenton, Len Dawson and Y.A. [23] A short Vikings punt was followed by a six-play Miami drive and a three-yard touchdown pass from Griese to Mandich to give the Dolphins a 1614 win. The Dolphins scored first, after rookie safety Charlie Babb blocked Browns placekicker Don Cockroft's punt at the Cleveland 17-yard line and returned the ball for a touchdown. Legendary Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula dies at 90 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. They found that having a concussion was associated with lower cortical thickness in brain regions that are the first to be affected in Alzheimer's disease. 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. CDC BUILDING DATABASE ON SPORTS-RELATED CONCUSSIONS. The Miami Dolphins have won twice in Super Bowls all-time. 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. His other Super Bowl appearance came in 1971, albeit ending in a Dolphins' loss to the . . [38] On the third play of the game, Dolphins safety Dick Anderson intercepted Patriots quarterback Jim Plunkett at New England's 26-yard line. After seven more plays, Miami scored on a 9-yard pass from quarterback Earl Morrall to wide receiver Howard Twilley. Later, the 2007 New England Patriots also earned an undefeated and untied regular season record. The 1972 Miami Dolphins, led by Hall of Fame Coach Don Shula, finished 17-0 and won Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins. The Dolphins had two shutouts in 1973, but allowed 668 total yards in their three playoff . Anderson is currently the president of his own insurance company, Anderson Insurance Group, which he started back during his playing days. Yepremian then kicked a 46-yard field goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter. The Giants defense forced the Dolphins to kick a 37-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 106. [38] Don Shula became the 9th head coach in NFL history to win at least 100 regular season games, but the first to do so in only 10 seasons. Nearly as big a part of Sunday night as the game itself between the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Dolphins' perfect season. A former basketball player, the 6-foot-6 Den Herder disrupted the passing game with more than sacks, often wreaking havoc by batting passes at the line of scrimmage. Charles Leigh (American football) - Wikipedia Meanwhile, the state of Texas has embarked on the largest ever study into concussions. Picture 1 of 1. These days, there are 16 regular-season games (and soon maybe even more ) plus the three to four playoff games needed to win a . NFL experience: 11 years, all with Dolphins (1970-80). Bottom line: The 1972 Dolphins were much more than a collection of talented individuals. On the fifth play following the interception, Miami scored on a 14-yard pass from Morrall to wide receiver Marlin Briscoe. Buoniconti died in July 2019 at the age of 78 in Bridgehampton, New York, after suffering from health problems, including dementia and CTE. Still an athlete, the 76-year-old is trying his hand at masters golf as the competitive bug never escaped him. Csonka then ran 1-yard for a touchdown, but defensive tackle Jim Bailey blocked Yepremian's extra point attempt. He had been suffering from dementia and Parkinson's. Neither team scored in the third quarter. Outside of academic and athletic recognition, Little is involved with his foundation, which raises funds to help children learn to swim. He also completed all three of his passes that season - on trick plays. Csonka was born in Ohio and spent his entire college and pro career either in Miami or New York, but he had the itch to move to Alaska in retirement and lives there today. The undefeated season of 17-0(including playoffs) You got some footage from a MNF game included here along with the NFL Films coverage. NFL experience: 13 years (1964-74, 1976-77), Career stats: 427 REC, 8,565 RYDS, 20.1 AVG, 85 TD, 1972 stats: 29 REC, 606 RYDS, 20.9 AVG, 3 TD, 1972 postseason stats: 7 REC, 149 RYDS, 21.3 AVG, 0 TD. For the 50th anniversary celebration, the Dolphins wore throwback uniforms as well as patches bearing a classic Dolphins logo, the number 50, and the years 1972 and 2022. Dolphins player countdown: Top 25 Miami Dolphins players countdown: No. He was more of a blocker than a receiver and ranked just seventh on the team in receiving yards despite starting all 14 games. espnpressroom.com. Miami Dolphins 1972 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images [51], Because home teams in the playoffs were decided based on a yearly rotation prior to the 1975 postseason, the Dolphins traveled to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game on December31 despite being undefeated. . Former Miami Dolphins Running Back Has Passed Away The second quarter then ended after Yepremian kicked a 24-yard field goal. 1972 Miami Dolphins: The inside story of the only perfect season in NFL However, Miami instead executed a fake punt in which Larry Seiple ran for 37yards. By
In 2017, at the age of 71, and 37 years after his last NFL game, Little signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Dolphins to officially retire as a member of the team. One of the participants is the son of former Minnesota Vikings player Greg DeLong. Both teams then exchanged punts again, while Griese was intercepted by Brig Owens late in the third quarter. The comments below have not been moderated, By
He hosts many outdoors and hunting-based shows in addition to running a seafood restaurant in the Orlando, Florida, area. league's $1 billion concussion settlement. [39], The Dolphins then returned home in week 10 for their second matchup against the Jets. Garo Yepremian's subsequent extra point attempt was blocked, his first miss after seventy-five consecutive successful attempts. [50], For the first round of the playoffs, the Dolphins remained in Miami to take on the wild card Browns on December24. Dolphins' perfect 1972 team honored Sunday night; plus, notes on Tua's The legendary coaches died on May 4, 2020, at the age of 90, but he was just as successful in retirement as he was in football. 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. At the time, the announced crowd of 104,209 fans was the third-largest in NFL history, with the . As all Super Bowls (except Super Bowl I) have sold out, none have been blacked out since. 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. Nick Buoniconti: The Decline of a Dolphins Legend | The MMQB with Peter King, Footballs toll: At least seven members of 1972 Dolphins affected by cognitive impairment, Cognitive: memory loss, mental decline, confusion in the evening hours, disorientation, inability to speak or understand, making things up, mental confusion, or inability to recognize common things, Behavioral: irritability, personality changes, restlessness, lack of restraint, or wandering and getting lost, Mood: anxiety, loneliness, mood swings, or nervousness, Psychological: depression, hallucination, or paranoia, Muscular: inability to combine muscle movements or unsteady walking.