Dolphins History 1966-2009 HD

[Applause] the American Football League kicks off the 1966 season spotlighting its newest team the Miami Dolphins the Dolphins debut must go down in football history is the most thrilling first play ever made by any new team anywhere Joe Howard takes the opening kickoff and races 95 yards for a touchdown [Applause] Schuler came in 1970. we changed coaches but the team was transformed the no-name defense became sort of symbolic of a defense that with not a lot of known players became a terrific defense to be on going on a fear just sort of happened you know winning all the games nobody had done it before that nobody's done it since then now established clear superiority in this game [Applause] Mourinho it doesn't take long for the thought to go from the mind to the arm to let go of the football going deep ER Reno has broken another record coaches taking the Personnel that you have and getting the most out of their ability his coach in the history of the National Football League discipline I can bring my daughter out here and go through this drill buckle up chin straps primadonna's defense Rises to the occasion you were forced to tackle to do something The Tackle doesn't want to do ball is stripped from the backside looting back now looking Zach Thomas delivered a Christmas present shot dropping one by Ricky Williams well okay it's a Playbook snap to Ronnie Brown [Music] thank you Miami of the early 1960s was America's vacation Paradise boasting a variety of leisure activities the one attraction the city did not have was a big league sports franchise an ambitious attorney from South Dakota decided to do something about it Joe Robbie was the poorest owner in the history of North American Major League Sports but I have tremendous respect for him because nobody ever gave Jill Robbie anything he grew up dirt poor in the plains of The Dakotas worked his way through law school and I guess started the Miami Dolphins with something like ten thousand dollars of his own money I've been enormously impressed the entire time I'd been in Miami with the enthusiasm of the football thing and he was able to do what men far wealthier than him were unable to do and that was bring Major League Sports to the state of Florida in 1966 the American Football League announced the entry of its newest Pub the Miami Dolphins the Dolphins move quickly to find office space while Robbie looked anywhere he could to secure additional business partners I worked at wiod in Miami I did a nightly radio show from Surfside 6 the houseboat that was a very famous television show and they let us use that boat for our radio show so we would docked opposite the final blow on the Inland Waterway great guests who would come stay at the final and come across the street then Along come Danny Thomas and this group and they bring the Miami Dolphins the Miami Dolphins come to town amid all the bright lights and pretty girls that are synonymous with Miami Florida the American Football League kicks off a 1966 season spotlighting its newest team the Miami Dolphins Danny was ahead maybe one percent of the team Joe Robbie put the whole package together Joe was a genius of sorts Robbie's work was just beginning the franchise faced a virtual two-minute drill publicizing the team selling tickets signing players and establishing practice facilities they were new to getting together the coaches were new and they were trying to put a team together and really I guess it seemed like they put it together so fast they didn't really plan where they were going to work out or what the schedule was going to be or what kind of food they were going to have it just like seem to me like it was all put together in one month practiced on a field that was at one of the local Junior highs or high school there which was I had seashells on the field and it wasn't even a football field they just marked it off as like a part of a Beach area almost [Music] the playing surface of the Orange Bowl was a much faster track as the Dolphins and the celebrity co-owner discovered the night of the first game in franchise history enjoying every moment of opening night is comedian Danny Thomas co-owner along with Joseph Robbie looks like that he knows his football elephants debut muscadine in football history is the most thrilling first play ever made by any new team anywhere Joe our from nearby Coral high school and a Georgia Tech alumnus takes the opening kickoff and races 95 yards for a touchdown Joe Howard took the opening kickoff and Danny Thomas ran down the sidelines with him as he ran Danny ran many years later Johnny Carson asked him for his most memorable moment and he said well the most memorable moment in his career was when Joe our ran the opening kickoff of the Miami Dolphin franchise back for a touchdown and God I set up in bed and went did I just hear my name on the Johnny Carson show Danny Thomas wasn't the only dolphin with show business savvy number 54 Wahoo McDaniel was the only player in the league to sport his first name from the back of his jersey this helped promote Wahoo's other occupation as a professional wrestler the full-blooded Native American sported traditional headdress while Moonlighting in the ring sometimes sandwiched between football practice salads wrestling there at the same time which worked out good for me is I lived in Tampa in the off season and I wrestled all over Florida one year at a training camp I went and wrestled in Connecticut for the world championship five days after we were in Camp I scrimmaged that morning when laid down for a while screaming that afternoon drove to Miami Russell an hour and draw and drove back and got up the next morning ran and screamed another hour Wahoo's additional earnings came in hand the Dolphins struggled on the field and at the box office putting Miami's cash strapped ownership in a deep Financial hole I was sent to pick up the projector at the repair place and I had to pay for it with my own money because they wouldn't let me the Dolphins didn't have good enough credit they wouldn't build the Dolphins and I had to pay for with my own money and one time that the dry cleaners that cleaned our uniform held our uniforms up the club also had to pinch pennies when it came to traveling expenses I think the team was trying to save money and so we flew a lot of prop jobs you know propeller driven planes at first year and so I was you know I was Hey listen we're a professional team here when you play for the Miami anywhere you go is a long flight so we had a trip out to San Diego and we took a flight called zantok but I never heard any airlines you know and we flew for 10 hours to get there Zan top I still remember that name the seats were very tiny the top where you put your luggage had beds on it where they folded down and it was a long long miserable flight out there and it was even worse coming back because we lost the game the only dolphin who seemingly enjoyed comfortable surroundings was flipping the team mascot happily frolicking in his end zone water tank being an expansion team if you needed a lot of things to perhaps draw people into it and flipper was very popular at that time he would throw the footballs back out you know our field goals and extra points when it was going to that end zone so flipper was cool with the dolphin score flipper would go up and jump through the hoop they decided they didn't score enough so he would jump up on first downs we made it first down flip the jump for number 32 Joe our the team's MVP during its first season the animal kingdom was familiar territory Joe Arrow was probably off of the team Kooks and then that might be unfair joar was just very different and very kind of strange in his own way he had a couple of unique pets where you were very careful when you went in his room I did own an Alligator the alligator was a small pet alligator had to end up giving it to a circus I had a lot of fun with that and I've always been an animal lover his pet lion was named Clifford the the lion had been abandoned her mother was killed or whatever but Joe had a cub whose eyes had not opened yet and when the eyes opened Joe was with the bottle feeding Clifford and uh thought that Joe was the mother fortunately power was not also responsible for nurturing player talent for that task the Dolphins turned elsewhere what was there was a guy named Joe Thomas he was a Personnel director and he had started putting the talent together on that football team our receivers overall are good there's a few spots and of course everybody's looking for the big running back everybody's looking Don Sheila eventually was the man who made all the pieces March but Joe Thomas gave the pieces to Don Shula and without Thomas they could never have been what they were made the deal it got him Paul Warfield made the deals that got him Larry little Bob kutchenberg Jim Langer it was all Joe Thomas's Talent acquisition an early prize was 1967 first round pick Bob Griese who Thomas chose over Local Hero Steve Spurrier but I always get a joy I said Joe people in South Florida you would not have taken the Heisman Trophy winner from Gainesville and you were going to take this kid from Indiana oh yeah oh yeah good now how about introducing your lovely bride here one day this is Judy my one day wife Judy whether he he feels pretty optimistic about his chances of uh starting with the dolphins you've seen them play you think he can do it I sure do I'm behind you all the way good well I would imagine so especially after one day of marriage right I'll get her on my side good thank you have a nice honeymoon and we look forward to you coming back next week this is Bob Gracie the fate of the Miami Dolphins rest in a strong rookie he knows it the enemy knows it and the fans know it 60s greasy was off was off shoulder the offensive load [Applause] but even as the Dolphins kept losing they were slowly gaining more Talent on their roster myself and Jim kick came in 68 dick Anderson came in 68 Doug kruzan came in 68. all those people were acquired or walked on the field or somehow were transferred via Joe Thomas's office he put the nucleus of what would later be the only undefeated team ever together [Music] after four straight losing seasons in Miami head coach George Wilson retired from football the Dolphins surrendered their first round draft pick to secure the services of Baltimore Colts coach Don Shula the two men could not have been more different Shula came in 1970 we changed coaches but the team was transformed we were people who actually had to practice George Wilson if was too hot we went swimming but Don Shula we never had a drink of water in the field in seven years Sheila comes in and instills one heck of a work ethic on it at that first training camp we were going four times a day you know when I got down there in 1970 I didn't really know how good some of these players were but I knew that I had to just start from scratch and instill in them our system and our determination to compete and to win I think the first thing I I told him was that I was about as subtle as a punch in the mouth what I said was what I meant hola Paula what the hell is wrong with our snap count back in a huddle let's go what was it called he really treated everybody the same looking kind of like dirt and uh he'd yell and scream and jump up and down today 35 years later I said you know I used to get aggravated at you yelling at me on the field he says I yelled at you because I knew you'd play harder Shula's Dolphins played harder and better I believe there was 20 to 22 young players hit that team in 1970 and that was the core of that team for several years afterwards we believed in that system we got to the point where we we started to think like those coaches thought personally about the game and occupied your thoughts all the time consequently it was that group of players that made that team so mentally tough almost overnight the Dolphins were transformed from doormat to Dynamo thanks to Shula's system and aggressive ownership no one coach wins championships no one player wins championships but it's an organization Joe Robbie was a great owner for me because although he didn't have any money he spent he spent whatever he asked he borrowed a lot to get you know done what we wanted to get done quite coincidentally he felt that there was an opportunity for him to get me from Cleveland and it was a part of a deal that involved a draft choice Miami's number one pick in the 1970s draft and the Dolphins were drafting in the third position how on Earth anybody would let Paul Warfield go was just stupid I think Paul is in my mind the greatest receiver ever to play the game probably the most graceful individual going down running a pass pattern he was like an antelope always in control of himself meticulous in terms of what he wanted to accomplish the productivity part of who Paul was was so great because whenever he was called upon to do his job then that's exactly what he did he caught 29 balls but 10 for touchdowns all of his plays that he did have were extremely important the greatest move I've ever seen was Paul Warfield against Oakland in 1970 and he just did a pirouette with the grace and smoothness of a gazelle and just kept on down the field we reversed I think at 3 10 and 1 to go 10 and four and I think that just just Kindle the fire in this team's belly although we got beat in the first round of the playoffs it was just a great turnaround and and our football team now gained the confidence that we could compete with anybody in our fans now realize that we were one of the elite teams in the National Football League in 1971 the Dolphins improved on their previous record to win the team's first division championship the reward for their efforts a late December all expenses paid trip to America's heart line we had to go out to Kansas City on Christmas Day and try and meet these guys that were supposed to be in a Super Bowl here you know we looked at it as we had nothing to lose in everything to gain we played well all year and we played well in that game that game was a brutal football game longest game ever played I lost like 18 pounds that day I lost so much weight that my pants were loose and they would not die we kept trying to cut their head off and we couldn't and they tried to keep cutting our head off and they couldn't we just kept coming back at each other everything that you could ever want in a football game was there and I I always joke I said there were more burnt turkeys on that ball game and I dating probably any of the day in the history of the NFL in a game that lasted a record 82 minutes and 40 seconds it was a series of key play calls by the dolphins that eventually ended the marathon I knew we had it in the game plan but I hadn't run at the whole ball game because that's how I heard the Chiefs looking for the whole game is you know watch the misdirection so I didn't run it and I almost forgot about it yes we call it a roll right trap left where all the action will go one way it was like a kind of move for him I would pull from the back side and leave him through the hole and that was a big play for us Larry sunka's 29-yard run put Miami within range for a field goal try from kicker gero ya premium yards [Applause] I tease about Gary premium getting all the credit people running picking him up and I lost 18 pounds I'm looking out my hero my pants are falling off but when he kicked that field goal I got a kissed him brother I was so glad to get off that field a week later the Dolphins Dethrone the reigning Super Bowl champions on the strength of a 75-yard touchdown reception by Warfield and arguably the greatest single defensive play in team history and I haven't had an interception in the Orange Bowl that they had seven perfect blocks by our defense Curtis Johnson tipped the ball and I caught it started down the north side line and cut across the field and our defensive players were just knocking people down you know it was one of those once in a lifetime plays and experiences you know put us in the Super Bowl years later Nick would say geez dick he said you're so slow I went out and got a hot dog and came back you were still running I said well that's because you're the only one that didn't make a block we were very enthralled with our successes up to that point but for God that there was one game remaining on the schedule the biggest game of them all that's a lot to deal with with a young team that just three years earlier two years earlier to be exact had never won more than four games in a year [Music] the Dolphins were no match against a dominating Dallas team and we were a little overwhelmed I think we got panicky and it made us look like jackasses and we were embarrassed afterwards so Super Bowl 6 pissed us off you do one thing when you get humbled in a Super Bowl like that you fall apart or you pull tighter together I think Shula outlined that after the game in the locker room bitterness of that defeat that is from where the resolve came that we were going to get back to that game and and when we did the results were going to be different motivated by both the loss to Dallas and his own defeat in Super Bowl three Don Shula led the Dolphins in a focused crusade to begin the 1972 season Miami rode the hot hand of Bob Griese in winning each of his first four games [Music] yeah it looks like his right ankle Rick uh it may be right here he may have to go out of the ball game when a team lost a top quarterback like Bob Reese everyone said you know it's over for them they're not going to go anywhere I mean they mean I win another game stepping in to replace the falling quarterback was his 38 year old understudy thank you well I always say Bob Griese was a nice guy because he broke his ankle so I could play I was just thinking let's get a first dive let's get down the field and keep us more or less uneven Keel well on a snap drop straight back to throw he sets up he is smiling down [Applause] [Music] there is where the experience the intestinal fortitude come in even as Morrow kept the offense on a steady course it was Miami's defense that began dominating Dolphins games [Music] at our film clips of how good these players were and how good our scheme was under you know our defensive coaching staff it was just fun to watch him because he didn't make mistakes they didn't give up the big play what they did do was a buyer a nickname that would become part of NFL legend the no-name defense became sort of symbolic of a defense that with not a lot of known players became a terrific defense to be on and after a while we kind of loved it matter of fact we took a a a photo of the entire defense where we all wore the Lone Ranger masks and they said who are these masked men the story that I remember is from Tom Landry uh commenting on the defense of the Dolphins he said well they have a pretty good defense I don't know any of the names of the people playing on their defense but they played good defense to this day I I really I lived with the term no name but I don't really like it I always considered it a misnomer this was a defense with a lot of big names and a lot of big players the leader of the defense of that question was was Nick Nick was the guy that took charge typical attorney I was five foot eleven looking up into The Masks of six foot five guys but not one of them ever said anything back to me [Music] The Mastermind behind the no names with was Miami's crafty defensive coordinator I think the key to our defense was Bill orangeburger for our defensive coach was brilliant he was a marvelous chess player he had an ability to put our players in the right place at the right time and so he called the defense that identified the ability of each player the Miami Dolphin defense in those days was designed to help and to give help Anderson another star such as verned and herder Tim Foley and Jake Scott made critical plays throughout the 72 season they were helped Along by the Advent of arnsberger's innovative strategy the 53 defense they call it the 53 defense not because it had anything to do with the alignment that was Bob Matheson's number so it was very easy to remember I said at 53 all you had to do look at Bob Matheson as he came into the lineup we really stumbled onto it because of an injury and when Matheson joined us everybody was playing the same defense except they had the man over the end with his hand down on the ground we didn't see any reason to put Bob's hand down on the ground so we just played the same defense that everybody else was playing except we had Bob standing up offensive lines and offensive line coaches and offensive coordinators were totally confused because of Obama Mathison lining up they didn't know whether he was going to drop back as a linebacker come as a defensive player plus that we had all kinds of blitzes working off that that was kind of a different thing in 1972. they would give me the freedom to move at any of the four linebacker spots and Blitz that's one of those deals where you're ahead of the offense they uh they had to catch up and and figure out how to defense this [Music] the Dolphins continue to roll through their schedule paying virtually no attention to the history-making course they were chartered hot until the 11th ball game of the year when we went in to play the New York Giants and the New York media started to focus in on the fact that we were undefeated that it became an issue going on a fear just sort of happened you know we didn't like losing football games and you know it wasn't really any pressure on us to go into feed because it never happened before following their win over the Colts in the final week of the season they became the first NFL team to finish its schedule at 14-0 and after beating the Browns in the first round of the playoffs the Dolphins traveled to Pittsburgh for the title game but early on against the Steelers Miami looked anything but perfect offensively we just didn't have anything going at all we couldn't run the ball we weren't throwing the ball very well or consistently and it just happened a situation that preceded all that stuff I think fourth and five or something like that we knew that Pittsburgh had a habit of peeling back and forming their wall to return the ball and they had one rusher from the outside he came up everybody else hit and went to the wall and there was a hole you and I both could have run through at the same time [Music] was the ball carrier and he picked up a first down [Music] disciples gamble set up a dolphin score but the offense was still struggling at the close of the first half well we weren't doing well in the ball game and Earl moral had come in for Bob Griese when Bob Griese got injured in the fifth game of the season and Earl got us into that championship game but greasy had been healthy and had been practicing well for us for about a week or two Don Shula had to make the decision which great leaders have to make and at halftime he told Earl he says Earl I appreciated everything you've done to this point he says I'm going to make a decision to go with Bob in the second half and it was short it was sweet and it was to the points [Music] the greasy to Warfield connection sparked the attack to a pair of second half touchdown runs from Jim kick more than enough to send Miami back to the Super Bowl yet despite their 16-0 record the Dolphins were still decisive underdogs going into Super Sunday I'll never forget in that perfect year I was doing the Dolphins locker room interviews but we were underdogs this was still how the AFL was regarded we're unbeaten in the AFC the Redskins have lost two or three games we play in them and their favorite I drove with Jimmy Greek from Las Vegas to L.A and I said Jimmy messed up the line I said Jimmy how could the Redskins be favored to wear unbeat and he said yeah you're the AFL you're still the AFL I said yeah but we'll name it still the AFL Redskins played tougher competition I said you're making a mistake we dominated that game the no-name defense Allowed no points paced by 17 tackles from Manny Fernandez and two clutch interceptions from game MVP Jake Scott with just minutes to go the dolphins look to complete their coronation with the apremian field goal What followed was the biggest blunder in Super Bowl history I could have kicked the 42-hr field goal in my sleep I ran out there lined up the snap was perfect I kicked the ball line drive I picked it up I figured this is a negative I'll take this and turn it into a positive deflected in the air the ball zipped out of my hands Mike Bass picked it up went for a touchdown was I scared yes I was I tried to exit way by the goal line and of all people a guy who was in my face was coach schulen now Garrow didn't come over to high five me when that happened I guarantee you and players on our sideline were very upset you know if there was a noose anywhere handy I know about 40 guys who were already willing and able to string Geral up the no-name Saved garrow's hide with one final stand to cap off the greatest single season performance by any NFL team ever [Applause] that's right man the fact that we did win the big game and the perfect season on top of it just took away all of that criticism of my coaching abilities I had to feel good about that and I also had to feel good about the accomplishments of our team of doing something that no other team had ever done it in the history of the National Football League you know winning all the games nobody had done it before that nobody's done it since then [Music] [Applause] no says it all the world championship [Applause] the best team ever in professional football [Applause] in 72 we were so determined to pay attention to detail to win everything to prove to ourselves that we could that we did in 73 we were probably a better football team if nothing else we were a better football team because we were more confident we played the Oakland Raiders here in 1973. our offense struggled against the Raiders that day I believe we lost the game like 12-7 had we now lost that that game we would have been undefeated again we would have went back to back undefeated Seasons there's no question in my mind because the 73 team was better than a 72 team the offense was not a flashy big play type of offense in fact the offense was more of a type of offense that controlled the ball monotonous it was boring we just ran right through everybody and just marched down the field and scored but it worked it was fun two of them because we love getting the ball on a 20-yard line driving it down 80 yards score and not throwing the ball of maybe one or two times let me at our job much more easy because uh run block was even the fast blocking I enjoyed locking the man back off the ball and putting them on his behind that's the way we got our thrill from because you can get in notoriety no other way we never cared the ball we never caught the ball and that was an amazing feeling to know that when you run plays there's nothing that you concern yourself with except making sure that you follow these guards and they will take you to the promised land you have a quick trap up the middle and you'll be in the secondary shortly because these guys provided not holes but hallways for you to run through Mercury was a guy that could get things done quickly it was a guy that had some Pizzazz and the other team knew it in fact the Mercury was having as good years the other team with defense Mercury first seconds as far as trying to stop our offensive running game because Mercury could hurt you big and soccer wasn't going to hurt you big but over a period of a game zonka was the one that was compounding on them and kept their offense from getting on the field and scoring points Larry zanka was an absolute inspiration for our offensive life Langer and I would have a standing bet as to which side of Larry zonka's face his nose would be at at game's end because one played come back and it's over here to the left and the next play be over to the right and blood and snot and everything but it was like having an offensive lineman in the backfield [Music] zonka had played an important but supporting role in Super Bowl VII in Super Bowl eight he was the Undisputed star of the show [Music] throats Asaka was on a roll in that game and he was doing things that really he was running through these people and that there was no way that they could stop us they could not stop the machine that we brought there and they had a team but we had a machine [Applause] that's right our offensive line did such a marvelous job in the coordination of their blocking job that kuchenberg did on Alan Page just did a marvelous job the entire game the holes were so large that zonka went through about a hand on Zonk rushed for a Super Bowl record 145 yards now he hands off the knock heading right side touchdown Larry Parker [Applause] afternoon and the Dolphins if they hadn't already have now established clear superiority in this game with the Victory and the championship assured Shula paid tribute to several veterans by allowing them a curtain call one of the great honors in my career was at the end of Super Bowl eight coach Shula called a few of us off I went toward the bench and Don Shula came over and gave me a big hug that was the perfect ending to a nearly perfect day and uh seems like it was yesterday [Music] with a second Lombardi trophy in the display case Shula's Dolphins set their sights on a three beat but trouble loomed even before the start of the 74 season when three of the team's biggest stars were being courted by a brand new rival football league I think we're all more interested in staying with the Miami Dolphins rather than going to a new league but we needed a bargaining chip or some leverage to to deal with the Miami Dolphins we were in a situation where we're making fifty thousand dollars a year which was of good salary for the NFL back then and we're offered an opportunity to make three and a half million dollars over two and a half years that's why I left the Miami Dolphins Larry at the time just came off the MVP and was certainly a big name in getting Paul Warfield the greatest receiver ever in my opinion in the NFL whether I was a caboose or not I don't know well but it was something new for me and I like Taking Chances and adventurous things that day that we were going to sign and uh and more or less said we'd like to hear from you know Joe Robbie one way or the other and we never received a phone call so the phone rang and it was uh their representative saying that unless Joe Robbie matched the offer that they were going to sign in Canada we banged back and forth in the end uh remember Shula was saying to me what do you want me to do get on my knees and I felt terrible because I mean I have a utmost respect for sure I mean just a great great person I'm sitting there with with all of the dreams of what our team is capable of doing and everything just looked like it was it was going to continue to get better and then out of the clear blue I find out that three of our best football players are going to be gone and we're going to get absolutely nothing back in return it was tough to handle the impact on a 74 Dolphins was catastrophic I think because we know Zod kick Warfield we're going to leave we never hit our stride never found that Rhythm still a very good team but it's just different when you know guys are going to be out the door at the end of the season despite lame duck players and nagging injuries the Dolphins still won the AFC East and took a late lead in the divisional round game but then Miami fell victim to one of the most infamous plays in team history Oakland's improbable sea of hands come back [Music] oh [Applause] it was a devastating moment and especially infuriating to Manny Fernandez someone threw a a whiskey bottle an almost at Warfield in the head and uh and then a Raider fan came on the field as I was standing there came over and he punched me in the stomach and Manny pummeled him to the ground and if he wasn't pulled off Manny would have killed him foreign like a baby after that game the most disappointing game of my life because it did stop the dream and we also knew that our team as we knew it wouldn't be the same anymore now as a credit to coach schul and his staff even without zonka kick and Warfield we still went 10-4 and 10-4 the following years and still forwarded with the playoffs and so on and so forth but we just weren't the same new defensive Stars emerged in tackling machine Steve toll number 56 and linebacker Larry Gordon number 50. on offense number 82 duriel Harris became a deadly aerial weapon and on the ground the Dolphins relied on the zigzag jaunts of Delvin Williams number 24. well the late 70s teams failed to achieve the level of their Super Bowl predecessors they did maintain Perfection whenever playing their division Rivals from Buffalo what I remember about the 70 bills teams is we owned them I'm talking complete ownership it was an annuity that did not stop paying and I know it's painful for Buffalo Bills and fans but through all the O.J Simpson years through all the electric company through Joe Ferguson and all their great wins there was one thing they could never do they could not beat the Miami Dolphins I played for the Miami Dolphins for eight years and I never lost to the Buffalo Bills well we're playing the bills that was a victory that we counted on each and every year now in the reverse Buffalo was a team that so many negative things happened to him that whenever we played them they would have a shot that had a game one and it's like they're waiting for something bad to happen and a reason to lose the ball game and usually they did Miami won a record 20 consecutive games against the bills with many of those wins crafted by a now this spectacled Bob Griese but Bob's best outing came on Thanksgiving Day in 1977 when he carved up the Cardinals with a team record six touchdown passes [Music] unfortunately greasy was finding it more difficult to avoid serious injuries by the end of the 1980 season the face of the franchise knew his time was done when you're a quarterback and you hurt your shoulder seriously heard it and you're 36 37 years old yeah that's he had a good good thought that that might be the last one I never thought I was going to play in the National Football League and I played 14 years so I didn't get short changed at all the dolphins now look to the new decade and the second Golden Era under Don Shula in 1981 the Dolphins replaced Bob Griese with the quarterback tandem of number 10 Don strach and David Woodley number 16. Woodley was the starter and Strack was our relief pitcher they call it the Woodstock combination David was an athlete trying to learn how to be a quarterback and so Don Shula built a team around defense and on a great running game and it was Woodley who was able to run that kind of an offense to use deception roll out patterns Shula put in some plays for Woodley that you could never use for another quarterback there was a half back pass Tony Nathan would throw the ball back to Woodley and he scored them several plays Woodley took more snaps but when a different style was needed Shula called on struck an eight-year veteran Don's truck was a very smart guy a student of the game was like an assistant coach or offensive coordinator on the sideline there and the way that the Woodstock thing came up was when we fell behind early and you needed to throw the football that's when strzok became a viable option he was the guy who'd come in lead you back who could get the quick touchdown it could throw for 400 yards in a ball game [Music] had to prepare for two different people and I think it was a unique situation and Coach Schuler was uh was a master at known when to insert myself what situations and that carriers for a period of time Woods drug carried the Dolphins to an AFC East title and home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs foreign [Applause] Woodley was ineffective in Miami Trail 24 to nothing after the first quarter the Dolphins desperately needed to play catch-up Shula went to the bullpen and called in his relief pitcher to throw touchdown stripes you know at that point that it's a it's a major decision to be made by the coaching staff to bring in your backup quarterback but we had seen Don in the past and knew what he was able to do throwing the football and fortunately for us he came in he started putting the ball up in the air and with a with a lot of success [Applause] he's filing for Harris [Applause] [Music] welcome back we don't come back and love them Miami's number One never give up on my own never give up on a Shula team never give up on the shulo team half time I went in and our team was so excited I said I'm not going to screw this up by trying to make a speech I'm just going to let this excitement carry off into the second half strong pass for over 400 yards and four touchdowns in the game [Music] passing ignited at 38-31 lead before San Diego tied the school Louis Von Shaman had potential game-winning field goals blocked on the last play of Regulation time and again in overtime waiting for the ball to snap it down he hits it it is blocked again bracket the king for the ball Diego has it at the 16-yard line the Chargers have blocked it again San Diego finally secured a three-point victory in one of the Decades greatest games I told him that I was very proud of him because when you lose a game like that and you know that your team especially on a night that took so much out of you has given it everything that they have to give all you can do is compliment them for for having the confidence and and Having the courage to stay in there the way that our football team stayed in there it's a game in my coaching career that I think about as one of the great games unfortunately you know you'd like to have great games associated with wins that was a great game that we lost every game is an opportunity to learn something it's not about yourself but about your team and your teammates I look at that game as a launching pad for what was to come the following year in 1982 all the buzz was about a defense known as the killer bees we got B fans why the nickname because the unit featured number 73 Bob baumhower Doug betters number 58 Kim Beau camper number 59 Bob rosinski and the Blackwood Brothers Lyle number 42 and Glenn number 47. we communicated well I think we had a group of guys who like to study the game of football with Bill arsbarger he gave us the freedom to make changes out there that was fun that was enjoyable because it allowed you to use your head your creativity and we had a sharp intelligent group of football players that happened to be good athletes as well the bees were killer and more than just name only this swarming defense stung opponents in the strike shortened 1982 season Miami boasted the NFL's top-ranked defense in the AFC Championship Game the Soggy conditions were ideal for the killer bees [Applause] three interceptions by AJ Dewey included a 35-yard touchdown [Applause] it was the first AFC Championship Game shutout since the Dolphins flanked Baltimore in 1971. in Super Bowl 17 the Dolphins jumped out to a first quarter lead when David Woodley and Jimmy cefalo combined for a 76-yard touchdown pass another big play enabled Miami to assume a 1710 second quarter advantage Bolton Walker's 98-yard kickoff return was the first kickoff to be returned for a touchdown in Super Bowl history [Music] [Applause] but ultimately the Killer Bees were worn down by Washington's massive offensive front line John Riggins 43-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter gave the Redskins a lead they never relinquished still the main reason for the Dolphins return to the Super Bowl had been beat fence the Dolphins dramatically changed Direction in 1983 when they made quarterback Dan Marino the 27th pick of the NFL draft now we had Dan Marino all right number two right behind Elway Elway was number one Dan had a great junior year at Pittsburgh and his senior year wasn't quite as good and I think that's why he fell way back in the first round in the draft we're very very happy when he slid us to the 27th pick in the first round it was fortunate for me because I came in and I was able to play early but I had a lot of help from from the veterans and the people that were here the thing I really liked about him was that he asked questions from Sun up till Sundown and uh one thing that I told him was try to learn something new every day not only about football but about life itself and you can only improve as a person and a player mourinho's first start marked the end of Woodstock and the beginning of a new era in franchise history here's the snap Moreno drops the throw has time going deep up the sideline man dog got it buddy 25 20. Mourinho threw for 322 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime loss to the bills the rookie went on to win the AFC passing title and the Dolphins won the AFC East [Music] a lot like Bona Connie was as a linebacker it didn't take long for the thought to go from the mind to the feet with Mourinho it doesn't take long for the thought to go from the mind to the arm to the feet whatever it takes to evade the rush and let go of the football well that second year in 1984 was just you know one of the great memories of my coaching career when he threw 48 touchdown passes and the defenses didn't know what to do against Dan they didn't know how to figure it out they tried to Blitz him and we would beat the Blitz and then they'd lay back in coverage and we'd beat the coverage and you know we had all of the answers [Music] throughout the 1980s the Dolphins dazzling array of offensive weapons enabled Mourinho to ascend to Pro football's Pantheon I'm not the type of person who's going to stand there and tell you how good I am I think I'm confident in what I do as a player as a quarterback you have to have confidence in yourself that you can do the job and that everybody around you can help you do your job future Hall of Famer Dwight Stevenson helped make Dan Marino one of the NFL's best protected quarterbacks I've never seen a player in the NFL dominate a position the way Dwight Stevenson dominated his position of center for the Miami Dolphins what he did was he redefined the way offensive lineman blocked defensive players he used his hands he was 260 pounds not an overly large individual incredibly quick incredibly strong Dwight had a great ability for knowing when you were off balance a bouncing Defenders were kept off balance as the offensive line gave Mourinho plenty of time to connect with an outstanding receiving Corps my senior year was playing in Pitt and we came out for pregame and they were down there throwing and we were down there throwing and I was just watching him throw I was like God if I could get on the same team with him in the pros I'd hold Mourinho to Clayton as worthy of consideration amongst the great combos of all time black Patrol burrito oh here's a deep pattern down the far corner it is Tim Cook touchdown Clayton was uh an extraordinary athlete and receiver the first thing I heard about Clayton was that he used to earn some extra money in college by betting people that he could leap a pool table lengthwise he had that kind of ability he could lead better than anybody ever been around great speed and quickness and he was also a very tough receiver Clayton and speed burner Mark duper number 85 were known as the Marx Brothers but there was nothing comical about the way they torched opposing secondaries duper had twin Rockets strapped to his Fanny I mean he could get down there he was a sprinter in college I'll tell you when duper gets in behind anybody [Applause] Indiana State NCAA National Champion four 40-yard Relay Team a couple of years ago Mark Clayton and Mark duper were outstanding they were Unstoppable that's quite an Arsenal Mourinho had to work with you had Tony Nathan it was a major contributor [Music] Bruce Hardy the tight end probably the best tight end in Dolphin history Nat Moore was still skilled as both a slot receiver and coming out of the backfield Matt Moore is very unheralded in my mind to me Nat Moore is the greatest receiver that's ever played for the Dolphins people talk about Paul Warfield and they talk about the Marx Brothers and those are great players and I love being teammates of all of them but to me Nat Moore was the most well-rounded receiver the Dolphins have ever had in 1984 Mourinho and a high-scoring offense propelled the 14-2 Dolphins into the AFC Championship game the League's Most Valuable Player passed for over 400 yards and four touchdowns quickly to throw looks right across the middle he's not quite an open chance five touchdown Dolphins red rides hurry up again [Applause] I got out of the shotgun Mourinho deep drop throwing deep up field down the near side man off with a touchdown the Dolphins won the right to play in Super Bowl 19. the team that had set an NFL regular season record by scoring 513 points was heavily favored to beat the 49ers Miami scored first but marinos usually stalwart pass protection broke down against the San Francisco pass rush [Music] mourinho's NFL future would include many great achievements but he never returned to a Super Bowl in 1985 and 1986 Mourinho threw for 74 more touchdowns and in 85 he practically willed Miami to an AFC East title the Dolphins won their last seven regular season games including a Monday night matchup against the 12-0 Bears they were undefeated and they had a chance of breaking the Dolphins record and Monday Night Football and the hyped Orange Bowl which is a great place to play you could just feel the electricity in the stands the people were there early and you could feel the buzz the excitement it was up to the 85 dolphins and their fanatic fans to ensure that the 1972 team's Legacy of perfection stayed intact I don't think I've ever heard it that loud in a football game and the beauty of the Orange Bowl is that the crowds rattle on top of it and I think the fans were probably more aware of of the perfect season record than even the players thought about Merino neutralized the NFL's most fearsome defense and the Dolphins posted an impressive Victory on their way to another AFC East title [Music] [Applause] this would be the last meaningful NFL game in the Orange Bowl in 1986 the Bull's final year as the Dolphins home Miami finished with an 8-8 record [Music] 1987 saw the Dolphins move into Joe Robbie Stadium but during the first three seasons in its new home the team struggled from 1987 through 1989 the Dolphins lost more games than they won this is the last [Applause] Applause for Miami toughest I've ever seen really is I mean they lose the game that way but by 1990 a turnaround was underway Miami started the season with an 8-1 record and would go on to earn a wild card berth a revitalized defense helped carve out a path to the playoffs linebacker John offerdahl earned first team All-Pro honors offer doll a five-time Pro Bowl selection during his dolphin career terrorized running backs Jeff Cross number 91 led a pass rush that was among the afc's best during 1990. [Music] Louis Oliver led the team in interceptions from 1989 through 92. his 103-yard touchdown return against the bills set of franchise records although the defensive Resurgence of 1990 turned out to be pleaded 1991 saw the return of Mourinho Magic [Music] Mourinho was voted to the Pro Bowl after a three-year absence then was selected again in 1992 as he led Miami to the AFC Championship game in 1993 Mourinho threw eight touchdown passes as the team jumped out to a 4-1 record but in a week five win over Cleveland Mourinho injured his Achilles tendon and was sidelined for the remainder of the Season there were some questions about uh would Danny be able to come back you know at that time Achilles tears were not repaired with the certainty that they are today and then there was the fact that the Achilles was not repaired properly and he had a terrible training camp and he had it was terrible through the preseason games and the detractors were out there in masses and there was a young kid Scott Mitchell the new hot shot on the scene he had replaced Danny when he went down in 93 and he played very well and there were some out there saying hey it's time let's go with with the new kid and all this negativity was swirling and Mourinho put on one of the all-time performances he was incandescent you know slogging in the mud back to pass he throws down field has a hand open Mark Ingram has it in the 30. he's to the 20. 10. he is gone [Music] third down 15 to go gigantic play for the Dolphins here he's looking has time throws into the end zone Keith Jackson has it touchdown dolphin oh yes [Applause] [Music] he's got Friar wide open Mourinho to fryer at the 15 10-5 touchdown [Music] you talk about Championship courage you talk about a will to win Bledsoe to his credit was matching Merino blow for blow it was touchdown exchange exchange and it came down to Mourinho with the ball in his hands last possession it was fourth and sixth and fourth and sixth you're thinking let's get the first down let's keep this thing going there's some time left not Merino Mourinho drops back and he does a down out and up which Mourinho lays right on Irving Fryer's fingertips touchdown Miami Miami wins the ball game one of the great shootouts of all time and once again Mourinho proves his detractor is wrong Scott Mourinho throws deep downfield it is caught by Friar touch of it courageous call Unbelievable what a game by Mourinho a flame Burns inside that man Dan Marino first of all he Danny's a winner and he loved to compete and he loved to win I think he proved to himself hey I've still got the magic I think everybody every you know athlete has been successful has a certain intangible inside him that he can call on whatever it is that what he needs and I've always had the attitude just not to quit and then I could you know I can overcome anything in a football situation in a game situation and and as as you prove that as time goes on you get more confidence never out of the game with Merino that's the thing I loved about Dan excitement our fans do it our players knew it Dan knew it the coaching staff knew it that no matter what the score was that we were always in the game 49 seconds one timeout remaining a trail by three [Applause] the whole season perhaps a balance here here is Moreno back to throw he's going deep got a man down there [Applause] during his career Mourinho LED 36 comeback drives in the fourth quarter or in overtime [Applause] mourinho's most classic comeback came in 94 when he rallied the Dolphins from a 10-point deficit he threw two touchdown passes with 4-12 remaining and was a master of deception on the game winner with 32 31 30 spike it [Music] Mourinho takes the snap from Center he's looking [Applause] off guard on that the Jets are you know they're sleepwalking they're clueless they have no idea what's going Mark Ingram runs a little down and out Danny Boy puts it right there game over the important thing is the last couple of ball games have been heartbreaking losses and today was a great win all right 1995 was mourinho's Milestone season as he secured his status as one of the NFL's all-time greatest quarterbacks Dan Marino becomes the all-time leader in past completions in NFL history and before this season is over he will own every record known to man San Marino with that touchdown has broken another record he has the granddaddy of them all now both touchdown passes ever they say football is all about the thumper baby and he's got one as big as a football [Music] in 1994 the family of the late Joe Robbie sold their majority interest in the Dolphins to H Wayne Isaiah oh God one of hyzinga's first and most important decisions was to retain Don Shula as head coach you can't look at Don Shola and say he didn't have the gift the gift of leadership I mean the ability to inspire and make others believe and that's why he had such great success I mean that's why I pile up 347 wins in the NFL right here you're getting your release you're right here he wasn't just good at one thing of leadership he had the whole Spectrum coaching is is taking the the Personnel that you have and getting the most out of their abilities and I've always taken a great deal of pride in being able to do that regardless of what talent we had coach Schuler found a way to bring the most out of everybody and to utilize the offensive defense to that Talent we got to make our own fire baby we gotta hang together support each other when they make a play just hang in there and then we make the plays and win the football game let's do it baby our day let's go let's go no defense take away yeah I never felt you had the game one until the game was over and uh so I was always up tight on the sideline until that final whistle because you don't ever want to be the coach that lets something slip away that should have never slipped away if you had done your job as a coach this Hall of Famer was literally a coach for All Seasons sun baked Miami could also be rain-soaked Miami and Shula's teams often had to slog it out in the mud [Music] some of Shula's weirdest football experiences came in the snow in Foxboro the Dolphins weren't outmussled by men they were out maneuvered by a machine in this case the machine was a snow plow a snow plow game you know that brings back a lot of bad memories and I'll never forget it snowed so hard that the field was completely covered you couldn't see the lines you didn't know where the sidelines were and you didn't know where the lines across the field were such conditions precluded a blizzard of points for most of the game the scoreboard was frozen on zero the score was zero zero no neither team could do anything offensively when they got down and positioned to kick a field goal and Ron Meyer now realized that they had no chance of kicking the field goal unless the field was plowed out where the the holder could catch the ball and put it down in an area where there wasn't any snow the snow plow was driven by a convict on work release he listened to everything that Ron Meyer the coach said so he directed this convict on work release that was driving the snow plow out to where he wanted it to plowed it really an unfair act when you come to think about it they get to snap they put it down he kicks the field it's good it's first time since I've been in professional football we've never taken such serious exception to something which happened on the field and that kind of thing should not occur as a result of somebody putting a snowplow run by a convict with the day off from prison he's a hero now that convict on work release and uh just recently I went to a banquet up there and they gave me a miniature snowflower for for me to remember the and it was snowing the day that I went to the banquet the Dolphins right now put stoyo on [Music] [Applause] [Music] the snap set down never did get it up in the air never did get it up in the air the ball rolls free and rolls free in the end zone the Dolphins fall on top of it after it was touched by a Dallas player and Miami is arguing let's see what the officials are going to call it with three seconds the clock is stopped on the board I remember Jimmy Johnson and Jerry Jones starting across the field to give me their condolences on the other side and all of a sudden players stop they say hey wait a minute there's time for one more play because Leon touched the ball and then you know we we bound it so now we have one play all right waiting to snap Miss Peterson here it is sets it down kick is up it's gone and the Dolphins win the ball Game yes all right all right in 1993 Don Shula became the winningest head coach in NFL history [Music] [Applause] got to be patient take what we get [Music] [Applause] everybody [Music] [Applause] here's the snap Mitchell looks into the middle steps into the pocket he throws the end zone man open TouchDown this is number 325 and it couldn't happen to a nicer guy coached as he becomes the all-time winningest coach in the history of the National Football League breaking the record of the immortal George Halas [Music] a bronze sculpture with this glass ball of the field being on top thank you John oh my God [Applause] two years later the man who symbolized Dolphins football retired from coaching I have finally made the decision to step aside because I felt that that I you know I wasn't doing as good a job as I felt that I should be doing I had set the bar pretty high early in my coaching career and uh you know with the back-to-back Super Bowl wins and the six Super Bowl appearances and then not being in the big game for a period of time I think that was disturbing to me and then also knowing that we just hadn't done as well as I would like to think that we should have done I had coached for 33 years I was very proud of my record my accomplishments but perhaps somebody could come in and do a better job [Music] at this time it is my pleasure to introduce to you the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins Jimmy [Applause] following Don shuler's retirement owner Wayne huizinga turned to Jimmy Johnson signing a four-year contract worth eight million dollars Johnson became the NFL's highest paid coach [Music] well it's indeed a pleasure for me to be back in South Florida [Music] to be the head coach of an organization that I have admired for quite some time an organization that I think is at the very best in the NFL and and that's the reason I'm in here the owner of a national championship and two Super Bowl wins Johnson brought high expectations to the Dolphins I think the biggest thing with the football team right now is we want to establish an attitude that we're going to be the very best and I know from day one that's not going to be the case but as time goes on I think that attitude will creep in that we will be the best a strict Taskmaster Johnson began to reshape the Dolphins Coach Johnson stressed from the day he got the job we're going to work we're gonna be the hardest working team in the NFL and I can't believe there's a team out there working harder than we are right now it's a hard camp but it's a camp that's going to make you a better person a better player sometimes I feel like I'm in that movie a full male jacket the way uh the way we screaming and going on out there discipline we always have physical training camps we always have a lot of hard work and I think it makes us steel Harden for the season early in Camp Johnson found out just how good Dan Marino really was all right let's go let's go play with some urgency now a little urgency the the flex on two ready [Music] good job good job good job man just paid stop over there with the combinations prevent part of this where you can take it down with Mourinho leading the offense the Dolphins reach the playoffs in Johnson's second season [Applause] hell of a job throwing at football and Moreno with the offense in good hands Johnson turned his attention to the defense where an undersized linebacker caught his eye his name Zach Thomas we drafted Zach there in the fifth round and we felt like really that he would help us as a backup linebacker be a great special teams player and we went to the very first mini camp and went through a couple of practices and said hey watching the instincts of this linebacker and watching him move around the way he plays I can tell you right now he's going to start for us the Dolphins starting middle linebacker on opening day Thomas made an immediate impact first game I was so high and finally made it and that's when I'm just happy to be here and I just went out there and had some fun number 54 became a force in the middle of the Dolphins defense leading the team in tackles as a rookie I guess what catches your eye is that he's always at the ball I mean here's a guy that not tall enough not fast enough but they just make plays very smart instinctive player Thomas bore a striking similarity to a dolphin Legend [Music] I love the way he pursues and chases it jumped out on everybody it looked like Nick benaconi I can remember watching Nick every time he made a play everybody said you know he was too small the same with this guy's Too Short [Music] Thomas's toughness could be attributed to An Early Childhood experience I was playing on the back of a tire and uh with a toy and it was parked and a guy got in it went back and ran me over once and then packed and I ran me over twice you know went forward over me but uh that's when my dad he said you know I knew he was going to be a football player because you could take a hit during his 12-year career with the dolphins Thomas gave more hits than he took he led the Dolphins in tackles an unprecedented ten times the former Texas Tech standout simply had an eye for the ball during his career Thomas picked off 17 passes and His Four interception returns for scores are a dolphin record doesn't happen and here is O'Donnell looking to throw has time now throws up a little picked off by Zach Thomas he's gonna go in touchdown and Zach Thomas now is the all-time dolphin leader in interception return for Touchdown How Sweet It Is the pass rush got a boost in 1997 with the addition of third round pick Jason Taylor number 99. thank you [Music] Jason Taylor is a player that really took everybody's eye right off the bat he's got great quickness he's a very intelligent player he's an outstanding pass rusher and you just don't find natural pass rushers that often with Taylor and Thomas wreaking havoc the Dolphins defense was the League's best in 1998. the unit surrendered a league low 265 points Zach Thomas makes a beautiful interception and he's untouched into the End Zone on Monday night in week 16 against the eventual world champion Denver Broncos the defense asserted itself the unit held Denver to just over 200 yards it is intercepted by [Applause] [Music] myself John Elway and right now the Dolphins have a chance to take total control of this football game they make this movie against the Broncos Mourinho was at his best throwing for 355 yards and four touchdowns and she's looking to throw fires deep down the near side of our Thomas is open makes the catch into 25. these are the 15 the 10. touchdown Miami Dan looking to throw firing Lamar Thomas's way he makes the catch it's a touchdown Miami Dan is back he's looking throws underneath the run against them Miami he tracked Tory James into the end zone four touchdown passes for Dan Marino the victory earned the Dolphins their first home playoff game since 1994. the wildcard round against the Rival Buffalo Bills the defense quickly set the tone Buffalo ball carriers were swarmed by dolphin Defenders the opportunistic unit forced five turnovers [Music] [Applause] Dan Marino and the offense produced Big plays of Their Own [Music] foreign [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] three-yard line Trace Armstrong with a sack and the Dolphins are gonna beat the bills here at the pros [Applause] the following year rolls were reversed late in the game the Dolphins needed a touchdown to win the master was up to the task [Applause] three-man Rush by Seattle Dan looks he fires far side and a great catch is made of a 32-yard line awesome simply awesome first down Miami at the five yard line [Applause] straight eye formation in the backfield J.K Johnson taking the pitch he cuts he goes all right touchdown Miami the win was mourinho's last as a dolphin and was a fitting way to end his illustrious career when he retired Mourinho held every major passing record a legacy few would ever approach hang on the slant complete the McDuffie at the goal line he then touched down and that is also career touchdown pass number 400 for Dan Marino physically the greatest quarterback ever to play the game no one can throw the ball like Dan Marino Dan was a great competitor and he hated to lose you know he wanted to win he wanted to win on every pass that he threw he wanted to win every series that he was in he wanted to win any game that he was part of agonom is one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in the NFL in 2000 the Dolphins retired marinos number 13. [Applause] I'd like to introduce to you my father my hero and my friend ladies and gentlemen Dan Marino in 2005 Mourinho received the ultimate honor enshrinement into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last January when I was elected to the Hall of Fame I challenged all dolphin fans to overrun Canton Ohio and you know what we've taken it over [Applause] the New Millennium brought new faces to the Dolphins Dave wanstead replaced the retired Jimmy Johnson as head coach we better not have any drops doing this I could bring my daughter out here and go through this drill we're installing a new offense issue so there's going to be some changes but but that's good and I think that urgency and competitiveness usually brings out the best in people competition brought out the best in quarterback Jay Fiedler as he earned the starting job grad Fiedler made the most of the opportunity using his Superior intelligence and Leadership skills number nine kept the Dolphins on the winning track [Music] during his four-year stint a starter he popular posted the third best winning percentage among NFL quarterbacks Infinity left sideline and it is caught touchdown right on target with Gene Fiedler few could question fiedler's toughness taking hits from opponents as well as his critics Fiedler stood tall [Music] Jay feedler going filling in for Dan Marino and filino shoes there's always going to be the comparison to the Great Hall of Fame quarterback history has shown us that it is literally impossible to fill the shoes Mourinho he was not but Fiedler kept the Dolphins offense moving and the team winning in 2000. a leaping crab and it's a touchdown Miami touchdown Dolphins aiding Fiedler was a ferocious defense led by Anne's Trace Armstrong and Jason Taylor the Furious pass rush resulted in a league High 28 interceptions [Music] [Applause] Miami oh we can only prepare for this game right here just go out there and lay it on the line and have some fun fellas by The Season's final week all that separated the Dolphins from their first division title since 1994 where the Rival New England Patriots the Dolphins would not be denied [Music] Zach Thomas delivered a Christmas present have it back they're women say it again say it again okay the kick is away it has the distance it is [Applause] there's not a greater feeling in the world not a greater feeling in the world to go out there with our backs to the wall and have to fight back and lay it on the line and leave it on the field and come out with a damn Victory hey hey division champs okay we'll get it done today we're going home we want to go home [Applause] trailing by 14 in the third quarter the Dolphins needed to spark the power of the bed and the press the inverted away okay you come up a little high you got a rally would become part of dolphin Legend s [Applause] I'll pay off in the end it's working a punishing ground attack led by running back Lamar Smith began to wear down the Colts defense [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Smith totaled over 200 yards on the ground his 40th and final carry of the day made history [Music] and the Dolphins do it it has been magical it has been Enchanted Lamar wrapping up the ball with both arms and he just gets away from tackle he won this game [Applause] what can you say because hey there's nothing that can be said to make anything happen like that you know where that comes from that comes white that comes from the team hey that comes from the damn heart the following year the defense carried the Dolphins to the playoffs [Applause] but in early exit prompted changes [Music] looking to improve his team's 23rd ranked rushing attack Dave wanstead worked a deal to bring Ricky Williams to the Dolphins in 2002 45 Ricky to the 40. there he goes bye-bye Ricky Ricky running right first down in a lot more he could go there he goes by Ricky look at the bills in your rear mirror offense it is Williams Slips Away from one touchdown Williams quickly earned a place in the hearts of dolphins pounds do not be fooled by the hairstyle Ricky is is probably one of the most intelligent uh and well aware football players that I've ever coached you know they think because he's a fairly aloof guy or has been he doesn't really like what he's doing I think he loves what he's doing it's just that when it's over he doesn't love talking about it too much you need to sit down in a room full of fans what would you want them to know about you about me about you just how much I love football and how much I respect the game I've not seen a player reinvent himself as well as Ricky Williams dropping the weight to come so much quicker that determination that attitude that every running play is he's trying to go the distance a jaw-dropping Williams for two years Williams ran with a reckless event totaling over 3 200 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns I love contact and I want to let them know that I'm going to be here the whole game but the hits began to take a toll and to worn out Williams abruptly retired prior to the start of the 2004 season Ricky would return in 2005 but the franchise fell on tough times coaches came and went as the team posted just one winning season over the next four years the Dolphins hit rock bottom in 2007 when they won just one game the worst team in the history of professional football why were they bad uh untalented uh poorly coached not together in complete disarray and utter embarrassment to to the league and to the Miami Dolphins the team's lone moment of Glory came in overtime versus the Ravens [Music] [Applause] oh yeah [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] baby higher team is Chuck Camarillo there's bad ones four-yard touchdown has given a lot of dolphins to win their first of the season a bright spot during this dark time was the play of Jason Taylor [Applause] [Applause] Let It Go a six-time Pro Bowl selection and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2006. Taylor is the Dolphins all-time leader in sacks [Applause] [Applause] [Applause] that's been the one constant for this dolphin team even through some losing years and years of struggle that defense has been good why is that defense been good one of the main reasons Jason Taylor I mean that's what Jimmy Johnson thought of him when he drafted him out of Akron it was a guy who was more than just a pass rusher he was a football player once I get in my stance that's when I sort of you know think about what I'm gonna do to him he doesn't believe that just because the tackle outweighs him by 70 pounds that he can't beat this guy even with a bull rush he will force a tackle to do something that the tackle doesn't want to do realizes he's doing it and watches Taylor go by you have 15 seconds and you know you're the this is one of the best in the league I mean if you think about it's only 15 as you're tackling the quarterback out of all the plays that we're gonna season out of the Thousand plays you take during the season so I mean it's so hard to get once you get back and get them on the ground is it's probably the best feeling in the world when you look back at this era of pro football he will be the guy who you could hold up as the greatest combination pass rusher and undersized player against the Run of everybody he'll be a guy who six seven eight years will be a very very interesting debate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame he's in trouble and he's gonna go now Jason Taylor for the safety [Music] looking to revive his franchise after a 1 in 15 season owner Wayne huizinga turned to Bill Parcells renowned for his ability to resurrect struggling teams Parcells was hired to head up Miami's football operations I'm very very pleased to be here in Miami with an organization that has the history that the Dolphins have and to be working for a guy like Wayne Isaiah Parcells hired no-nonsense Tony sparano to be head coach buckle up chin straps prima donnas not every period needs to take freaking 40 seconds to get started let's go turning around to 1 in 15 team would require thinking outside the box [Applause] where Owen two we've just gotten blasted by Arizona offense wasn't doing much so I'm up for anything you know me and Owen too you don't want to go 0-3 we had the New England Patriots next we were overwhelming underdogs and quite frankly even though I've colorized the game for the Dolphins I'm thinking we don't really have a snowball's chance in this game and when they came in to the meeting room with the Wildcat idea you know it was a chance for us to give us a different look give us a little spark Ronnie will play the tail by Pennington is flat to the left [Music] the triple option comes to the NFL the Dolphins introduced a wildcat offense with Ronnie Brown taking the direct snap from Center yeah [Music] the genius uh The Mastermind himself Bill Belichick had no idea what to do they could not stop Ronnie Brown Ronnie Brown was running the football successfully he was uh throwing the football successfully once again [Music] the New England Patriots looked like a League team stumbled on the field against the big boys and what a sight to behold Ronnie Brown is more than four things the Dolphins and the Wildcats took the NFL by storm Wildcat well okay that's a that's a Playbook now Wildcat Personnel Ronnie will take correct snap this Ricky Williams [Music] the Wildcat brought a new dimension to the offense as did newly acquired quarterback Chad Pennington the football got Smiled On the Miami Dolphins when the New York Jets let Chad Pennington drop into our lap in addition to his passing Touch number 10 brought leadership to the young team from the first day he walked into our uh our program he was a leader there the guy came in one day we already we knew they're gonna be our leader he's our captain now one day Pennington went on to her and comeback Player of the Year honors and by The Season's final week the Dolphins were poised to win their first AFC East title in eight years playing against the team that cut in just five months earlier Pennington and the Dolphins cap their storybook season with a division title of 2000. wow it's one of the most glorious and unforeseen turnaround seasons in Dolphin history the greatest turnaround in the history of the National Football here to the other why not us [Applause] poised to write a new and exciting chapter in Dolphins history Our up-and-coming Stars such as quarterback Chad Henney [Music] in 2008 Stephen M Ross became majority owner of the dolphins star power soon followed as several celebrities became limited partners with the team without [Music] at least be a part of something great if this was the right moment we want to give the fans something that is not just a team which report is the center of everything we are and besides grateful in Miami the true heroes or the Dolphins bands Miami Dolphins [Applause] I mean you got to get something for the fans I mean especially the fans we got this entire crowd is honest speaker we came down here and we're the only game in town so we take great pride in bringing the community together to give them something to cheer for and our accomplishments makes this community very very proud of being dolphin fans we would be in a tunnel waiting to be introduced in the electricity coming from the stands I made it my hair and my neck would stand up because they wanted to see their Dolphins so badly that the cheering became deafening going to the airport and meeting us when we come back from away games first five thousand and ten thousand and twenty thousand and fifty thousand people had to shut down the airport and literally make it off limits for fans because it was closing down the operation in Miami International Airport because football fans were going to see their team how many places you know like that everybody Democrats Republicans Latins blacks anglos they all came together because they were rooting for one thing the Miami Dolphins people's bugs that are in those seats out there and in the Dolphin Stadium now our sons and daughters are the fans that watched us perhaps grandsons and granddaughters it's become a tradition in a short time you understand that in Chicago you understand that in New York where there's been 50 70 perhaps 80 years of professional football helmet are to 66 where'd the tradition come from because the fans wanted it I enjoy the relationships that we've made over a period of time and the accomplishments of the organizations nice being a part of the this dolphin history here in South Florida [Music] [Applause] [Music] thank you [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] [Music]

Channel: 80s Football Cards

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Id: ga7DQnvKx6Y

Length: 107min 12sec (6432 seconds)

Published: Tue May 02 2023