Miami Dolphins
Encyclopedia
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football
team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida
. The team is part of the Eastern Division
of the American Football Conference
(AFC) in the National Football League
(NFL). The Dolphins play home games at Sun Life Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens
, and have their headquarters at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility
in Davie, Florida
.
The Dolphins team was founded by Joe Robbie, and began play in the American Football League
(AFL) as an expansion team
in 1966 – an example of the AFL's expanding into parts of the United States
that had not possessed professional football teams (with the exception of the Miami Seahawks, who played in the AAFC in 1946 before becoming the first incarnation of the Baltimore Colts). For the first few years the Dolphins full-time training camp and practice facilities were at Saint Andrew's School, a private boys boarding prep school in Boca Raton. Then, in 1970, the Dolphins joined the NFL when the AFL–NFL merger occurred. The Dolphins are the oldest continually-operating major league professional sports franchise
in the state of Florida.
The team made its first Super Bowl
appearance following the 1971 season in Super Bowl VI
, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys
. In 1972
, the Dolphins team completed the NFL's first and only perfect season
culminating in a Super Bowl win, winning all 14 of its regular-season games, both of its NFL playoff games, and also Super Bowl VII
. The Dolphins thus became the first NFL team to accomplish a perfect regular season. The Dolphins also won Super Bowl VIII
, becoming the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, and the second team (the first AFL/AFC team) to win back-to-back championships. Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII
and Super Bowl XIX
, losing both games.
For most of their early history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula
, the most successful head coach in professional football history in terms of total games won. His Dolphins teams posted losing records in only two of his 26 seasons as the head coach of the team. Six future Football Hall of Fame
members played for Miami during the 1970s, including fullback
Larry Csonka
, quarterback
Bob Griese
, and linebacker
Nick Buoniconti
. During the 1980s and 1990s, Dolphins' quarterback Dan Marino
became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, breaking numerous league passing records. He led the Dolphins to five division titles, 10 playoff appearances, and Super Bowl XIX
before retiring following the 1999 season
.
Although the Dolphins are often nicknamed "The Fish" (also used but with greater acceptance by the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball
, a former Sun Life Stadium co-tenant), this is incorrect as dolphins are mammals, not fish.
, who played in the All-America Football Conference
(AAFC) during its inaugural 1946 season. They were the first major league-level sports franchise ever to be based in Miami. The Seahawks played only one season afflicted by a difficult schedule and poor ticket sales, and by the end of the season had accumulated so much debt that the league confiscated the franchise.
Florida would not have another professional football team for nearly 20 years. Then in 1965, a group in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the American Football League
and the NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL. Local businessmen worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on June 7, 1965, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city officials. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta. He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues. By June 30, the city picked Rankin Smith and the NFL.
When Atlanta reneged, the American Football League awarded an expansion team franchise to lawyer Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas
for $7.5 million. Robbie had originally wanted to establish the franchise in Philadelphia
, but AFL commissioner Joe Foss
suggested courting Miami due to its warm climate, growing population, and lack of a football team. Thomas would eventually sell his stake in the team to Robbie. A contest was held in 1965 to choose the name of the new Miami AFL franchise. A total of 19,843 entries were submitted with over a thousand different names. A dozen finalists were screened by a seven-member committee made up of the local media. Names considered included the Mariners, Marauders, Mustangs, Missiles, Moons, Sharks, and Suns. The winning name, "Dolphins," was submitted by 622 entrants. Mrs. Robert Swanson of West Miami won lifetime passes to Dolphin games when her nickname entry successfully predicted the winner and score of the 1965 football game between Notre Dame
and the University of Miami
, a scoreless tie. Ironicallly, the Dolphins became a Professional Football
powerhouse, winning two Super Bowl Championships, including the perfect season of 1972, while the NFL's Atlanta team has been a perennial also-ran.
and behind QB John Stofa
) when Don Shula was hired as head coach. Shula was a former Paul Brown
disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts
after first losing Super Bowl III
two seasons earlier to the AFL's New York Jets
and finishing 8–5–1 the following season. Interestingly, Shula got his first NFL coaching job from then-Detroit Head Coach George Wilson, who hired him as the defensive coordinator. When Shula replaced Wilson at Miami the Colts charged the Dolphins with tampering in their hiring of Shula, costing the Dolphins their first round draft pick in 1970. Shula introduced himself to the Miami press by saying that he didn't have any magic formulas and that the only way he knew to make his teams successful was through hard work. Shula's early training camps with the Dolphins, with four workouts a day, would soon be the stuff of sweltering, painful legend. But Shula's hard work paid immediate dividends, as Miami improved to a 10–4 record and their first-ever playoff appearance, losing 21–14 at Oakland.
The Dolphins were successful in the early 1970s, becoming the first team to advance to the Super Bowl
for three consecutive seasons. They captured the AFC championship in 1971 behind quarterback Bob Griese
, running backs Larry Csonka
and Jim Kiick
, and wide receiver Paul Warfield
. The AFC Divisional Playoff Game, in which the Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs
, was the longest contest in NFL history (82 minutes 40 seconds). In Super Bowl VI
, however, Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys
24–3.
In 1972 the Dolphins completed the first full undefeated season in the NFL, winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games and Super Bowl VII
, defeating the Washington Redskins
14–7. They finished the season 17–0, and are somewhat immortalized as arguably the greatest team in NFL history. QB Griese fell victim to a broken leg and dislocated ankle in Week 5 versus the San Diego Chargers
and was replaced by veteran Earl Morrall
for the rest of the regular season, but returned to the field as a substitute during the AFC Championship game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers
and then started in Super Bowl VII
. The Dolphins set the NFL single-season rushing record, and running backs Csonka and Mercury Morris
became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line included future Hall of Fame members Jim Langer
and Larry Little
and Pro Bowler Bob Kuechenberg
. The 1972 Dolphins defensive unit, called the No-Name Defense because Miami’s impressive offense received much more publicity, was the league’s best that year. It was led by linebacker Nick Buoniconti
, end Bill Stanfill
, tackle Manny Fernandez
and safeties Dick Anderson
and Jake Scott
.
Before the 1972 Dolphins, only the Chicago Bears
, in 1934
and 1942
, had finished an NFL regular season with no losses or ties. The 1934 team lost the NFL Championship Game
that year to the New York Football Giants
, and the 1942 team lost the Championship
to the Redskins. The Cleveland Browns
were undefeated in the 1948 All-America Football Conference
season.
The Dolphins finished 12–2 after the 1973 regular season and repeated as NFL champions, beating the Minnesota Vikings
24–7 in Super Bowl VIII
at Rice Stadium in Houston. Miami reached the playoffs again in 1974 but lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders
, in what has entered NFL lore as the "Sea of Hands" game, considered one of the greatest games ever played. Following the 1974 season, the Dolphins lost Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield to the World Football League
.
Miami rebounded from a 6–8 record in 1976 by winning ten or more games in four of the next five seasons. Shula built a solid defense around a new set of stars, including linebacker A.J. Duhe and linemen Bob Baumhower
and Doug Betters
. The Dolphins went 10–4 again in 1977, but again lost the division title (and playoff spot) to the Colts. They made the playoffs as a wild card in 1978, but lost in the first round to the Houston Oilers
17–9.
Csonka returned to the Dolphins in time for the 1979 season. After winning the division with a 10–6 record, the Dolphins lost the divisional playoff 34–14 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium
.
The Dolphins also accomplished another feat never done before or since by another NFL team. They beat their division rival Buffalo Bills
20 consecutive times in a decade. The Bills were "0 for the seventies" against the Dolphins.
, an athletic quarterback out of LSU
, took over for Bob Griese, who severely injured his shoulder in a game against the Baltimore Colts. Griese would never play again, retiring after the season. The Dolphins finished 8–8 and did not make the playoffs.
The Dolphins were back up on top of the AFC East in the 1981 NFL season
, with an 11–4–1 record. That season, the Dolphins quarterback position was manned by both Woodley and back-up quarterback Don Strock
, causing the local media
to identify the Miami quarterback as "Woodstrock." They reached the divisional playoff
against the San Diego Chargers, known as The Epic in Miami
and remembered as one of the most memorable games in NFL history. After being down 24–0 after the end of the first quarter, Don Strock entered the game and engineered a frenetic comeback, culminating in the historic "hook and lateral" play, in which wide receiver Duriel Harris
caught a pass from Strock and immediately lateraled the ball to the streaking running back Tony Nathan
for the score on the last play of the half, which cut the Chargers lead to 24–17. After the Dolphins took the lead in the fourth quarter, San Diego tied it up 38–38 with under a minute to play. Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow
, playing through exhaustion, blocked Uwe von Schamann
's field goal try on the last play of regulation. In overtime, Von Schamann had another field goal attempt blocked, and Rolf Benirschke
kicked the game-winner for San Diego (final score 41–38) after missing a chip shot field goal earlier. Strock finished the game with 403 passing yards and four touchdowns.
In the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season
, the Dolphins, led by the "Killer B's" defense (Bob Baumhower
, Bill Barnett
, Lyle Blackwood
, Kim Bokamper
, Glenn Blackwood
, Charles Bowser
, Doug Betters
, and Bob Brudzinski
), held five of their nine opponents to 14 or fewer points en route to their fourth Super Bowl appearance. During the first two rounds of the 1982–83 NFL playoffs, they got revenge for previous losses, crushing the New England Patriots
, 28–13 (revenge for the infamous Snow Plow game at Schaeffer Stadium played earlier in the season) and the San Diego Chargers, 34–13 at the Orange Bowl. In successive games against San Diego and the NY Jets, the ballhawking Miami defense logged ten interceptions, five each against Dan Fouts and Richard Todd. After shutting out the New York Jets in the AFC Championship 14–0 (aided by Shula's alleged instructions to the stadium's grounds crew to leave the field uncovered throughout a week-long rain in Miami, which was done to negate the Jets superior edge in team speed), the Dolphins lost Super Bowl XVII to Washington, 27–17. After enjoying success rooted in a defense-first philosophy, and employing a ball control offense to take pressure off of lackluster quarterbacks, the next 17 seasons would be marked by an average rushing game and defense that limited a great quarterback.
During the third game of the 1983 season at the Los Angeles Raiders on Monday Night Football, Shula replaced quarterback David Woodley with rookie Dan Marino
, who went on to win the AFC passing title with a ratio of 20 touchdowns versus 6 interceptions. Seldom sacked by defenders, Marino was protected by an outstanding offensive line as he passed to receivers such as Mark Clayton and Mark Duper
. Despite the regular season success (the Dolphins went 12–4 winning their last five regular season games, the only team in the AFC East with a winning record), they were upset in the divisional playoff by the Seattle Seahawks
at the Orange Bowl. Defensive end Doug Betters was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 1984, the Dolphins won their first 11 games en-route to a 14–2 season (the franchise's best 16-game season to date). Marino, in his first full season, produced the most impressive set of passing statistics in NFL history, setting single-season records for most yards (5,084), touchdown passes (48), and completions (362). He was voted NFL MVP. Miami avenged the Seahawks loss from the previous year 31–10 and crushed the Steelers 45–28 in the AFC Championship to advance to Super Bowl XIX. In the title game, however, Miami lost to the San Francisco 49ers
38–16. It would be Marino's only Super Bowl appearance.
Miami finished 12–4–0 in 1985 and, in an epic Monday Night Football showdown, handed the previously-undefeated Chicago Bears
their only defeat of the season. After rallying from a 21–3 third quarter deficit in the divisional playoffs to beat the Cleveland Browns 24–21, many people were looking forward to a rematch with Chicago in Super Bowl XX
. The Cinderella
New England Patriots, the Dolphins' opponents in the AFC Championship, had different plans. New England forced six turnovers
on the way to a 31–14 win – the Patriots' first in Miami since 1966. The Patriots had lost 18 games in a row at the Orange Bowl. In 1969, the Boston Patriots had beaten the Dolphins at Tampa Stadium.
In 1986, the Dolphins, hampered by defensive struggles, stumbled to a 2–5 start and finished 8–8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1980. The Dolphins lost their final game at the Orange Bowl to the New England Patriots 34–27 on Monday Night Football. The problems continued in 1987, with an 8–7 (7–5 in non-strike games) record in a strike-shortened year, their first at new Joe Robbie Stadium. Miami had their first losing season (6–10) since 1976 in 1988, and finished 8–8 following the 1989 regular season.
By 1990, the Dolphins had shaped up on defense and finished with a 12–4 record, second in the AFC East. They came from behind to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17–16 in the Wild Card round, but lost to the Buffalo Bills
44–34 in the divisional playoffs. The team struggled with defensive injuries in 1991, and narrowly missed the playoffs in an overtime loss to the New York Jets during the final week of the season, losing the AFC's final playoff berth to their arch rivals from
New York.
The Dolphins rebounded in 1992 and started the season 6–0 and then finished 11–5 and capturing the AFC East title behind a career year from running back Mark Higgs
and tight end Keith Jackson, newly acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
as an unrestricted free agent. They crushed the Chargers in the divisional playoffs 31–0, but were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 29–10 in the AFC Championship.
A season-ending Achilles injury to Dan Marino led to the team missing the playoffs in 1993 despite a league-leading 9–2 start. Marino returned in 1994 to lead the Dolphins to a 10–6 record and the AFC East title. After defeating Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, the Dolphins gave up a 15-point halftime lead and suffered a 22–21 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Pete Stoyanovich
missed a 46-ard field goal on the last play of the game and denied Marino a chance to play the Steelers in his hometown of Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship.
In 1995, Marino broke the career passing records held by Fran Tarkenton
for yards (48,841), touchdowns (352), and completions (3,913), though two of the games where he broke those records were losses to the Indianapolis Colts
. The Dolphins finished 9–7, second in the AFC East, but still made the playoffs as a wild card, losing to Buffalo in the first round. Following the 1995 season, Shula retired and became an executive in the Dolphins’ front office. Jimmy Johnson, who had won a collegiate national championship at the University of Miami and two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was named as Shula’s replacement. At the press conference announcing his retirement, Shula said that he "agreed to step aside", leading some to speculate that Huizenga had all but fired him.
In 1996, Miami finished 8–8 and out of the playoffs, with rookie Karim Abdul-Jabbar
's 1,116-yard rushing season and the standout play of rookie linebacker Zach Thomas serving as two of the few bright spots. In 1997, Miami stumbled late and backed into the playoffs with a 9–7 season, losing to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round.
Miami had a solid 10–6 season in 1998 with a career season for receiver O.J. McDuffie, but it was not enough to get past the New York Jets into first place in the division. The Dolphins beat the Bills in the Wild Card round, but lost in the next round to the eventual champion Denver Broncos
. (The Broncos lost only two regular season games in 1998, one of which was to the Dolphins.)
In 1999, the team advanced to the playoffs at 9–7. After a close win at Seattle in the Wild Card round 20–17, they suffered the second-worst playoff loss in NFL history against the Jacksonville Jaguars
: 62–7. Noteworthy, in the 1940 NFL Championship game, the Chicago Bears beat the host Washington Redskins 73–0 for the worst playoff game loss in history. After the season, Jimmy Johnson left the team and Marino retired.
Before the 2000 season, Dave Wannstedt
, formerly of the Chicago Bears, became the new coach, and ex-Jacksonville Jaguars backup Jay Fiedler
became the new quarterback, even though former Marino backup Damon Huard had been considered the favorite. Despite lowered expectations, the defense broke through with Jason Taylor
and Trace Armstrong
each getting 10 sacks, and four players (Sam Madison
, Brian Walker, Brock Marion
and Patrick Surtain
) tallying at least five interceptions. All-pro linebacker Zach Thomas
also contributed many tackles. In addition, Lamar Smith
rushed for 1,139 yards, and Miami finished atop the AFC East with an 11–5 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Miami took the Indianapolis Colts
to overtime and won on a Lamar Smith touchdown run. Smith finished with 209 yards on 40 carries, but in the next round, the Dolphins were shut out by the Oakland Raiders, and a worn-out Smith was barely able to run.
The 2001 offseason brought in rookie Chris Chambers
at wide receiver, but Trace Armstrong left, as did two offensive linemen, Richmond Webb
, a Pro Bowl anchor since 1990, and Kevin Donnalley. During the 2001 season, the Dolphins relied on a strong defense to finish 11–5, earning a Wild Card spot and finishing second in the AFC East behind the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots
. The Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs 20–3 to the Baltimore Ravens
.
Miami revitalized its running game in time for the 2002 season by trading for New Orleans Saints
running back Ricky Williams
. In addition, rookie tight end Randy McMichael
made his presence felt. The Dolphins, behind a new offensive scheme under freshly hired offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and a power running game led by Williams, quickly rushed out to a 5–1 start, including an incredible last minute comeback by Fiedler against the Broncos
. However, Fiedler injured his thumb and would be out for an extended period of time. This intrigued some Dolphins fans, who believed backup Ray Lucas
could outdo the much-maligned Fiedler. However, Lucas was abysmal in his first two games and merely average in his third, and the team dropped three straight. Miami rebounded with wins over Baltimore
and an impressive thumping of San Diego
, but lost to Buffalo
. Still, Miami pulled off an impressive win over the Oakland Raiders
and sat at 9–5 with two weeks left in the season, in prime position to steal the AFC East. However, despite dominating the New England Patriots for most of the game in Week 17, the Dolphins blew an 11-point lead late in the fourth quarter of a devastating loss. Due to a tiebreaker, both the Dolphins and Patriots lost out on the playoffs as the Jets took the AFC East title. Many fans called for Wannstedt's firing, but he was kept on for the 2003 season. Despite it all, the team believed it had plenty to look forward to, as Ricky Williams broke team records with 1,853 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
, but they rebounded to win four straight games. During a crushing overtime loss at the hands of the Patriots, Jay Fiedler was injured, forcing newly acquired backup Brian Griese
to lead the Dolphins to victory the next week over San Diego. That, however, was Griese's high point, and after a good showing against Indianapolis
in a losing effort, he was poor against the Titans
and highly ineffective against the Ravens
. When Griese and the Dolphins fell behind to the Washington Redskins
, Fiedler came off the bench and saved their season, leading them to a comeback victory, 24–23. Miami looked like it might rebound thanks to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys
that took them to 8–4, but two key losses to the Patriots
and the Eagles
ended Miami's postseason hopes. Miami finished 10–6.
(signed from San Diego) suffered an injury in training camp and missed the entire season (Boston also failed a drug test for steroids later in the season). But the biggest shock came when Ricky Williams retired for then-unspecified reasons, until it was eventually revealed that a) Williams had recently suffered his third strike under the NFL's substance abuse policy, and b) to a lesser degree felt he was unnecessarily overused by Wannstedt. Many experts predicted a disastrous season for the Dolphins. These predictions proved right as Miami dropped its first six games of the 2004 season, marking the worst start in franchise history at the time. After the team fell to 1–8, Wannstedt resigned on November 9, 2004. He was replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jim Bates. The Dolphins fared slightly better under Bates, winning three of their final seven games, including a 29–28 upset victory over the defending champion Patriots
on December 20 in a nationally televised Monday Night Football
contest. Despite this, the Dolphins decided not to hire Bates for the permanent coaching position.
coach Nick Saban
. With the second pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
, Nick Saban elected to go with Auburn
running back Ronnie Brown
. And with that, the Nick Saban era kicked off with a 34–10 win against the Denver Broncos. From there, however, the Dolphins struggled, losing seven of their next nine games to fall to 3–7. The two wins came over the Carolina Panthers
and the New Orleans Saints
, a game that took place in Tiger Stadium
due to Hurricane Katrina
. After a frustrating two months, however, the Dolphins would rally late in the season, as they won their final six games, including a win to end the season over the New England Patriots. The team finished the year 9–7, and narrowly missed the playoffs.
In Saban's second season, the Dolphins were expected to contend for a playoff spot. The season, however, turned out to be a major disappointment. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper
never recovered from his devastating knee injury from the previous season, and was ultimately benched after the fourth game of the season and eventually put on injured reserve. After starting the season 1–6, they won four straight games, back in the playoff hunt at 5–6, but a few losses later ended their playoff hopes. This was Saban's first and last losing season as a head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
On January 3, 2007, Saban announced that he had accepted a contract for eight years and a guaranteed $32 million to coach at the University of Alabama
. Saban left despite making several public statements in the preceding weeks assuring fans and owner Wayne Huizenga that he would be staying on as coach.
, previously the offensive coordinator
for the San Diego Chargers, was hired as the new head coach.
The Dolphins began their season with Trent Green
as their starting quarterback but after four games, Green was put on the injured reserve. For the rest of the way, the Dolphins went with Cleo Lemon
and rookie John Beck as their quarterbacks. The Dolphins also suffered another setback when then-NFL leading rusher Ronnie Brown
went down for the season with a knee injury.
Midway through the 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Dolphins' home game against the New York Giants
to be played in London
's Wembley Stadium
; this was the NFL's first regular-season game to be played outside of North America
. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10. Shortly afterward, one of Miami's top wide receivers, Chris Chambers
, who was acquired in 2001, was traded to the San Diego Chargers
. On December 16, the Dolphins ended a 16-game losing streak by defeating the Baltimore Ravens
at home 22–16 in overtime on a 64-yard touchdown from Cleo Lemon
to Greg Camarillo
, making the wideout an instant cult hero with the fans. Despite the win over the Ravens, the team would lose its next two games to finish an NFL-worst 1–15, which tied the then NFL record for most losses in a season with 15, a record shared by 7 other teams. The record for most losses broken only year later, by the 2008 Detroit Lions
with an 0–16 record.
was named Executive Vice President of the Dolphins football operations. Shortly after the season finale, Parcells fired general manager Randy Mueller
and on January 3, 2008, head coach Cam Cameron
was fired along with almost all of his staff. That same offseason, the Dolphins also parted ways with two Pro Bowl
ers and long-time Dolphins, releasing linebacker
Zach Thomas
(who later signed with the Dallas Cowboys
) and trading defensive end
Jason Taylor
to the Washington Redskins
for a second round draft pick.
Parcells then hired Tony Sparano
, who was previously an assistant under Parcells during his days as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins ultimately took Jake Long
, star offensive lineman out of the University of Michigan
with the first pick of the 2008 draft and drafted quarterback Chad Henne
with their second round pick (the second consecutive year they drafted a QB in the second round). After the New York Jets traded for Brett Favre
and released quarterback Chad Pennington
the same day, the Dolphins quickly signed Pennington, who was a former Parcells draft pick.
On September 21, 2008, the Miami Dolphins used the "wildcat
" offense against the New England Patriots on six plays, which produced four touchdowns (three rushing and one passing) in a 38–13 upset victory. The wildcat offense or single-wing
was a "new" formation that allowed the Dolphins to utilize their two best offensive players, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, both of which played the same position.
Early on, Miami suffered the narrowest of defeats when they lost 29–28 to the Houston Texans
. The team, however, would bounce back with four consecutive victories over the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos
, Seattle Seahawks
, and Oakland Raiders
. After a crushing twenty point loss to New England, the Dolphins fell to third in the AFC East
division. Again Miami rebounded to win their next four games, against the (St. Louis Rams
, the Bills in Toronto, Ontario, the 49ers
, and the Chiefs
). This brought their record to 10–5 and let them control their destiny against the New York Jets in the regular season finale.
Pennington, the former Jet, outdueled Brett Favre to lead the Dolphins to victory 24–17 to win the AFC East past the New England Patriots. A year after going 1–15, the Dolphins completed a turnaround under first-year coach Tony Sparano, joining the 1999 Indianapolis Colts as the only teams in NFL history to make 10-win improvements. Miami, which ended the regular season by winning five straight and nine of 10, made the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. It was the Dolphins' first AFC East title since 2000. However, the Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens, 27–9.
reported that the Dolphins intended to have Chad Henne
as the starting quarterback by the 2010 season. That left current starting quarterback Chad Pennington
's future with the team in doubt after the 2009 season. Henne was originally scheduled to receive at least 12 quarters of play in the 2009 preseason to prepare him for the 2010 season. However, Chad Pennington suffered a shoulder injury against the San Diego Chargers and was out for the rest of the 2009 season. Henne replaced him as the starting quarterback.
Under Henne, the Dolphins defeated the Bills in week 4 and the Jets in a Monday Night classic. After their bye week, the Dolphins lost to the Saints after leading 24–3 towards the end of the first half. The Dolphins finished the rest of the season without a key player, Ronnie Brown, due to a Lisfranc foot injury
that required surgery. Ricky Williams was the starter again finishing the season with 1,121 yards, beating his own rookie year at the age of 32. Miami was 7–6 on the season after a 22–21 win over the New England Patriots and a 14–10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
, but ended the season with three consecutive losses to finish 7–9 and out of the playoffs.
from the Denver Broncos for two second-round draft picks, Karlos Dansby
from free agency. Ronnie Brown was also back from his leg injury the previous year, and Ricky Williams also returned (while many speculated he would retire). During the 2010 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected Jared Odrick
with their first-round draft pick.
The Dolphins started out 2010 by winning their first two games against the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings
(teams that did not make the playoffs) at Buffalo and Minnesota, respectively. The Dolphins then lost the following two games at home. The first, a close loss to the New York Jets, and the second, to the New England Patriots, amidst disastorus special teams play. After the bye week, the Dolphins came back with a win in overtime against the Green Bay Packers
, Green Bay would go on to win the Super Bowl that year. In week 7, the Dolphins played against the Pittsburgh Steelers
in a very competitive game. They lost however, due to a controversial call that gave the Steelers the ball. It was not clear that the Dolphins had recovered the ball, so the Steelers retained possession, and scored the game-winning field goal. The Dolphins then went on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals
, and won 22–14. The following week the Dolphins faced another AFC North team for the third straight week, the Baltimore Ravens a poor outing by Chad Henne ultimately sealed the game and gave the Dolphins their fourth loss of the season by throwing two interceptions (he ended the game with three).
On November 10, Coach Sparano in a news conference said that Chad Henne would be benched and Chad Pennington would start in their home game against the Tennessee Titans
and for the rest of the season; also, after waiving Jason Allen, Al Harris, formerly of the Green Bay Packers
, was signed. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Titans 29–17 despite losing both Chad Henne and Chad Pennington to injuries during the game and playing Tyler Thigpen. Chad Henne ended up only missing one game while Pennington was done for the year. The Dolphins would next go primetime in a Thursday night game against the Bears with Tyler Thigpen starting. Miami lost the game 16–0 and Brandon Marshall left the game with a hamstring injury. Marshall would miss the next two games for Miami. The Dolphins next defeated the Oakland Raiders
, 33–17. Miami then lost to the Cleveland Browns
, 13–10 in a last-minute field goal. The Dolphins surprised many when they defeated the New York Jets, 10–6. Miami, then signed veteran WR Kevin Curtis
after he finished battling cancer. A loss to the Buffalo Bills followed, 17–14. That loss put their record at 7–7 and officially eliminated them from the playoffs for the 8th time in 9 years. In week 16, the Dolphins were at home against the Lions, but lost 34–27. Miami was up 27–17 with about 5 minutes left to play but Chad Henne threw two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown, that ultimately led to the Lions comeback. That loss put their record at a league worst 1–7 at home, and 7–8 on the season. Miami wrapped up their season by being blown out by the New England Patriots
38–7. Much like the 2009 season, a 7–6 Miami team lost three consecutive games to the end season and finished 7–9. On the plus side, Miami finally got a WR who hit the 1000-yard receiving mark with Brandon Marshall finishing with 1014 yards receiving. That was Miami's first WR to hit 1000 yards since Chris Chambers
did it in 2005.
In September 2010, Bill Parcells
, stepped down as Vice President of Football Operations, but remaining as a consultant. He was later criticised for not making the right choices to improve the team.
, and 15th selection overall, the Dolphins selected center Mike Pouncey
from Florida
. For their second pick, the Dolphins selected running back Daniel Thomas
. The Dolphins also acquired Reggie Bush
from the New Orleans Saints
in a trade. Dolphins would then cut Channing Crowder
and add Kevin Burnett
to replace him. Jason Taylor
re-signs for his third stint. The Dolphins started out the season at home on Monday Night Football
against the New England Patriots
, but falling 38-24. It was also the first time that Chad Henne
threw for over 400 yards in his career. It quickly went downhill from there, as the Dolphins lost the next three games, losing to the Texans at home, and the Browns and Chargers on the road, falling to 0-4 and putting themselves closer to the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
. Henne was also injured with a separated non-throwing shoulder during the first half of the Chargers game, and was placed on Injured Reserve days after the game. The team later reached an agreement with QB Sage Rosenfels
to backup starting QB Matt Moore
, who was on day-to-day after an injury he suffered against Denver, but Rosenfels was soon placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. That opened the door for QB Matt Moore to take the starting role. After an 0-7 start, Moore led the team to 3 consecutive victories against the Chiefs, Redskins, and the Bills. They have become the 3rd team in NFL History to win 3 straight after starting season 0-7 ('78 Cardinals & '86 Colts).
During this streak they allowed fewer than 10 points in 3 straight games for the first time since 1990.
in Miami. They moved to the new Joe Robbie Stadium after the 1986 season. Later the stadium's name was changed to Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, LandShark Stadium, and, as of January 2010, Sun Life Stadium. The facility is located in Miami Gardens
, a suburb of Miami located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of downtown Miami.
, from 1970 until 1993. The players were housed next to Sea World.
In 1993, the Dolphins opened the Miami Dolphins Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University
in Davie
, Florida. In 2006, the facility added a domed field which allows the team to practice during thunderstorms which are common during the summer.
The uniform features white helmets with either white or aqua jerseys and either white or aqua pants. Navy drop shadows were added to the uniform numbers in the 1997 redesign.
For much of their history, the Dolphins have worn their white jerseys at home for daytime games, thus forcing their opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the humid weather of South Florida. The aqua jerseys are typically worn for night games at home, and on the road when the other team has chosen to wear their white jerseys. The Dolphins began this tradition during the perfect season of 1972 and have continued it ever since. Miami is one of a few NFL teams who usually wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the Redskins and Cowboys). In 2003, the Dolphins introduced an alternate coral (orange) jersey worn for some home night contests. The Dolphins have worn white jerseys during night time home games on very few occasions, such as a 1997 contest against the Chicago Bears
. During these games, the white jerseys were worn because the games were intended to be played Sunday afternoon (the 1997 Bears game was moved to Monday night due to game 7 of the 1997 World Series
).
In 2009, The Dolphins also switched to black shoes for the first time since the glory days, following a trend among NFL teams as of recently. However, by 2011, they returned to wearing white shoes.
. The following season, Miami posted an equally-impressive 15–2 record and capped the season with another title, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII
. The back-to-back championship runs, coupled with the popularity of the fight song amongst Dolphins fans, have ensured the song's longevity. The Dolphins revealed a new fight song by T-Pain
& Jimmy Buffett
featuring Pitbull
on August 7, 2009 which was introduced for the '09/10 NFL season. The fight song was played during the preseason home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 17, 2009, but was not played during the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 22, 2009 after being booed heavily in the first game. Furthermore, the team has preferred to play Buffett's song "Fins
" after scores during the 2009 regular season instead of the traditional fight song. The Dolphins shorthand nickname, "The Fins," has been recognized and used by the team.
, famed colleague of Jackie Gleason
, who led the squad until her retirement in 1990.
The Dolphin Dolls, a 125-member pep squad of girls aged 8 to 18, cheered the team at home games from 1966 to 1977.
On Friday, April 18, 1997, the first "official" mascot of the Miami Dolphins was introduced. The seven-foot mascot made his public debut on April 19 at Pro Player Stadium during the team's draft day party. The team then made a "Name the Mascot" contest that drew over 13,000 entries covering all 50 states and 22 countries. 529 names were suggested. The winning entry was announced at the annual Dolphins Awards Banquet on June 4, 1997.
cheered on the Miami Dolphins for 33 years as a one-man sideline show, leading Miami crowds in cheers and chants in his glittering coral (orange) and aqua hat from the Dolphins’ first game in 1966 until 2000. Sym died on March 18, 2007. He was 72.
, Snowflake, a live dolphin who does special behaviors after the Dolphins score a touchdown, was the basis of the film after he is kidnapped as part of a revenge plot against Dan Marino.
The English-language TV broadcasts for preseason are called by Dick Stockton with Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese and former Dolphin Nat Moore. The radio team features Jimmy Cefalo, Joe Rose and Bob Griese. The Spanish radio team features Raul Striker, Jr. and Rafael Hernandez Brito of the Univision radio network.
:
Each of these players is honored with a placard on the facing of the upper level of one end zone at Sun Life Stadium. So is team founder-owner Joe Robbie, who has not been elected to the Hall of Fame. In place of a uniform number, Shula has the number 347, representing his record number of NFL coaching victories, 274 of them as Dolphins head coach.
is a ring around the second tier of Dolphins Stadium that honor former players, coaches, owners and contributors who have made significant contributions to the franchise throughout their history. Bold indicates those elected to the NFL Hall of Fame. The inductees as of 2011 include:
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. The team is part of the Eastern Division
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
of the American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
(AFC) in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL). The Dolphins play home games at Sun Life Stadium in the northern suburb of Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
, and have their headquarters at the Miami Dolphins Training Facility
Miami Dolphins Training Facility
The Miami Dolphins Training Facility is located on the Nova Southeastern University main campus in Davie, Florida. It is the headquarters location for the Miami Dolphins, as well as a location for frequent special events.-Architecture and features:...
in Davie, Florida
Davie, Florida
Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town's population was 91,992 at the 2010 census.- History :Davie was founded by Jake Tannebaum and Tamara Toussaint. The original name of the town was Zona. In 1909 R.P. Davie assisted then Governor Broward by draining the swamplands...
.
The Dolphins team was founded by Joe Robbie, and began play in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
(AFL) as an expansion team
Expansion team
An expansion team is a brand new team in a sports league. The term is most commonly used in reference to the North American major professional sports leagues, but is applied to sports leagues worldwide that use a closed franchise system of league membership. The term comes from the expansion of the...
in 1966 – an example of the AFL's expanding into parts of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that had not possessed professional football teams (with the exception of the Miami Seahawks, who played in the AAFC in 1946 before becoming the first incarnation of the Baltimore Colts). For the first few years the Dolphins full-time training camp and practice facilities were at Saint Andrew's School, a private boys boarding prep school in Boca Raton. Then, in 1970, the Dolphins joined the NFL when the AFL–NFL merger occurred. The Dolphins are the oldest continually-operating major league professional sports franchise
Major North American professional sports teams
The following is a list of teams that play in one of the six major sports leagues in the United States and Canada: Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Canadian Football League, the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Soccer. All lists...
in the state of Florida.
The team made its first Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
appearance following the 1971 season in Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...
, but lost to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. In 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
, the Dolphins team completed the NFL's first and only perfect season
Perfect Season
A perfect season is any sports season, excluding the playoff portion of a season, in which a team remains undefeated and untied. The feat is extremely rare at the professional level of any team sport, and has occurred more commonly at the collegiate level in the United States.A perfect season may...
culminating in a Super Bowl win, winning all 14 of its regular-season games, both of its NFL playoff games, and also Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
. The Dolphins thus became the first NFL team to accomplish a perfect regular season. The Dolphins also won Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
, becoming the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls, and the second team (the first AFL/AFC team) to win back-to-back championships. Miami also appeared in Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game played on January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the strike-shortened 1982 regular season...
and Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
, losing both games.
For most of their early history, the Dolphins were coached by Don Shula
Don Shula
Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, the most successful head coach in professional football history in terms of total games won. His Dolphins teams posted losing records in only two of his 26 seasons as the head coach of the team. Six future Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
members played for Miami during the 1970s, including fullback
Fullback (American football)
A fullback is a position in the offensive backfield in American and Canadian football, and is one of the two running back positions along with the halfback...
Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
, quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
, and linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Nick Buoniconti
Nick Buoniconti
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti is a former American Football League and NFL Hall of Fame middle linebacker, who played for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins....
. During the 1980s and 1990s, Dolphins' quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
became one of the most prolific passers in NFL history, breaking numerous league passing records. He led the Dolphins to five division titles, 10 playoff appearances, and Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX
Super Bowl XIX was an American football game played on January 20, 1985 at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1984 regular season...
before retiring following the 1999 season
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
.
Although the Dolphins are often nicknamed "The Fish" (also used but with greater acceptance by the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, a former Sun Life Stadium co-tenant), this is incorrect as dolphins are mammals, not fish.
History
The first professional football team in Miami, and in the state of Florida, were the Miami SeahawksMiami Seahawks
The Miami Seahawks were a professional American football team based in Miami, Florida. They played in the All-America Football Conference for one season, 1946, before folding...
, who played in the All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
(AAFC) during its inaugural 1946 season. They were the first major league-level sports franchise ever to be based in Miami. The Seahawks played only one season afflicted by a difficult schedule and poor ticket sales, and by the end of the season had accumulated so much debt that the league confiscated the franchise.
Florida would not have another professional football team for nearly 20 years. Then in 1965, a group in Atlanta applied for franchises in both the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
and the NFL, acting entirely on its own with no guarantee of stadium rights. Another group reported it had deposited earnest money for a team in the AFL. Local businessmen worked out a deal and were awarded an AFL franchise on June 7, 1965, contingent upon acquiring exclusive stadium rights from city officials. NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle, who had been moving slowly in Atlanta matters, was spurred by the AFL interest and headed on the next plane down to Atlanta to block the rival league's claim on the city of Atlanta. He forced the city to make a choice between the two leagues. By June 30, the city picked Rankin Smith and the NFL.
When Atlanta reneged, the American Football League awarded an expansion team franchise to lawyer Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas
Danny Thomas was an American nightclub comedian and television and film actor, best known for starring in the television sitcom Make Room for Daddy . He was also the founder of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital...
for $7.5 million. Robbie had originally wanted to establish the franchise in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, but AFL commissioner Joe Foss
Joe Foss
Joseph Jacob "Joe" Foss was the leading fighter ace of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and a 1943 recipient of the Medal of Honor, recognizing his role in the air combat during the Guadalcanal Campaign...
suggested courting Miami due to its warm climate, growing population, and lack of a football team. Thomas would eventually sell his stake in the team to Robbie. A contest was held in 1965 to choose the name of the new Miami AFL franchise. A total of 19,843 entries were submitted with over a thousand different names. A dozen finalists were screened by a seven-member committee made up of the local media. Names considered included the Mariners, Marauders, Mustangs, Missiles, Moons, Sharks, and Suns. The winning name, "Dolphins," was submitted by 622 entrants. Mrs. Robert Swanson of West Miami won lifetime passes to Dolphin games when her nickname entry successfully predicted the winner and score of the 1965 football game between Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
, a scoreless tie. Ironicallly, the Dolphins became a Professional Football
Professional football
In the United States and Canada, the term professional football includes the professional forms of American and Canadian gridiron football. In common usage, it refers to former and existing major football leagues in either country...
powerhouse, winning two Super Bowl Championships, including the perfect season of 1972, while the NFL's Atlanta team has been a perennial also-ran.
1970s: Super Bowls and The Perfect Season
The Dolphins had a combined 15–39–2 record in their first four seasons (under head coach George WilsonGeorge Wilson (football coach)
George Wilson was a professional football end and later a coach for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and the American Football League's Miami Dolphins....
and behind QB John Stofa
John Stofa
John Stofa son of the late John and Ann Stofa and a former American college and professional American football quarterback. He was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and graduated from Bishop McCort High School. He attended the University at Buffalo where he played as a member of the Buffalo Bulls...
) when Don Shula was hired as head coach. Shula was a former Paul Brown
Paul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
disciple who had been lured from the Baltimore Colts
History of the Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
after first losing Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III
Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history...
two seasons earlier to the AFL's New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and finishing 8–5–1 the following season. Interestingly, Shula got his first NFL coaching job from then-Detroit Head Coach George Wilson, who hired him as the defensive coordinator. When Shula replaced Wilson at Miami the Colts charged the Dolphins with tampering in their hiring of Shula, costing the Dolphins their first round draft pick in 1970. Shula introduced himself to the Miami press by saying that he didn't have any magic formulas and that the only way he knew to make his teams successful was through hard work. Shula's early training camps with the Dolphins, with four workouts a day, would soon be the stuff of sweltering, painful legend. But Shula's hard work paid immediate dividends, as Miami improved to a 10–4 record and their first-ever playoff appearance, losing 21–14 at Oakland.
The Dolphins were successful in the early 1970s, becoming the first team to advance to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
for three consecutive seasons. They captured the AFC championship in 1971 behind quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
, running backs Larry Csonka
Larry Csonka
Larry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
and Jim Kiick
Jim Kiick
James Forrest Kiick is a former professional American football running back, who is best known for playing halfback for the Miami Dolphins in the American Football League from 1968 to 1969 and in the National Football League from 1970 through 1974...
, and wide receiver Paul Warfield
Paul Warfield
Paul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
. The AFC Divisional Playoff Game, in which the Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
, was the longest contest in NFL history (82 minutes 40 seconds). In Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI
Super Bowl VI was an American football game played on January 16, 1972, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1971 regular season...
, however, Miami lost to the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
24–3.
In 1972 the Dolphins completed the first full undefeated season in the NFL, winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games and Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
, defeating the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
14–7. They finished the season 17–0, and are somewhat immortalized as arguably the greatest team in NFL history. QB Griese fell victim to a broken leg and dislocated ankle in Week 5 versus the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and was replaced by veteran Earl Morrall
Earl Morrall
Earl Edwin Morrall is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. Morrall, who also occasionally punted, played 21 seasons in the National Football League as both a starter and reserve. In the latter capacity, he became known as the greatest backup quarterback in NFL...
for the rest of the regular season, but returned to the field as a substitute during the AFC Championship game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
and then started in Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
. The Dolphins set the NFL single-season rushing record, and running backs Csonka and Mercury Morris
Mercury Morris
Eugene Edward "Mercury" Morris , is a former American football player, nicknamed early on for his mercurial quickness when running with the ball. Morris was a running back and kick returner for 9 years, playing mostly for the Miami Dolphins...
became the first teammates to each rush for 1,000 yards in a season. The offensive line included future Hall of Fame members Jim Langer
Jim Langer
James John Langer is a former American football center who played for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. He is considered one of the greatest NFL centers of all time and a hard working and quick blocker...
and Larry Little
Larry Little
Lawrence Chatmon Little is a former offensive guard in college and professional American football in the National Football League. He has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993...
and Pro Bowler Bob Kuechenberg
Bob Kuechenberg
Robert John Kuechenberg is a former National Football League offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins for fourteen seasons between 1970 and 1983, spending the 1984 season on injured reserve...
. The 1972 Dolphins defensive unit, called the No-Name Defense because Miami’s impressive offense received much more publicity, was the league’s best that year. It was led by linebacker Nick Buoniconti
Nick Buoniconti
Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti is a former American Football League and NFL Hall of Fame middle linebacker, who played for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins....
, end Bill Stanfill
Bill Stanfill
William Thomas Stanfill is a former defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League and then the NFL after the AFL-NFL merger of 1970.-High school years:...
, tackle Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez (American football)
Manuel Jose Fernandez is a former American football player of who played eight seasons for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League...
and safeties Dick Anderson
Dick Anderson
Richard Paul Anderson is a former American football safety for the AFL's and NFL's Miami Dolphins, where he played for his entire ten year career from 1968 to 1977 missing one of those seasons with a knee injury....
and Jake Scott
Jake Scott (football player)
Jacob E. "Jake" Scott III is a former American football free safety and punt returner who played from 1970 to 1978 for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Scott went to the Pro Bowl five consecutive times between 1971, and 1975...
.
Before the 1972 Dolphins, only the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in 1934
1934 NFL season
The 1934 NFL season was the 15th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, the Portsmouth Spartans moved to Detroit, Michigan and were renamed the Detroit Lions....
and 1942
1942 NFL season
The 1942 NFL season was the 23rd regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, many players left for service in World War II, thus depleting the rosters of all the teams....
, had finished an NFL regular season with no losses or ties. The 1934 team lost the NFL Championship Game
NFL Championship Game, 1934
The 1934 National Football League Championship Game, also known as The Sneakers Game, was played at the Polo Grounds in New York City on December 9, 1934. The final score was New York Giants 30, Chicago Bears 13. It was the 2nd annual NFL championship game.A freezing rain the night before the game...
that year to the New York Football Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and the 1942 team lost the Championship
NFL Championship Game, 1942
The 1942 National Football League Championship game was the NFL's tenth title game. The game was played on December 13, 1942 at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. and the attendance was 36,006....
to the Redskins. The Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
were undefeated in the 1948 All-America Football Conference
All-America Football Conference
The All-America Football Conference was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League from 1946 to 1949. One of the NFL's most formidable challengers, the AAFC attracted many of the nation's best players, and introduced many lasting innovations...
season.
The Dolphins finished 12–2 after the 1973 regular season and repeated as NFL champions, beating the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
24–7 in Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
at Rice Stadium in Houston. Miami reached the playoffs again in 1974 but lost in the first round to the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in what has entered NFL lore as the "Sea of Hands" game, considered one of the greatest games ever played. Following the 1974 season, the Dolphins lost Csonka, Kiick, and Warfield to the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
.
Miami rebounded from a 6–8 record in 1976 by winning ten or more games in four of the next five seasons. Shula built a solid defense around a new set of stars, including linebacker A.J. Duhe and linemen Bob Baumhower
Bob Baumhower
Robert Glenn Baumhower is a former American football player who played college football for the University of Alabama and professional football for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.-Collegiate and NFL awards:...
and Doug Betters
Doug Betters
Doug Betters is an American football player who played defensive end for the Miami Dolphins from 1978 to 1987.After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in Illinois, Betters played college Division I football for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1974 to 1976, then transferred to...
. The Dolphins went 10–4 again in 1977, but again lost the division title (and playoff spot) to the Colts. They made the playoffs as a wild card in 1978, but lost in the first round to the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
17–9.
Csonka returned to the Dolphins in time for the 1979 season. After winning the division with a 10–6 record, the Dolphins lost the divisional playoff 34–14 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
.
The Dolphins also accomplished another feat never done before or since by another NFL team. They beat their division rival Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
20 consecutive times in a decade. The Bills were "0 for the seventies" against the Dolphins.
1980s and 90s: The Killer B's & The Dan Marino and Don Shula Era
In 1980, David WoodleyDavid Woodley
David Eugene Woodley was an American football player and quarterback for Louisiana State University , the National Football League's Miami Dolphins , and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
, an athletic quarterback out of LSU
LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers are the athletic teams of Louisiana State University. They participate in the NCAA's Division I, in the Southeastern Conference. It fields teams in 14 varsity sports . Its official team nickname is the Fighting Tigers and the school mascot is Mike the Tiger...
, took over for Bob Griese, who severely injured his shoulder in a game against the Baltimore Colts. Griese would never play again, retiring after the season. The Dolphins finished 8–8 and did not make the playoffs.
The Dolphins were back up on top of the AFC East in the 1981 NFL season
1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, with an 11–4–1 record. That season, the Dolphins quarterback position was manned by both Woodley and back-up quarterback Don Strock
Don Strock
Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973...
, causing the local media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
to identify the Miami quarterback as "Woodstrock." They reached the divisional playoff
Playoff
The playoffs, postseason, or finals of a sports league are a game or series of games played after the regular season by the top competitors, usually but not always with a single-elimination system, to determine the league champion or a similar accolade.In the U.S...
against the San Diego Chargers, known as The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl...
and remembered as one of the most memorable games in NFL history. After being down 24–0 after the end of the first quarter, Don Strock entered the game and engineered a frenetic comeback, culminating in the historic "hook and lateral" play, in which wide receiver Duriel Harris
Duriel Harris
Duriel LaDon Harris, Jr. is a former professional American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys...
caught a pass from Strock and immediately lateraled the ball to the streaking running back Tony Nathan
Tony Nathan
Tony Curtis Nathan is an American football coach and former running back.Nathan was a running back from Alabama who was selected in the third round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, with whom he played from 1979-1987...
for the score on the last play of the half, which cut the Chargers lead to 24–17. After the Dolphins took the lead in the fourth quarter, San Diego tied it up 38–38 with under a minute to play. Chargers tight end Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
, playing through exhaustion, blocked Uwe von Schamann
Uwe von Schamann
Uwe Detlef Walter von Schamann is a former professional American football placekicker. He played for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League, from 1979 to 1984.-Early life:...
's field goal try on the last play of regulation. In overtime, Von Schamann had another field goal attempt blocked, and Rolf Benirschke
Rolf Benirschke
Rolf Joachim Benirschke is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League for the San Diego Chargers from 1978 to 1987, and was the host of the NBC daytime Wheel Of Fortune in 1989.-Early career:...
kicked the game-winner for San Diego (final score 41–38) after missing a chip shot field goal earlier. Strock finished the game with 403 passing yards and four touchdowns.
In the strike-shortened 1982 NFL season
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, the Dolphins, led by the "Killer B's" defense (Bob Baumhower
Bob Baumhower
Robert Glenn Baumhower is a former American football player who played college football for the University of Alabama and professional football for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.-Collegiate and NFL awards:...
, Bill Barnett
Bill Barnett
William Perry Barnett is a former professional American football player who played defensive tackle for six seasons for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He currently lives in Lincoln, NE as a copyright maintaining a residence in northern MN for fishing expeditions....
, Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Blackwood
Lyle Vernon Blackwood played safety position in the National Football League and is best known for teaming alongside his brother, Glenn Blackwood with the Miami Dolphins as part of the notorious "Killer B's" defense...
, Kim Bokamper
Kim Bokamper
Kim Bokamper is a former American Football linebacker who played his entire nine year career with the National Football League Miami Dolphins from 1977 to 1985....
, Glenn Blackwood
Glenn Blackwood
Glenn Allen Blackwood was a safety who played nine seasons in the National Football League. Blackwood attended the University of Texas. His brother Lyle Blackwood also played in the NFL, and they were teammates from 1981 through 1986 with the Miami Dolphins...
, Charles Bowser
Charles Bowser
Charles Bowser is a former American football linebacker who played four seasons in the National Football League for the Miami Dolphins. Bowser played his college career at Duke University, setting the school's single season and career sacks record at 17.5 and 22, respectively...
, Doug Betters
Doug Betters
Doug Betters is an American football player who played defensive end for the Miami Dolphins from 1978 to 1987.After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in Illinois, Betters played college Division I football for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1974 to 1976, then transferred to...
, and Bob Brudzinski
Bob Brudzinski
Robert Louis Brudzinski is a former American football linebacker who played thirteen seasons in the National Football League.-Ohio State:...
), held five of their nine opponents to 14 or fewer points en route to their fourth Super Bowl appearance. During the first two rounds of the 1982–83 NFL playoffs, they got revenge for previous losses, crushing the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, 28–13 (revenge for the infamous Snow Plow game at Schaeffer Stadium played earlier in the season) and the San Diego Chargers, 34–13 at the Orange Bowl. In successive games against San Diego and the NY Jets, the ballhawking Miami defense logged ten interceptions, five each against Dan Fouts and Richard Todd. After shutting out the New York Jets in the AFC Championship 14–0 (aided by Shula's alleged instructions to the stadium's grounds crew to leave the field uncovered throughout a week-long rain in Miami, which was done to negate the Jets superior edge in team speed), the Dolphins lost Super Bowl XVII to Washington, 27–17. After enjoying success rooted in a defense-first philosophy, and employing a ball control offense to take pressure off of lackluster quarterbacks, the next 17 seasons would be marked by an average rushing game and defense that limited a great quarterback.
During the third game of the 1983 season at the Los Angeles Raiders on Monday Night Football, Shula replaced quarterback David Woodley with rookie Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
, who went on to win the AFC passing title with a ratio of 20 touchdowns versus 6 interceptions. Seldom sacked by defenders, Marino was protected by an outstanding offensive line as he passed to receivers such as Mark Clayton and Mark Duper
Mark Duper
Mark Super Duper is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League from 1982 to 1992. He played collegiately at Northwestern State University and was selected by the Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1982 NFL Draft...
. Despite the regular season success (the Dolphins went 12–4 winning their last five regular season games, the only team in the AFC East with a winning record), they were upset in the divisional playoff by the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
at the Orange Bowl. Defensive end Doug Betters was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
In 1984, the Dolphins won their first 11 games en-route to a 14–2 season (the franchise's best 16-game season to date). Marino, in his first full season, produced the most impressive set of passing statistics in NFL history, setting single-season records for most yards (5,084), touchdown passes (48), and completions (362). He was voted NFL MVP. Miami avenged the Seahawks loss from the previous year 31–10 and crushed the Steelers 45–28 in the AFC Championship to advance to Super Bowl XIX. In the title game, however, Miami lost to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
38–16. It would be Marino's only Super Bowl appearance.
Miami finished 12–4–0 in 1985 and, in an epic Monday Night Football showdown, handed the previously-undefeated Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
their only defeat of the season. After rallying from a 21–3 third quarter deficit in the divisional playoffs to beat the Cleveland Browns 24–21, many people were looking forward to a rematch with Chicago in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
. The Cinderella
Cinderella
"Cinderella; or, The Little Glass Slipper" is a folk tale embodying a myth-element of unjust oppression/triumphant reward. Thousands of variants are known throughout the world. The title character is a young woman living in unfortunate circumstances that are suddenly changed to remarkable fortune...
New England Patriots, the Dolphins' opponents in the AFC Championship, had different plans. New England forced six turnovers
Turnover (football)
In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball loses possession of the ball, which is then gained by the other team. The two events that are officially classified as "turnovers" are fumbles or interceptions In American football, a turnover occurs when the team with the ball...
on the way to a 31–14 win – the Patriots' first in Miami since 1966. The Patriots had lost 18 games in a row at the Orange Bowl. In 1969, the Boston Patriots had beaten the Dolphins at Tampa Stadium.
In 1986, the Dolphins, hampered by defensive struggles, stumbled to a 2–5 start and finished 8–8, missing the playoffs for the first time since 1980. The Dolphins lost their final game at the Orange Bowl to the New England Patriots 34–27 on Monday Night Football. The problems continued in 1987, with an 8–7 (7–5 in non-strike games) record in a strike-shortened year, their first at new Joe Robbie Stadium. Miami had their first losing season (6–10) since 1976 in 1988, and finished 8–8 following the 1989 regular season.
By 1990, the Dolphins had shaped up on defense and finished with a 12–4 record, second in the AFC East. They came from behind to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 17–16 in the Wild Card round, but lost to the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
44–34 in the divisional playoffs. The team struggled with defensive injuries in 1991, and narrowly missed the playoffs in an overtime loss to the New York Jets during the final week of the season, losing the AFC's final playoff berth to their arch rivals from
New York.
The Dolphins rebounded in 1992 and started the season 6–0 and then finished 11–5 and capturing the AFC East title behind a career year from running back Mark Higgs
Mark Higgs
Mark Deyon Higgs is a former American football running back in the National Football League who led the Miami Dolphins in rushing from 1991-1993.-Youth and college career:...
and tight end Keith Jackson, newly acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
as an unrestricted free agent. They crushed the Chargers in the divisional playoffs 31–0, but were defeated by the Buffalo Bills 29–10 in the AFC Championship.
A season-ending Achilles injury to Dan Marino led to the team missing the playoffs in 1993 despite a league-leading 9–2 start. Marino returned in 1994 to lead the Dolphins to a 10–6 record and the AFC East title. After defeating Joe Montana and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card round, the Dolphins gave up a 15-point halftime lead and suffered a 22–21 loss to the San Diego Chargers. Pete Stoyanovich
Pete Stoyanovich
Peter Stoyanovich and is an American football placekicker of Macedonian descent who played with the Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs and briefly the St. Louis Rams in the NFL. He attended college at Indiana University.A first-team all-pro in 1992, Stoyanovich finished his career in the top 35 in...
missed a 46-ard field goal on the last play of the game and denied Marino a chance to play the Steelers in his hometown of Pittsburgh in the AFC Championship.
In 1995, Marino broke the career passing records held by Fran Tarkenton
Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
for yards (48,841), touchdowns (352), and completions (3,913), though two of the games where he broke those records were losses to the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
. The Dolphins finished 9–7, second in the AFC East, but still made the playoffs as a wild card, losing to Buffalo in the first round. Following the 1995 season, Shula retired and became an executive in the Dolphins’ front office. Jimmy Johnson, who had won a collegiate national championship at the University of Miami and two Super Bowls with the Dallas Cowboys, was named as Shula’s replacement. At the press conference announcing his retirement, Shula said that he "agreed to step aside", leading some to speculate that Huizenga had all but fired him.
In 1996, Miami finished 8–8 and out of the playoffs, with rookie Karim Abdul-Jabbar
Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar
Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar, previously Karim Abdul-Jabbar , is a former American football player. A 5'11" running back, he played in the National Football League from 1996 to 2000 with the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts.-College:Born in Los Angeles, California, he played for...
's 1,116-yard rushing season and the standout play of rookie linebacker Zach Thomas serving as two of the few bright spots. In 1997, Miami stumbled late and backed into the playoffs with a 9–7 season, losing to the New England Patriots in the Wild Card round.
Miami had a solid 10–6 season in 1998 with a career season for receiver O.J. McDuffie, but it was not enough to get past the New York Jets into first place in the division. The Dolphins beat the Bills in the Wild Card round, but lost in the next round to the eventual champion Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. (The Broncos lost only two regular season games in 1998, one of which was to the Dolphins.)
In 1999, the team advanced to the playoffs at 9–7. After a close win at Seattle in the Wild Card round 20–17, they suffered the second-worst playoff loss in NFL history against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
: 62–7. Noteworthy, in the 1940 NFL Championship game, the Chicago Bears beat the host Washington Redskins 73–0 for the worst playoff game loss in history. After the season, Jimmy Johnson left the team and Marino retired.
2000–01: Playoffs
Dave Wannstedt
Dave Wannstedt is current Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. He was most recently head coach of the University of Pittsburgh football team, a position he held for six seasons. Wannstedt is also the former head coach of the Miami...
, formerly of the Chicago Bears, became the new coach, and ex-Jacksonville Jaguars backup Jay Fiedler
Jay Fiedler
Jay Brian Fiedler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Early life and high school years:Fiedler was born to a Jewish family on Long Island in Oceanside, New York...
became the new quarterback, even though former Marino backup Damon Huard had been considered the favorite. Despite lowered expectations, the defense broke through with Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
and Trace Armstrong
Trace Armstrong
Raymond Lester "Trace" Armstrong, III is a former American college and professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League for fifteen seasons from the late 1980s to the early 2000s...
each getting 10 sacks, and four players (Sam Madison
Sam Madison
Samuel Adolfus Madison, Jr. is an American football cornerback who is retired. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisville....
, Brian Walker, Brock Marion
Brock Marion
Brock Elliot Marion is a former American football free safety in the National Football League who played twelve seasons for the Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, and the Detroit Lions from 1993 to 2004. Marion was a three-time Pro Bowler in 2000, 2002 and 2003 with the Dolphins...
and Patrick Surtain
Patrick Surtain
Patrick Frank Surtain is an American football cornerback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
) tallying at least five interceptions. All-pro linebacker Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
also contributed many tackles. In addition, Lamar Smith
Lamar Smith (NFL)
Lamar Hunter Smith is a former professional American football running back. He played in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers from 1994 to 2003...
rushed for 1,139 yards, and Miami finished atop the AFC East with an 11–5 record. In the first round of the playoffs, Miami took the Indianapolis Colts
2000 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2000 Indianapolis Colts season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League and 17th in Indianapolis. The Indianapolis Colts finished the National Football League's 2000 season with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses, and finished second in the AFC East...
to overtime and won on a Lamar Smith touchdown run. Smith finished with 209 yards on 40 carries, but in the next round, the Dolphins were shut out by the Oakland Raiders, and a worn-out Smith was barely able to run.
The 2001 offseason brought in rookie Chris Chambers
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. "Chris" Chambers is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
at wide receiver, but Trace Armstrong left, as did two offensive linemen, Richmond Webb
Richmond Webb
Richmond Jewel Webb is a former National Football League offensive tackle with the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals. Webb played college football for Texas A&M University...
, a Pro Bowl anchor since 1990, and Kevin Donnalley. During the 2001 season, the Dolphins relied on a strong defense to finish 11–5, earning a Wild Card spot and finishing second in the AFC East behind the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots
2001 New England Patriots season
The 2001 New England Patriots season was the 32nd season for the team in the National Football League and 42nd season overall. They finished with an 11–5 record and a division title before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVI....
. The Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs 20–3 to the Baltimore Ravens
2001 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2001 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's sixth year in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - Playoffs :-Roster:-References:* *...
.
2002: Run Ricky Run
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
running back Ricky Williams
Ricky Williams
Errick Lynne "Ricky" Williams, Jr. is an American football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints fifth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
. In addition, rookie tight end Randy McMichael
Randy McMichael
-Miami Dolphins:McMichael was selected in the fourth round in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. The pick used by Dolphins to select him was originally acquired from the New Orleans Saints in the deal that sent running back Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins.McMichael made his NFL debut...
made his presence felt. The Dolphins, behind a new offensive scheme under freshly hired offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and a power running game led by Williams, quickly rushed out to a 5–1 start, including an incredible last minute comeback by Fiedler against the Broncos
2002 Denver Broncos season
The 2002 Denver Broncos season was the team's 43rd year in professional football and its 33rd with the National Football League.-Staff:-Schedule:-References:* *...
. However, Fiedler injured his thumb and would be out for an extended period of time. This intrigued some Dolphins fans, who believed backup Ray Lucas
Ray Lucas
For the baseball player of the same name, see Ray Lucas Ray Lucas is a studio analyst for the show Jets Nation on New York City-based sports network SportsNet New York...
could outdo the much-maligned Fiedler. However, Lucas was abysmal in his first two games and merely average in his third, and the team dropped three straight. Miami rebounded with wins over Baltimore
2002 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2002 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's seventh season in the NFL. They were unable to improve upon their previous output of 10–6, instead winning only seven games and missing the playoffs for the first time in three years.-Schedule:-References:...
and an impressive thumping of San Diego
2002 San Diego Chargers season
The 2002 San Diego Chargers season began with the team trying to improve on their 5–11 record in 2001. It was Marty Schottenheimer's first season as the team's head coach...
, but lost to Buffalo
2002 Buffalo Bills season
The 2002 Buffalo Bills season was the team’s forty-third season.The Bills acquired quarterback Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots on draft weekend in exchange for Buffalo's first round pick in the 2003 draft...
. Still, Miami pulled off an impressive win over the Oakland Raiders
2002 Oakland Raiders season
-AFC Championship Game:-References:...
and sat at 9–5 with two weeks left in the season, in prime position to steal the AFC East. However, despite dominating the New England Patriots for most of the game in Week 17, the Dolphins blew an 11-point lead late in the fourth quarter of a devastating loss. Due to a tiebreaker, both the Dolphins and Patriots lost out on the playoffs as the Jets took the AFC East title. Many fans called for Wannstedt's firing, but he was kept on for the 2003 season. Despite it all, the team believed it had plenty to look forward to, as Ricky Williams broke team records with 1,853 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground.
2003: Finishing just short
The 2003 Miami Dolphins were a hard team to pin down. The defense was again solid and forced a lot of turnovers, and opposing offenses found running the ball extremely difficult. However, poor offensive line play (despite most of the starters returning) gave little room for Williams to run, and the offense was stagnant. The Dolphins began with a repeat of 2002's season end, with a complete meltdown against the Houston Texans2003 Houston Texans season
The 2003 Houston Texans season was the second season in franchise history and saw the expansion club make a one-game improvement on its previous season record.-2003 NFL Draft:-Staff:-Preseason:-Schedule:-Standings:...
, but they rebounded to win four straight games. During a crushing overtime loss at the hands of the Patriots, Jay Fiedler was injured, forcing newly acquired backup Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football at Michigan....
to lead the Dolphins to victory the next week over San Diego. That, however, was Griese's high point, and after a good showing against Indianapolis
2003 Indianapolis Colts season
The 2003 Indianapolis Colts season was the 51st season for the team in the National Football League and 20th in Indianapolis.-Roster:-Schedule:- Division standings :...
in a losing effort, he was poor against the Titans
2003 Tennessee Titans season
The 2003 Tennessee Titans season was the team's 44th season and their 34th in the National Football League. At 12–4 the Titans posted the 15th season with at least ten wins in the franchise's history dating to their Houston Oilers days...
and highly ineffective against the Ravens
2003 Baltimore Ravens season
The 2003 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's eighth season in the NFL. They improved upon their previous output of 7–9, instead winning 10 games and making a playoff appearance...
. When Griese and the Dolphins fell behind to the Washington Redskins
2003 Washington Redskins season
The 2003 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 7-9 record from 2002.-Schedule:-Standings:...
, Fiedler came off the bench and saved their season, leading them to a comeback victory, 24–23. Miami looked like it might rebound thanks to a victory over the Dallas Cowboys
2003 Dallas Cowboys season
2003 marked the 44th season for the Dallas Cowboys organization as the team, coming off three consecutive 5–11 seasons, hired former New York Giants and New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells....
that took them to 8–4, but two key losses to the Patriots
2003 New England Patriots season
The 2003 New England Patriots season was the 34th season for the team in the National Football League and 44th season overall. They finished with a league-best 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXVIII....
and the Eagles
2003 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 2003 Philadelphia Eagles season was their 71st in the league. They matched their previous season's record, going 12–4, however, they were again upset in the NFC Conference Championship...
ended Miami's postseason hopes. Miami finished 10–6.
2004: Williams suspended, Wannstedt resignation
The 2004 offseason was disastrous for the Dolphins. Tight end Randy McMichael was arrested for domestic violence and wide receiver David BostonDavid Boston
David Byron Boston is a professional football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals eighth overall in the 1999 NFL Draft...
(signed from San Diego) suffered an injury in training camp and missed the entire season (Boston also failed a drug test for steroids later in the season). But the biggest shock came when Ricky Williams retired for then-unspecified reasons, until it was eventually revealed that a) Williams had recently suffered his third strike under the NFL's substance abuse policy, and b) to a lesser degree felt he was unnecessarily overused by Wannstedt. Many experts predicted a disastrous season for the Dolphins. These predictions proved right as Miami dropped its first six games of the 2004 season, marking the worst start in franchise history at the time. After the team fell to 1–8, Wannstedt resigned on November 9, 2004. He was replaced on an interim basis by defensive coordinator Jim Bates. The Dolphins fared slightly better under Bates, winning three of their final seven games, including a 29–28 upset victory over the defending champion Patriots
2004 New England Patriots season
The 2004 New England Patriots season was the 35th season for the team in the National Football League and 45th season overall. They finished with their second straight 14–2 record before advancing to and winning Super Bowl XXXIX, their third Super Bowl victory in four years.Following a Super Bowl...
on December 20 in a nationally televised Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
contest. Despite this, the Dolphins decided not to hire Bates for the permanent coaching position.
2005–06: Nick Saban Era
Instead of retaining Jim Bates, the Dolphins hired LSULSU Tigers football
The LSU Tigers football team, also known as the Fighting Tigers or Bayou Bengals, represents Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States in NCAA Division I FBS college football. Current head coach Les Miles has led the team since 2005. Since 1999 when Nick Saban took over as...
coach Nick Saban
Nick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
. With the second pick in the 2005 NFL Draft
2005 NFL Draft
The 2005 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 23–24, 2005. The league also held an supplemental draft that year, which was held after...
, Nick Saban elected to go with Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
running back Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
. And with that, the Nick Saban era kicked off with a 34–10 win against the Denver Broncos. From there, however, the Dolphins struggled, losing seven of their next nine games to fall to 3–7. The two wins came over the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
and the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, a game that took place in Tiger Stadium
Tiger Stadium (LSU)
Tiger Stadium is an outdoor stadium located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It is best known as the home stadium of the Louisiana State University football team.Tiger Stadium opened with a capacity of 12,000 in 1924...
due to Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
. After a frustrating two months, however, the Dolphins would rally late in the season, as they won their final six games, including a win to end the season over the New England Patriots. The team finished the year 9–7, and narrowly missed the playoffs.
In Saban's second season, the Dolphins were expected to contend for a playoff spot. The season, however, turned out to be a major disappointment. Quarterback Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Culpepper
Daunte Rachard Culpepper is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League . Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League career after being drafted 11th overall in...
never recovered from his devastating knee injury from the previous season, and was ultimately benched after the fourth game of the season and eventually put on injured reserve. After starting the season 1–6, they won four straight games, back in the playoff hunt at 5–6, but a few losses later ended their playoff hopes. This was Saban's first and last losing season as a head coach of the Miami Dolphins.
On January 3, 2007, Saban announced that he had accepted a contract for eight years and a guaranteed $32 million to coach at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. Saban left despite making several public statements in the preceding weeks assuring fans and owner Wayne Huizenga that he would be staying on as coach.
2007: 1–15
Cam CameronCam Cameron
-External links:...
, previously the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the San Diego Chargers, was hired as the new head coach.
The Dolphins began their season with Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
as their starting quarterback but after four games, Green was put on the injured reserve. For the rest of the way, the Dolphins went with Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
and rookie John Beck as their quarterbacks. The Dolphins also suffered another setback when then-NFL leading rusher Ronnie Brown
Ronnie Brown
Ronnie G. Brown, Jr. is an American football running back for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . After graduating from Cartersville High School in Georgia, Brown attended Auburn University to play college football for the Auburn Tigers...
went down for the season with a knee injury.
Midway through the 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Dolphins' home game against the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
to be played in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
; this was the NFL's first regular-season game to be played outside of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10. Shortly afterward, one of Miami's top wide receivers, Chris Chambers
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. "Chris" Chambers is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
, who was acquired in 2001, was traded to the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. On December 16, the Dolphins ended a 16-game losing streak by defeating the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
at home 22–16 in overtime on a 64-yard touchdown from Cleo Lemon
Cleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
to Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo
Greg Camarillo is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.He played college football at Stanford. He was signed by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent in 2005....
, making the wideout an instant cult hero with the fans. Despite the win over the Ravens, the team would lose its next two games to finish an NFL-worst 1–15, which tied the then NFL record for most losses in a season with 15, a record shared by 7 other teams. The record for most losses broken only year later, by the 2008 Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
with an 0–16 record.
2008: Bill Parcells, Tony Sparano, Chad Pennington, and playoffs
Late in the 2007 season, two-time Super Bowl winning coach Bill ParcellsBill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
was named Executive Vice President of the Dolphins football operations. Shortly after the season finale, Parcells fired general manager Randy Mueller
Randy Mueller
Randy Mueller is an executive in the National Football League, most recently as general manager for the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints. He has over two decades of NFL front office experience.-College career:...
and on January 3, 2008, head coach Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
was fired along with almost all of his staff. That same offseason, the Dolphins also parted ways with two Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
ers and long-time Dolphins, releasing linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Zach Thomas
Zach Thomas
Zachary Michael Thomas is a former American football linebacker. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the fifth round of the 1996 NFL Draft. He played college football at Texas Tech....
(who later signed with the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
) and trading defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
to the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
for a second round draft pick.
Parcells then hired Tony Sparano
Tony Sparano
Anthony "Tony" Sparano III is an American Football head coach of the Miami Dolphins. At age 17, Sparano had an incident which burnt his eyes, which is why he always wears his signature sunglasses even at night...
, who was previously an assistant under Parcells during his days as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins ultimately took Jake Long
Jake Long
Jake Edward Long is an American football offensive tackle for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan...
, star offensive lineman out of the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
with the first pick of the 2008 draft and drafted quarterback Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
with their second round pick (the second consecutive year they drafted a QB in the second round). After the New York Jets traded for Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
and released quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
the same day, the Dolphins quickly signed Pennington, who was a former Parcells draft pick.
On September 21, 2008, the Miami Dolphins used the "wildcat
Wildcat offense
|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| Base Wildcat || Speed Sweep|- style="text-align:center;"| || |- style="text-align:center;"| QB Counter || Split Zone|- style="text-align:center;"...
" offense against the New England Patriots on six plays, which produced four touchdowns (three rushing and one passing) in a 38–13 upset victory. The wildcat offense or single-wing
Single-wing
In American and Canadian football, a single-wing formation is any offensive formation having exactly one wingback and one tight end aligned together. The single-wing formation, created by Glenn "Pop" Warner, was a precursor to the modern spread or shotgun formation...
was a "new" formation that allowed the Dolphins to utilize their two best offensive players, Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, both of which played the same position.
Early on, Miami suffered the narrowest of defeats when they lost 29–28 to the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The team, however, would bounce back with four consecutive victories over the Buffalo Bills, Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, and Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. After a crushing twenty point loss to New England, the Dolphins fell to third in the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
division. Again Miami rebounded to win their next four games, against the (St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
, the Bills in Toronto, Ontario, the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
, and the Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
). This brought their record to 10–5 and let them control their destiny against the New York Jets in the regular season finale.
Pennington, the former Jet, outdueled Brett Favre to lead the Dolphins to victory 24–17 to win the AFC East past the New England Patriots. A year after going 1–15, the Dolphins completed a turnaround under first-year coach Tony Sparano, joining the 1999 Indianapolis Colts as the only teams in NFL history to make 10-win improvements. Miami, which ended the regular season by winning five straight and nine of 10, made the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. It was the Dolphins' first AFC East title since 2000. However, the Dolphins lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Baltimore Ravens, 27–9.
2009: Injuries hurt playoff chances
On March 25, 2009, ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
reported that the Dolphins intended to have Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
as the starting quarterback by the 2010 season. That left current starting quarterback Chad Pennington
Chad Pennington
James Chadwick "Chad" Pennington is an American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for ten years. He is currently a football analyst with FOX Sports though he plans to return to playing after recovering from an injury...
's future with the team in doubt after the 2009 season. Henne was originally scheduled to receive at least 12 quarters of play in the 2009 preseason to prepare him for the 2010 season. However, Chad Pennington suffered a shoulder injury against the San Diego Chargers and was out for the rest of the 2009 season. Henne replaced him as the starting quarterback.
Under Henne, the Dolphins defeated the Bills in week 4 and the Jets in a Monday Night classic. After their bye week, the Dolphins lost to the Saints after leading 24–3 towards the end of the first half. The Dolphins finished the rest of the season without a key player, Ronnie Brown, due to a Lisfranc foot injury
Lisfranc fracture
The Lisfranc fracture is a fracture of the foot in which one or all of the metatarsals are displaced from the tarsus.It is named after 18th- and 19th-century surgeon and gynecologist Jacques Lisfranc de St. Martin.-Causes:...
that required surgery. Ricky Williams was the starter again finishing the season with 1,121 yards, beating his own rookie year at the age of 32. Miami was 7–6 on the season after a 22–21 win over the New England Patriots and a 14–10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but ended the season with three consecutive losses to finish 7–9 and out of the playoffs.
2010
After another disappointing season, the Dolphins looked to make a strong comeback the next season by acquiring Brandon MarshallBrandon Marshall
-2006:Before the regular season even began, Marshall suffered a slight tear to his PCL in a pre-season game against the Detroit Lions. Although the injury sidelined him for a couple of weeks, he was able to return and play 15 games during the regular season. Marshall had a total of 20 catches, 309...
from the Denver Broncos for two second-round draft picks, Karlos Dansby
Karlos Dansby
Karlos Montez Dansby is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
from free agency. Ronnie Brown was also back from his leg injury the previous year, and Ricky Williams also returned (while many speculated he would retire). During the 2010 NFL Draft, the Dolphins selected Jared Odrick
Jared Odrick
Jared T. Odrick is an American football defensive end for the Miami Dolphins. He was selected 28th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. He played college football at Penn State.-High school career:...
with their first-round draft pick.
The Dolphins started out 2010 by winning their first two games against the Buffalo Bills and the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
(teams that did not make the playoffs) at Buffalo and Minnesota, respectively. The Dolphins then lost the following two games at home. The first, a close loss to the New York Jets, and the second, to the New England Patriots, amidst disastorus special teams play. After the bye week, the Dolphins came back with a win in overtime against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, Green Bay would go on to win the Super Bowl that year. In week 7, the Dolphins played against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in a very competitive game. They lost however, due to a controversial call that gave the Steelers the ball. It was not clear that the Dolphins had recovered the ball, so the Steelers retained possession, and scored the game-winning field goal. The Dolphins then went on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
, and won 22–14. The following week the Dolphins faced another AFC North team for the third straight week, the Baltimore Ravens a poor outing by Chad Henne ultimately sealed the game and gave the Dolphins their fourth loss of the season by throwing two interceptions (he ended the game with three).
On November 10, Coach Sparano in a news conference said that Chad Henne would be benched and Chad Pennington would start in their home game against the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and for the rest of the season; also, after waiving Jason Allen, Al Harris, formerly of the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
, was signed. The Dolphins went on to defeat the Titans 29–17 despite losing both Chad Henne and Chad Pennington to injuries during the game and playing Tyler Thigpen. Chad Henne ended up only missing one game while Pennington was done for the year. The Dolphins would next go primetime in a Thursday night game against the Bears with Tyler Thigpen starting. Miami lost the game 16–0 and Brandon Marshall left the game with a hamstring injury. Marshall would miss the next two games for Miami. The Dolphins next defeated the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 33–17. Miami then lost to the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 13–10 in a last-minute field goal. The Dolphins surprised many when they defeated the New York Jets, 10–6. Miami, then signed veteran WR Kevin Curtis
Kevin Curtis
-St. Louis Rams:Curtis was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the 3rd round of the 2003 NFL Draft. Curtis was inactive for the first five games of 2003 after suffering a broken fibula in the final preseason game at Buffalo. In 2004, Curtis played in all but one game, totaling 32 catches for 421...
after he finished battling cancer. A loss to the Buffalo Bills followed, 17–14. That loss put their record at 7–7 and officially eliminated them from the playoffs for the 8th time in 9 years. In week 16, the Dolphins were at home against the Lions, but lost 34–27. Miami was up 27–17 with about 5 minutes left to play but Chad Henne threw two interceptions, one that was returned for a touchdown, that ultimately led to the Lions comeback. That loss put their record at a league worst 1–7 at home, and 7–8 on the season. Miami wrapped up their season by being blown out by the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
38–7. Much like the 2009 season, a 7–6 Miami team lost three consecutive games to the end season and finished 7–9. On the plus side, Miami finally got a WR who hit the 1000-yard receiving mark with Brandon Marshall finishing with 1014 yards receiving. That was Miami's first WR to hit 1000 yards since Chris Chambers
Chris Chambers
Christopher J. "Chris" Chambers is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft...
did it in 2005.
In September 2010, Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
, stepped down as Vice President of Football Operations, but remaining as a consultant. He was later criticised for not making the right choices to improve the team.
2011: Continuation of the Chad Henne Era
For their first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft2011 NFL Draft
The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players...
, and 15th selection overall, the Dolphins selected center Mike Pouncey
Mike Pouncey
James Michael "Mike" Pouncey is an American football center for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League . He was drafted by the Dolphins in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. He played college football for Florida....
from Florida
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
. For their second pick, the Dolphins selected running back Daniel Thomas
Daniel Thomas (American football)
Daniel Thomas is a running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats football team.-High school:...
. The Dolphins also acquired Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
from the New Orleans Saints
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
in a trade. Dolphins would then cut Channing Crowder
Channing Crowder
Randolph Channing Crowder, Jr. is a former American college and professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League . He played college football for the University of Florida, and was recognized as an All-American...
and add Kevin Burnett
Kevin Burnett
Kevin Bradley Burnett is an American football linebacker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 2005 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee....
to replace him. Jason Taylor
Jason Taylor (American football)
Jason Paul Taylor is an American football linebacker who currently plays for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft...
re-signs for his third stint. The Dolphins started out the season at home on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
, but falling 38-24. It was also the first time that Chad Henne
Chad Henne
Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan...
threw for over 400 yards in his career. It quickly went downhill from there, as the Dolphins lost the next three games, losing to the Texans at home, and the Browns and Chargers on the road, falling to 0-4 and putting themselves closer to the #1 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL Draft will be the 77th annual meeting of National Football League franchises to select newly eligible football players.-Trades:...
. Henne was also injured with a separated non-throwing shoulder during the first half of the Chargers game, and was placed on Injured Reserve days after the game. The team later reached an agreement with QB Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels
Sage Rosenfels is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Iowa State before he was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played with the Miami Dolphins from 2002–2005, the Houston Texans from...
to backup starting QB Matt Moore
Matt Moore (American football)
Matthew Erickson Moore is an American Football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State...
, who was on day-to-day after an injury he suffered against Denver, but Rosenfels was soon placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. That opened the door for QB Matt Moore to take the starting role. After an 0-7 start, Moore led the team to 3 consecutive victories against the Chiefs, Redskins, and the Bills. They have become the 3rd team in NFL History to win 3 straight after starting season 0-7 ('78 Cardinals & '86 Colts).
During this streak they allowed fewer than 10 points in 3 straight games for the first time since 1990.
Stadiums
The Dolphins originally played all home games in the Orange BowlMiami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
in Miami. They moved to the new Joe Robbie Stadium after the 1986 season. Later the stadium's name was changed to Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, LandShark Stadium, and, as of January 2010, Sun Life Stadium. The facility is located in Miami Gardens
Miami Gardens, Florida
Miami Gardens is a Miami suburban city located in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The city name comes from one of the major roadways through the area, Miami Gardens Drive. According to the 2010 U.S...
, a suburb of Miami located approximately 15 miles (24.1 km) north of downtown Miami.
Training
St. Petersburg Beach hosted the Dolphins' first training camp in 1966. The Dolphins subsequently trained in Miami Gardens at Biscayne College, later renamed St. Thomas UniversitySt. Thomas University (Florida)
St. Thomas University is a private Roman Catholic university in the Miami, Florida, United States suburb of Miami Gardens.-History:The University traces its roots to the Universidad Católica de Santo Tomás de Villanueva, founded in 1946 in Havana, Cuba, named after Saint Thomas of Villanova, by...
, from 1970 until 1993. The players were housed next to Sea World.
In 1993, the Dolphins opened the Miami Dolphins Training Facility at Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University
Nova Southeastern University, commonly referred to as NSU or Nova, is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian, research university located in Broward County, Florida, with its main campus in the town of Davie...
in Davie
Davie, Florida
Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States. The town's population was 91,992 at the 2010 census.- History :Davie was founded by Jake Tannebaum and Tamara Toussaint. The original name of the town was Zona. In 1909 R.P. Davie assisted then Governor Broward by draining the swamplands...
, Florida. In 2006, the facility added a domed field which allows the team to practice during thunderstorms which are common during the summer.
Logos and uniforms
The Dolphins logo and uniforms have remained essentially the same since the team's founding. The team's colors are aqua and coral; navy was added as a trim color in 1997. The logo consists of a sunburst with a leaping dolphin wearing a football helmet bearing the letter M. At their debut in 1966, the dolphin's head was near the center of the sunburst. By 1974, the dolphin's body was centered on the sunburst. The most substantial revision took place in 1997: the sunburst was simplified and the dolphin was darkened and given a more serious game-face expression.The uniform features white helmets with either white or aqua jerseys and either white or aqua pants. Navy drop shadows were added to the uniform numbers in the 1997 redesign.
For much of their history, the Dolphins have worn their white jerseys at home for daytime games, thus forcing their opponents to suffer in their darker jerseys in the humid weather of South Florida. The aqua jerseys are typically worn for night games at home, and on the road when the other team has chosen to wear their white jerseys. The Dolphins began this tradition during the perfect season of 1972 and have continued it ever since. Miami is one of a few NFL teams who usually wear their white jerseys at home (the others being the Redskins and Cowboys). In 2003, the Dolphins introduced an alternate coral (orange) jersey worn for some home night contests. The Dolphins have worn white jerseys during night time home games on very few occasions, such as a 1997 contest against the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. During these games, the white jerseys were worn because the games were intended to be played Sunday afternoon (the 1997 Bears game was moved to Monday night due to game 7 of the 1997 World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
).
In 2009, The Dolphins also switched to black shoes for the first time since the glory days, following a trend among NFL teams as of recently. However, by 2011, they returned to wearing white shoes.
Fight song
The song was written and composed by Lee Ofman. Ofman approached the Dolphins with it before the 1972 season because he wanted music to inspire his favorite team. The fight song would soon serve as a good luck charm for the Dolphins that season. The Dolphins became the first team in NFL history to record an undefeated season, going 17–0 en route to victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VIISuper Bowl VII
Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, to decide the National Football League champion following the 1972 regular season...
. The following season, Miami posted an equally-impressive 15–2 record and capped the season with another title, defeating the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
. The back-to-back championship runs, coupled with the popularity of the fight song amongst Dolphins fans, have ensured the song's longevity. The Dolphins revealed a new fight song by T-Pain
T-Pain
Faheem Rasheed Najm , better known by his stage name T-Pain, is an American singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and actor, currently signed to Young Money Entertainment. His debut album, Rappa Ternt Sanga, was released in 2005. In 2007, T-Pain released his second studio album Epiphany,...
& Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
featuring Pitbull
Pitbull (rapper)
Armando Christian Pérez , better known by his stage name Pitbull, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. His first recorded performance was from the Lil Jon album Kings of Crunk in 2002, after which he released his debut album in 2004 titled M.I.A.M.I. under TVT Records...
on August 7, 2009 which was introduced for the '09/10 NFL season. The fight song was played during the preseason home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on August 17, 2009, but was not played during the second preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on August 22, 2009 after being booed heavily in the first game. Furthermore, the team has preferred to play Buffett's song "Fins
Fins (song)
"Fins" is a song performed by American popular music singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett. It was written by Buffett, Coral Reefer Band members Deborah McColl and Barry Chance, and author Tom Corcoran. It was released as a single on MCA 41109 in July 1979.It was first released on his 1979 album...
" after scores during the 2009 regular season instead of the traditional fight song. The Dolphins shorthand nickname, "The Fins," has been recognized and used by the team.
Cheerleaders
The team's cheerleaders are known collectively as the Miami Dolphins Cheerleaders. The company had its debut in 1978 as the Dolphins Starbrites. (The name referred to the co-sponsor, Starbrite Car Polish.) The cheerleaders' founding choreographer was June TaylorJune Taylor
June Taylor was an American choreographer, best known as the founder of the June Taylor Dancers, who were featured on Jackie Gleason's various television variety programs.-Early life and career:...
, famed colleague of Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason
Jackie Gleason was an American comedian, actor and musician. He was known for his brash visual and verbal comedy style, especially by his character Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, a situation-comedy television series. His most noted film roles were as Minnesota Fats in the drama film The...
, who led the squad until her retirement in 1990.
The Dolphin Dolls, a 125-member pep squad of girls aged 8 to 18, cheered the team at home games from 1966 to 1977.
Special Teams/Volunteer Program
In April 2010, the Dolphins started the first Volunteer Program in the NFL. Special Teams is a unique volunteer organization created to enlist and mobilize the ongoing services of the community with the Dolphins staff, players and alumni. The mission of the Special Teams is to offer hands-on services to communities and families in need, to partner with existing organizations on worthwhile social, civic and charitable programs, to provide assistance at Miami Dolphins Foundation events, and to support community efforts in times of emergency. This program is headed by Leslie Nixon and Sergio Xiques. Since its inception, Special Teams has given over 40,000 community services hours to the South Florida community.T.D.
("The Dolphin")On Friday, April 18, 1997, the first "official" mascot of the Miami Dolphins was introduced. The seven-foot mascot made his public debut on April 19 at Pro Player Stadium during the team's draft day party. The team then made a "Name the Mascot" contest that drew over 13,000 entries covering all 50 states and 22 countries. 529 names were suggested. The winning entry was announced at the annual Dolphins Awards Banquet on June 4, 1997.
Dolfan Denny
Denny SymDolfan Denny
Dolfan Denny was the name given to Denny Sym by Miami Dolphins football fans. He was known for cheering on the NFL team for 33 years as a one-man sideline show, often leading Miami crowds in cheers and chants. He usually wore glittering orange and aqua hats, and did so since the Dolphins' first...
cheered on the Miami Dolphins for 33 years as a one-man sideline show, leading Miami crowds in cheers and chants in his glittering coral (orange) and aqua hat from the Dolphins’ first game in 1966 until 2000. Sym died on March 18, 2007. He was 72.
Flipper
From 1966 to 1968, a live dolphin was situated in a water tank in the open (east) end of the Orange Bowl. He would jump in the tank to celebrate touchdowns and field goals. Flipper was removed from the Orange Bowl after 1968 to save costs. In Ace VenturaAce Ventura
Ace Ventura is a fictional character, created by screenwriters Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk. Ace was played by Jim Carrey in the films He was voiced by Michael Daingerfield in the animated television series.-Biography:Ace is a...
, Snowflake, a live dolphin who does special behaviors after the Dolphins score a touchdown, was the basis of the film after he is kidnapped as part of a revenge plot against Dan Marino.
Radio and television
In August 2010, the team launched its own regional TV “network.” The Dolphins Television Network comprises 10 South Florida TV stations that agreed to carry the team-produced coverage. Games are broadcast on the radio by the Miami Dolphins Radio Network of affiliated stations across Florida.The English-language TV broadcasts for preseason are called by Dick Stockton with Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese and former Dolphin Nat Moore. The radio team features Jimmy Cefalo, Joe Rose and Bob Griese. The Spanish radio team features Raul Striker, Jr. and Rafael Hernandez Brito of the Univision radio network.
Radio Affiliates
Dolphins Radio AffiliatesEnglish
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Belle Glade, Florida Belle Glade, Florida Belle Glade is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee. The population was 14,906 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,739.... |
WSWN WSWN WSWN is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel format. It is better known as Sugar 900 after the surrounding sugar cane industry in the Belle Glade and Pahokee area. The station is licensed to serve 18 counties across South Florida, USA and the Caribbean. ..The station is owned by BGI Broadcasting... -AM |
900 AM |
| Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers is the county seat and commercial center of Lee County, Florida, United States. Its population was 62,298 in the 2010 census, a 29.23 percent increase over the 2000 figure.... |
WRXK-FM WRXK-FM WRXK-FM is a commercial radio station with studios located in Estero, Florida and licensed to Bonita Springs, Florida, broadcasting to the Fort Myers-Naples-Marco Island, Florida area on 96.1 mhz FM. WRXK-FM airs 70's, 80's, 90's and some current rock and classic rock music in a format branded as... |
96.1 FM |
| Gainesville, Florida Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth... |
WGGG WGGG WGGG is a commercial radio station in Gainesville, Florida, broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida area on 1230 AM. WGGG is the ESPN affiliate for Gainesville; additionally, it broadcasts local content provided by Ocala station WMOP, owned by the same company and co-marketed together with... -AM |
1230 AM |
| Key West, Florida Key West, Florida Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key... |
WCNK WCNK WCNK is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. Licensed to Key West, Florida, USA, the station serves the Florida Keys area. The station is currently owned by Vox Communications Group LLC and features programing from AP Radio.... -FM |
98.7 FM |
| Melbourne, Florida Melbourne, Florida Melbourne is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. As of 2009, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 78,323. The municipal area is the second largest by size and by population in the county. Melbourne is a principal city of the Palm Bay – Melbourne – Titusville, Florida... |
WIXC WIXC WIXC is the callsign for News Talk 1060, an AM news/talk radio station licensed to Titusville, Florida, United States. It broadcasts on a medium-wave frequency of 1060 kHz. It is owned by Genesis Communications... -AM |
1060 AM |
| Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
WINZ WINZ (AM) WINZ, AM 940 The Sports Animal is a sports talk radio station that serves Miami-Fort Lauderdale. The stations airs primarily syndicated programming. It daytime signal reaches as far north as Ft. Pierce and as far west as Ft. Myers and Naples and as far south as The Bahamas. The station has managed... -AM |
940 AM |
| Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
WBGG-FM WBGG-FM WBGG-FM, branded as Big 105.9, is a classic rock radio station licensed to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and serving the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale market. Owned by Clear Channel Communications, the station is licensed for HD Radio and carries WIOD 610 AM on HD2.... |
105.9 FM |
| Ocala, Florida Ocala, Florida Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala... |
WMOP WMOP WMOP is a commercial radio station in Ocala, Florida, broadcasting to the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida area on 900 AM. WMOP is the ESPN affiliate for Ocala; additionally, it produces local content which is also broadcast on Gainesville station WGGG, owned by the same company and co-marketed together... -AM |
900 AM |
| Tampa, Florida Tampa, Florida Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709.... |
WQYK WQYK (AM) WQYK " is a radio station in the Tampa, Florida area, owned by CBS Radio. The station broadcasts at 50,000 watts during the day and 5,000 watts at night, directional towards the east and west to protect Jacksonville's WJXL by day, and New York City's WINS, Toronto's CFRB, and Calgary, Alberta's CBR... -AM |
1010 AM |
| Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach, Florida Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County... |
WCZR WCZR WCZR is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format, repeating West Palm Beach station WZZR. Licensed to Vero Beach, Florida, USA, the station is currently owned by the Aloha Station Trust.... -FM |
101.7 FM |
| West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida... |
WJNO WJNO WJNO is a News/Talk radio station in the West Palm Beach market.Its location links WJNO to two nationally syndicated radio programs. WJNO is a de facto flagship station for The Rush Limbaugh Show; Limbaugh hosts the show from his home studio, located in the area... -AM |
1290 AM |
| West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida... |
WZZR WZZR WZZR is an FM radio station that serves the Port St. Lucie/Stuart/West Palm Beach/Fort Lauderdale area with a talk radio format.Currently on 94.3, it formerly was on 92.7. Until 1992, it was known as "Z93" and played top 40 music, and music from the 80's and 70's. It also supported the local St.... -FM |
94.3 FM |
Spanish
| City | Call Sign | Frenquency |
|---|---|---|
| Miami, Florida Miami, Florida Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625... |
WQBA WQBA WQBA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish talk format. Licensed to Miami, Florida, USA, the station is currently owned by Univision Communications. Previous call letters were WMIE, owned by Susquehanna Broadcasting-External links:*... -AM |
1140 AM |
| West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach, is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and is the most populous city in and county seat of Palm Beach County, the third most populous county in Florida with a 2010 population of 1,320,134. The city is also the oldest incorporated municipality in South Florida... |
WRLX-FM | 92.1 FM |
Pro Football Hall of Famers
Players in the Pro Football Hall of FamePro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
:
- Paul WarfieldPaul WarfieldPaul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
42, WR (1970–74), Elected 1983 - Larry CsonkaLarry CsonkaLarry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
39, FB (1968–74, 1979), Elected 1987 - Jim LangerJim LangerJames John Langer is a former American football center who played for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. He is considered one of the greatest NFL centers of all time and a hard working and quick blocker...
62, C (1970–79), Elected 1987 - Bob GrieseBob GrieseRobert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
12, QB (1968–80), Elected 1990 - Larry LittleLarry LittleLawrence Chatmon Little is a former offensive guard in college and professional American football in the National Football League. He has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993...
66, G (1969–80), Elected 1993 - Don ShulaDon ShulaDonald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, Head Coach (1970–95), Elected 1997 - Dwight StephensonDwight StephensonDwight Eugene Stephenson is a former American football offensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 1998...
57, C (1980–87), Elected 1998 - Nick BuonicontiNick BuonicontiNicholas Anthony Buoniconti is a former American Football League and NFL Hall of Fame middle linebacker, who played for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins....
85, LB (1969–76), Elected 2001 - Dan MarinoDan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
13, QB (1983–99), Elected 2005
Each of these players is honored with a placard on the facing of the upper level of one end zone at Sun Life Stadium. So is team founder-owner Joe Robbie, who has not been elected to the Hall of Fame. In place of a uniform number, Shula has the number 347, representing his record number of NFL coaching victories, 274 of them as Dolphins head coach.
Super Bowl MVPs
The Dolphins have played in five Super Bowls, going 2–3 in that span. The following are the players who have been named Super Bowl MVP:- Larry CsonkaLarry CsonkaLarry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
RB Super Bowl VIII - Jake Scott S Super Bowl VII
Retired numbers
- 12 Bob Griese, QB, 1967–80 (retired May 6, 1982, at the Dolphins' annual awards banquet)
- 13 Dan Marino, QB, 1983–99 (retired September 17, 2000, at halftime of the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game)
- 39 Larry Csonka, FB, 1968–74, 1979 (retired December 9, 2002, at halftime of the Dolphins-Chicago Bears game)
Dolphins Honor Roll
The Miami Dolphin Honor RollThe Miami Dolphin Honor Roll
The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll is a ring around the second tier at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franchise....
is a ring around the second tier of Dolphins Stadium that honor former players, coaches, owners and contributors who have made significant contributions to the franchise throughout their history. Bold indicates those elected to the NFL Hall of Fame. The inductees as of 2011 include:
- Joe Robbie, Owner/Founder (1966–1989), inducted 1990
- Larry CsonkaLarry CsonkaLarry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.-Childhood:One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family...
39, FB (1968–74, 1979), inducted 1990 - Bob GrieseBob GrieseRobert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
12, QB (1967–80), inducted 1990 - Jim LangerJim LangerJames John Langer is a former American football center who played for the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and Minnesota Vikings. He is considered one of the greatest NFL centers of all time and a hard working and quick blocker...
62, C (1970–79), inducted 1990 - Paul WarfieldPaul WarfieldPaul Dryden Warfield is a former professional American football wide receiver in the 1960s and 1970s known for his speed, fluid moves, grace, jumping ability and hands.- Football career :...
42, WR (1970–74), inducted 1990 - Nick BuonicontiNick BuonicontiNicholas Anthony Buoniconti is a former American Football League and NFL Hall of Fame middle linebacker, who played for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins....
85, LB (1969–76), inducted 1991 - 1972 Undefeated Team, (1972), inducted 1992
- Larry LittleLarry LittleLawrence Chatmon Little is a former offensive guard in college and professional American football in the National Football League. He has been elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993...
66, G (1969–80), inducted 1993 - Dwight StephensonDwight StephensonDwight Eugene Stephenson is a former American football offensive lineman and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's class of 1998...
57, C (1980–87), inducted 1994 - Bob KuechenbergBob KuechenbergRobert John Kuechenberg is a former National Football League offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins for fourteen seasons between 1970 and 1983, spending the 1984 season on injured reserve...
67, G (1970–1984), inducted 1995 - Don ShulaDon ShulaDonald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated....
, Head Coach (1970–1995), inducted 1996 - Nat MooreNat MooreNathaniel "Nat" Moore is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League for thirteen seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Moore played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he played professionally for...
89, WR (1974–1986), inducted 1999 - Dan MarinoDan MarinoDaniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
13, QB (1983–1999), inducted 2000 - Mark Clayton 83, WR (1983–1992), inducted 2003
- Mark DuperMark DuperMark Super Duper is a former American football wide receiver who played for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League from 1982 to 1992. He played collegiately at Northwestern State University and was selected by the Dolphins in the 2nd round of the 1982 NFL Draft...
85, WR (1982–1992), inducted 2003 - Dick AndersonDick AndersonRichard Paul Anderson is a former American football safety for the AFL's and NFL's Miami Dolphins, where he played for his entire ten year career from 1968 to 1977 missing one of those seasons with a knee injury....
40, S (1968–1977), inducted 2006 - Richmond WebbRichmond WebbRichmond Jewel Webb is a former National Football League offensive tackle with the Miami Dolphins and the Cincinnati Bengals. Webb played college football for Texas A&M University...
78, OT (1990–2000), inducted 2006 - Bob BaumhowerBob BaumhowerRobert Glenn Baumhower is a former American football player who played college football for the University of Alabama and professional football for the Miami Dolphins of the NFL.-Collegiate and NFL awards:...
73, DT (1977–1986), inducted 2008 - Doug BettersDoug BettersDoug Betters is an American football player who played defensive end for the Miami Dolphins from 1978 to 1987.After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in Illinois, Betters played college Division I football for the University of Montana Grizzlies from 1974 to 1976, then transferred to...
75, DE (1978–1987), inducted 2008 - Jake Scott 13, S (1970–1975), inducted 2010
- Bill StanfillBill StanfillWilliam Thomas Stanfill is a former defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the American Football League and then the NFL after the AFL-NFL merger of 1970.-High school years:...
84, DE (1969–1976), inducted 2010 - Jim MandichJim MandichJames Michael "Mad Dog" Mandich was a professional American football tight end with the Miami Dolphins. Mandich was an All-American at the University of Michigan. In 2004 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. As color commentator for the Miami Dolphins , he was teamed with Jimmy...
88, TE (1970–1977), inducted 2011
Head coaches
| Name | From | To | Regular Season Regular season (NFL) The National Football League regular season begins the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, the majority of each week's games are played on Sunday afternoon, with weekly games on Sunday night and Monday night, and occasional games on Thursday... Record |
Post Season NFL playoffs The National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the... Record |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | W | L | |||||
| George Wilson George Wilson (football coach) George Wilson was a professional football end and later a coach for the National Football League's Detroit Lions and the American Football League's Miami Dolphins.... (AFL) |
1966 | 1969 | 15 | 39 | 2 | ||||
| Don Shula Don Shula Donald Francis "Don" Shula is a former American football cornerback and coach.He is best known as coach of the Miami Dolphins, the team he led to two Super Bowl victories, and to the National Football League's only perfect season. Shula was named 1993 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated.... |
1970 | 1995 | 257 | 133 | 2 | 17 | 14 | ||
| Jimmy Johnson Jimmy Johnson (American football coach) James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American former NCAA and National Football League head coach. As of 2010, he is currently an analyst for Fox NFL Sunday, the Fox network's NFL pregame show. He was the first football coach whose teams won both an NCAA Division 1A National Championship and a... |
1996 | 1999 | 36 | 28 | 0 | 2 | 3 | ||
| Dave Wannstedt Dave Wannstedt Dave Wannstedt is current Assistant Head Coach/Inside Linebackers Coach for the Buffalo Bills in the National Football League. He was most recently head coach of the University of Pittsburgh football team, a position he held for six seasons. Wannstedt is also the former head coach of the Miami... |
2000 | 2004 | 42 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Jim Bates Jim Bates (American football coach) Jim Bates is a former American football coach in the National Football League, most recently serving as defensive coordinator of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He primarily ran a 4-3 scheme, using fast, undersized linebackers... (interim) |
2004 | 3 | 4 | 0 | |||||
| Nick Saban Nick Saban Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo... |
2005 | 2006 | 15 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| Cam Cameron Cam Cameron -External links:... |
2007 | 1 | 15 | 0 | |||||
| Tony Sparano Tony Sparano Anthony "Tony" Sparano III is an American Football head coach of the Miami Dolphins. At age 17, Sparano had an incident which burnt his eyes, which is why he always wears his signature sunglasses even at night... |
2008 | Present | 25 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
See also
- Dolphins–Jets rivalry
- History of the Miami DolphinsHistory of the Miami DolphinsThis article details the history of the Miami Dolphins American football club.-Origins:Miami joined the American Football League when an expansion team franchise was awarded to lawyer Joseph Robbie and actor Danny Thomas in 1965 for $7.5 million, although Thomas would eventually sell his stake in...
- List of American Football League players
- Miami Dolphins Training FacilityMiami Dolphins Training FacilityThe Miami Dolphins Training Facility is located on the Nova Southeastern University main campus in Davie, Florida. It is the headquarters location for the Miami Dolphins, as well as a location for frequent special events.-Architecture and features:...