It’s no secret that the Miami Dolphins are the oldest American football team from Florida. It is known for winning the 1972 and ’73 Super Bowls, Don Shula (record-breaking coach), and Dan Marino (legendary quarterback). It took a long time to choose a team name. As a result, there was a competition, where the Miami Dolphins won among thousands of options.
The logo turned out to be appropriate – a dolphin with a determined expression on its face. Later, Joe Robbie justified his choice by saying that dolphins are the smartest creatures, and also damn fast. They can fight back even a shark! So, up to these days, the Miami Dolphins players have lived up to their logo and have good odds with Apple Pay bookmakers (check them out with Gamblorium) in games they play.
In 1966, George Wilson was signed as coach. In September 1966, he played his first game, where it ended in a loss. However, the Miami Dolphins beat the Denver Broncos 24-7 in October, ending their first season with 4 wins and 10 losses. Nodar Giorgadze says: “It cannot be said that Wilson is successful as a coach – the team regularly lost”. This is true! However, during these several years, it gained top players – quarterback Bob Griese, running back Larry Richard Csonka, and defensive end Larry Little.
How Has The Team Changed With Donald Francis Shula?
With the arrival of a new coach in 1970, Don Shula, the players revealed their talents! During the press conference to introduce the new coach in Miami, Shula said that he does not have any magic formula. He highlighted that the only way to lead his team to success is to work very hard. In addition to the new coach, the Dolphins had several talented players. Thus, Shula seemed to be the missing piece the Dolphins needed to succeed. They did not have to wait long for success! Over the next 4 years, the team won 65 games. 1972 is the most significant year – this season the team became the leader in all games, winning Super Bowl VII. No one has repeated this result since 1948. The team consolidated its success with a victory in Super Bowl VIII.
In early 1990, team owner Joe Robbie died. Four years later, the Dolphins were acquired by Wayne Huizenga, and a couple of years later, coach Jimmy Johnson arrived. The team regularly reached the playoffs. Nevertheless, since then it has had no significant achievements. But this does not mean that they have failed – they just raised the bar very high.
Who Are The Legendary Miami Dolphins Players?
In 1983, during the strongest player selection in college football, the NFL urgently needed a quarterback, and Dan Marino took his place. The league made the right choice, as broke many NFL records among quarterbacks! Marino was recognized as the best defensive player after his debut season, and he led the team to the playoffs 10 times. Here’s the amazing fact – although the team never won a Super Bowl with Dan, Marino is still considered by many to be the best quarterback! He left the team in 2000. Five years later, Marino was inducted into the American Football Hall of Fame for his services.
Larry Richard Csonka was hired as a running back in 1968. However, his career got off to a bad start. By the 5th game, he was knocked out and suffered a concussion. Three weeks later, a ruptured eardrum and a broken nose waited for him. Some fans believed that Larry would have to give up football. Nevertheless, he returned to the team in 1970! Over the next 4 seasons, Csonka played every game diligently. He developed into one of the game’s most impressive running backs! Larry’s durability became the stuff of legend. By the way, Larry became the first Dolphins player to reach 1,000 yards on the ground during a season!
Jason Taylor made the team in 1997 as a defenseman. He reached his peak in 2006, receiving the title of NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Taylor became the all-time leader in defensive touchdowns. He was a six-time All-Star and set the NFL fumble record. Known for his philanthropy, he and his wife founded a support program to improve the lives of children in South Florida in 2004. In 2011, he ended his football career.
How Are Things Going Now?
Nowadays, the Miami Dolphins are famous for their well-built offense. They are the fastest team in the league – they scored 70 points against the Broncos in 2023. Nevertheless, it is also a team with a rather poor defense. Thus, for instance, in the 2021 season, the Dolphins fielded the most option-heavy offense in the NFL. This was supposed to help exploit Tua’s quick throw, protect the quarterback from his own lousy offensive line, and mitigate his throwing power issues. What happened? While speaking objectively, the Dolphins offense was bad. It all ended with Miami still having a chance to make the playoffs in Week 17, but the Dolphins offense scored just 3 points against Tennessee. Tua completed 18 of 38 passes for 205 yards with one interception and 4 sacks. Maybe because the Dolphins didn’t have Fitzpatrick to save the day this time? They can defeat a weak opponent as effectively as possible. Unfortunately, this is not the team that will take on the Chiefs, Bengals, or Ravens.
