The Year of the Dolphin - 1972 Perfect Season
The 1972 Miami Dolphins didn't look like a team of destiny. In fact, they seemed more like a bunch of decent guys who just happened to play football for a living..........Until they played their way into NFL football history.
When the Dolphins kicked off the 1972 season against the Chiefs in Kansas City, the temperature at Arrowhead Stadium was 120 degrees. Miami survived that blistering afternoon with a 20-10 win, then stayed hot all season with an unprecedented 14-0 regular season record. Ironically, there was never a time during their perfect campain that the Dolphins looked unbeatable, especially after QB Bob Griese was knocked out for the season and replaced by a washed up, 38 year old Earl Morrall. In spite of this, the "no name" defense held when it had to. Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris did the job in the backfield, and their "has been" quarterback put in his finest season as a pro.
The Miami Dolphins were rated as a very good team at the start of the 1972 season, but they were not considered a great team. As they clawed and scratched their way toward the Super Bowl, there were plenty of scared and more than a few close calls, but each time the team survived and grew stronger. Yet, even as they entered the Superbowl Championship with a 16-0 record, they still hadn't made believers out of the football world. When the game started, the Redskins were two point favorites! Despite the point spread, everyone seemed to know who would win, including Washington. It seemed as if the Super Bowl itself turned out to be a mere formality, as Washington put in a lackluster performance. With the game well in hand at 14-0 in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins got their final scare (and biggest chuckle) of the season when a Garo Yepremian field goal attempt hit on of his own players and baunced back into his hands. Facing a wall of snorting, fiery eyed Redskings, the 5 foot 8 kicker, who was wearing virtually no padding besides his helmet, tried to throw the ball while running away. Redskins' safety Mike Bass plucked the ball out of the air and scored a 49 yard TD to make the game interesting, but the Dolphins ran out the clock for a 14-7 victory and the NFL's one and only perfect season. When the final gun sounded on Super Bowl VII, the Dolphins were finally recognized as one of the greatest teams of all time.
When the Dolphins kicked off the 1972 season against the Chiefs in Kansas City, the temperature at Arrowhead Stadium was 120 degrees. Miami survived that blistering afternoon with a 20-10 win, then stayed hot all season with an unprecedented 14-0 regular season record. Ironically, there was never a time during their perfect campain that the Dolphins looked unbeatable, especially after QB Bob Griese was knocked out for the season and replaced by a washed up, 38 year old Earl Morrall. In spite of this, the "no name" defense held when it had to. Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris did the job in the backfield, and their "has been" quarterback put in his finest season as a pro.
The Miami Dolphins were rated as a very good team at the start of the 1972 season, but they were not considered a great team. As they clawed and scratched their way toward the Super Bowl, there were plenty of scared and more than a few close calls, but each time the team survived and grew stronger. Yet, even as they entered the Superbowl Championship with a 16-0 record, they still hadn't made believers out of the football world. When the game started, the Redskins were two point favorites! Despite the point spread, everyone seemed to know who would win, including Washington. It seemed as if the Super Bowl itself turned out to be a mere formality, as Washington put in a lackluster performance. With the game well in hand at 14-0 in the fourth quarter, the Dolphins got their final scare (and biggest chuckle) of the season when a Garo Yepremian field goal attempt hit on of his own players and baunced back into his hands. Facing a wall of snorting, fiery eyed Redskings, the 5 foot 8 kicker, who was wearing virtually no padding besides his helmet, tried to throw the ball while running away. Redskins' safety Mike Bass plucked the ball out of the air and scored a 49 yard TD to make the game interesting, but the Dolphins ran out the clock for a 14-7 victory and the NFL's one and only perfect season. When the final gun sounded on Super Bowl VII, the Dolphins were finally recognized as one of the greatest teams of all time.
For The Record
With Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick and Mercury Morris, Miami had three of the best runners in the game. With Paul Warfield, they had a Hall of Fame receiver. So who scored the longest TD of their perfect season? Old timer Earl Morrall, on a wild 31 yard scramble that took nine blocks to get him into the end zone.
Don Shula Quote
"I knew that if the Super Bowl ended and we were 16-1, I would be a loser"
1972 Miami Dolphins Throwback Jerseys
"I knew that if the Super Bowl ended and we were 16-1, I would be a loser"
1972 Miami Dolphins Throwback Jerseys
Would you like to relive the 1972 Perfect Season of the Miami Dolphins? How about a throwback jersey of the Dolphins dream season? We carry Bob Griese, Jim Kiick, Mercury Morris, Earl Morrall, and Larry Csonka throwback jerseys. You can even customized your own and add any name and number.
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