By Paul Casey Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. That is, make like Wally and release your inner James Joyce. Show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
How many ninth round picks have a bust in Canton? Truth be told, yeah, I was taken in the ninth round, but I was the 110th pick in the draft. 110th comes in which round these days? Fourth round? Still, how many fourth rounders make the NFL Hall of Fame? I guess you’ll need to know a little more about me. Not many guys from John Carroll University have been taken in the NFL draft. I am on that list. Fewer guys from John Carroll have earned a pension from the NFL. Yeah, I’m on that one. John Carroll guys in the hall? I think I AM the list. My name is prominently displayed on the campus. I guess that’s what happens when you win a couple of Super Bowls. Yeah, my teams also appeared in two other games on the final Sunday of the season. Our one Super Bowl is special I guess. It gets me and the guys mentioned in the news even decades after that season. That’s okay. We’re still waiting for a team to repeat what we did.
Who am I?
I think I can get it started. Must be from the ’72 (?) Dolphins. Mentioned that he’s waiting for other teams to do what his did and also that his one Super Bowl gets mentioned every so often. Every time a team flirts with perfection we hear about those Dolphins. But, no idea who on that team went to John Carroll University and is enshrined in the hall.
All the clues tell me that it’s a Miami Dolphin. They were 2-2 in four Super Bowls, and of course one of those capped off the 17-0 perfect season. We also have the “Ohio theme” with John Carroll Univ. I’m thinking it must be coach Don Shula. He’s the only one whose career really coulda spanned all four Super Bowls. It’s “The Chin” … Don Shula.
The only clue that I deciphered has already been revealed by Rey and Wally…that you’re a member of the ’72 Dolphins. Who did they play in the Super Bowl that year? Was it the Redskins? Was that the year that Garo Yepremian gave them their only points with that botched field goal? Whomever it was, they failed in their attempt to be remembered as the team that spoiled a perfect season on Super Sunday. Can you imagine how awesome it would have been to be remembered as that team? I bet the next time a team is playing for perfection in the Super Bowl, Eli Manning and Michael Strahan won’t be getting together to root for them to win. 😉
OK, back to the question. Wally sounds pretty certain, so I’m guessing he’s right.
Before I look at other answers, let me state clearly that I did not know ANY John Carroll athlete played in the NFL. I feel proud just knowing John Carroll is in Cleveland! Even guessing that this guy was a Dolphin still gives me no clues. Were the guys on the no-name defense also from no-name colleges?
Shula was an Ohio guy, and he spent part of his career (as a player maybe) with the Browns. I never thought even once about a coach, but Wally’s right in that he is the only guy who would have spanned all 4 Miami Super Bowls. Didn’t he also win a Super Bowl with the Colts?
Actually I think Miami was in 5 Super Bowls (2-3). Marino’s first loss was with Shula as coach.
And I think Shula LOST a Super Bowl with the Colts; the greatest team of all time (in some opinions) losing to Joe Namath and the Jets in SB III (but did they call it Super Bowl then and give it a Roman numeral?)
Pete —
I don’t recall the 5th Miami SB appearance. I’m pretty sure Marino was only in one … as a rookie? Lost to Montana and the 49ers.
Think you’re right about “Shula’s Colts” losing to Broadway Joe.
Miami is 2-3 in the Super Bowl, but Marino was only in one. They won two out of three in the ’70s, then lost two in the ’80s, but the first was with the immortal David Woodley at QB.
I stand corrected … so either Casey’s clues are wrong (or at least misleading) … or the answer of Don Shula is wrong. I’m betting that it’s the former instead of the latter 😉
I remember the Woodley loss … was the first Dolphin loss the year before the perfect season (’72)??
Dolphins did lose in ’72, then went undefeated next year. Also won in ’74 before losing with Woodley in ’82 and losing with Marino in ’84 when he had that spectacular season (5000+ yards and 48 TD passes – WOW!) Casey’s clues may have been a bit misleading, since he implies only 2 SB losses for Shula. In fact Shula had 4 losses (Colts in ’68). And I stand corrected; I thought Marino himself was a multiple SB loser. I forget that he was the Miami QB when Marv Levy was taking Buffalo to all those SB losses. Bit of trivia; Marv Levy is the only opposing coach of Don Shula who has above .500 win/loss percentage against him (Shula)!
Another correction; the first SB loss occurred in 1972, but it was the 1971 season. The 1972 season was the undefeated year. Sorry for that goof. I think I misinterpreted what Wally meant by (’72)?? and let it influence my reminscing. Oh well, ramblings of an old man!
One of my ALL-TIME favorite players was Larry Csonka, the bruising Dolphins FB/HB. Had his #39 jersey as a kid … wonder what i did with that ? Maybe it would fit my 11 year old daughter. I was a pretty beefy kid, but even a football jersey then is 600 sizes too small now 🙂
I remember that the Woodley QB’d team was quite a head scratcher … like how in the heck did they make it to the SB????
Shula reminded me of Weeb Ewbank – only coach to win league football championships with 2 different teams (I guess because I thought Shula had done that too). Ewbank broke my heart in 1958 when he beat my Giants in the game that launched the NFL into the media spotlight. Anyway, Ewbank caused me to research a fact that I had not thought about in a while; Miami of Ohio as the “cradle of coaches”. The list has grown since I last reviewed it, the most notable addition being Sean Payton. Check out this site if you want to see a list of some of the most accomplished coaches of our time, including a lot more basketball coaches than I realized.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cradle_of_Coaches
Helmet stickers for everyone! And who said bad can’t come from good? Thanks for muddling through my oversights to get to the correct answer. Yes, Don Shula was the answer. I goofed and overlooked his two losses prior to the Perfect season. I believe Don McCafferty was the coach of the 1970 Colts, which won the Super Bowl: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/1970.htm
Please, don’t let me slow the lively conversation.
Since we’re on the general topic of the ’72 Dolphins and since I don’t think we’ve ever done this one, who’s on your “Mt. Halas” as the best 5 SINGLE SEASON NFL teams ever? For time frame and sanity, let’s keep it at the post AFL-NFL merger (1966 regular season and beyond). Here’s mine:
1. ’85 Bears — Best defense EVER … and darned good Offense to boot(Sweetness, McMahon). Did you doubt this would be my #1? 🙂
2. ’79 Steelers — Steel Curtain defense combines with their most potent offense. Hall of Famers everywhere.
3. ’76 Raiders — Team of Hall of Famers went 16-1 and dominated another team of HoFers in the Super Bowl (Vikings)
4. ’92 Cowboys — Aikman, Smith & Irvin, plus a dominating defense. Demolished a very good Bills team 52-17 in the SB.
5. ’72 Dolphins — 17-0 won ’em all. Very good and underrated on both sides of the ball. Simply WINNERS.
5b. ’89 49ers — Montana’s peak … possibly the most potent offense in the SB era (Rice, Taylor & Roger Craig), combined with a very stout and underrated defense led by Ronnie Lott. I’d actually have to give the edge to this team over the ’72 Dolphins.
I’m glad you recovered. I was surprised to not see Montana’s 49ers NOT on your original list.
Wally – did you see this? https://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/the_bonus/12/01/failed.dynasties/index.html?eref=sihp
Pretty good list. I will replace the ’92 ‘Pokes with the ’86 Giants. Big Blue knocked off the 49ers twice that year. Yes, Montana was hurt for part of that season, but he played against the G-Men. NY beat them AT San Fran during the regular season and then 49-3 in the playoffs. Giants went on to eliminate the ‘Skins 17-0 before taking the Broncos at Pasadena.
No, thanks for the heads up. Interesting … certainly the Bears shortcomings in ’86 and ’87 were quite disappointing to the fans … and were really the result of political problems (Buddy Ryan left and great GM Jerry Vainisi was let go) and the injuries suffered by McMahon. Quite a shame … ’85 Bears were one of the youngest teams in the league that year. We were thinking “Steelers-type dynasty”. NOT.
I had a feeling you’d work those Geeeeeee-men in there. Good call though … they were certainly almost next on my list. Kinda of a “Bears-lite” team.
Mmmmm…other way around. The Bears were a “Giants-lite” team.
C’MON, MAN!! 99.9% of NFL followers clearly rank ’85 Bears ahead of ’86 Giants. You’re in the 0.1% (but are certainly entitled to your flawed opinion … jk). 🙂
You mean 99.9% of the NFL followers you talk to. 🙂
In ’86, I was pissed when the Redskins knocked off the Bears in the playoffs. Giants would have had their way with the Bears just as badly as they did the Redskins. Still, it’s arguable, but I gotta rate the ’85 Bears a tad higher than the ’86 Giants. 99.9% is a huge exaggeration, though.
OK … 98%.
B/t/w, Bears were beaten in ’86 playoffs BECAUSE of their QB situation … McMahon was hurt, so they had to resort to a really sad combination of Mike Tomczak and Doug Flutie. If McMahon’s healthy, REPEAT! Nuff said.
Yeah – keep telling yourself that. All I know is after the ‘Skins hung a 27 spot on that Bears defense, they needed a whole lot of cream cheese for all the bagels they got from the Giants the following week.
Geez … or cheeze …. you’re not bitter, are you? Looks like a bit of ’85 Bears envy at work here. Get over it, Casey.
’85 Bears #1 … ’86 Giants #6-9 somewhere in there. (By “most people’s” accounts)
Jim McMahon was an effective QB in that Bears system, but he wasn’t going to make the difference in ’86. The Giants would have dispatched the Bears (with or without McMahon) just as easily as they did the Redskins.
Actually, Mcmahon was a GREAT QB in that system (when healthy) … and we’ll never know what might’ve happened if he played in ’86.
Not disputing that NYG weren’t a force in ’86 … they were certainly exceptional.
That’s true, Wally. All we can do is share our opinions.