“In 100 years of competition in the NFL, all those games, there is one team that made it through the jungle.” – Larry Csonka
The 11th season of the Emmy-nominated and highly acclaimed NFL Films-produced series A Football Life continues Friday, January 13 at 9:00 PM ET on NFL Network with a profile of the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. The one-hour show features sit-down interviews with Pro Football Hall of Famers such as Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Larry Little and Paul Warfield, former players Mercury Morris, and Vern Den Herder, Miami Dolphins beat reporter Tony Segreto and others.
Among the topics discussed in The ’72 Dolphins: A Perfect Football Life include:
- Losing to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI and having to fight adversity to make it back
- Discussing Coach Don Shula’s preparation and drive to win during the 1972 season
- Veteran Earl Morrall becoming the starting quarterback after Bob Griese’s early season injury
- The fantastic play and comradery between the Dolphins’ top running backs, Larry Csonka, Mercury Morris and Jim Kiick
- The historic “No Name Defense” anchoring the team throughout the year enroute to being the best defense in the league
- Beating Washington to win the team’s first Super Bowl and complete the only undefeated season in NFL history
Emmy-nominated actor Josh Charles narrates.
The ’72 Dolphins: A Perfect Football Life includes interviews with the following people:
- Bob Griese – Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback
- Mercury Morris – Two-time Super Bowl champion running back
- Larry Csonka – Pro Football Hall of Fame fullback
- Larry Little – Pro Football Hall of Fame guard
- Otto Stowe – Super Bowl VII champion wide receiver
- Karl Noonan – Super Bowl VII champion wide receiver
- Larry Ball – Two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker
- Vern Den Herder – Two-time Super Bowl champion defensive end
- Bob Heinz – Super Bowl VII champion defensive tackle
- Tony Segreto – 1972 Dolphins beat reporter
- Dr. Doug Swift – Two-time Super Bowl champion linebacker
- Manny Fernandez – Two-time Super Bowl champion defensive tackle
- Doug Crusan – Two-time Super Bowl champion tackle
- Howard Kindig – Two-time Super Bowl champion long snapper
- Jim Del Gaizo – Super Bowl VII champion quarterback
- Paul Warfield – Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver
- Dick Anderson – Two-time Super Bowl champion safety
- Larry Seiple – Two-time Super Bowl champion punter
- Charlie Babb – Two-time Super Bowl champion safety
Provided below are some select quotes from The ’72 Dolphins: A Perfect Football Life:
– “In 100 years of competition in the NFL, all those games, there is one team that made it through the jungle.” – Larry Csonka
– “Undefeated was not a goal. The goal of that season was to get back to the Super Bowl, whatever it took. To do that, we had to concentrate on winning a game every week.” – Manny Fernandez on the team’s mindset entering the 1972 season
– “This was kind of football’s version of Camelot. It was just the coming together of this community and this team. It was absolutely magical.” – Tony Segreto on how the Dolphins united the community of Miami
– “What you have here is a bunch of nobody’s. We weren’t good enough for people to know our names. But in the end, we thought it was a badge of honor.” – Vern Den Herder on the historic “No Name Defense”
– “We’re not celebrating anyone else’s loss, we’re celebrating success and our victory. It means something when the last undefeated team loses.” – Bob Griese on the 1972 Dolphins’ tradition of celebrating each year when the last undefeated team loses
– “Perfection, that pretty well sums it up. But we did it, because of the intensity of a guy named Shula.” – Larry Csonka
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