Miami Dolphins Team History

After a lengthy absence, professional football returned to Miami after 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 team, which elicited 19,843 entries and over a thousand different names. The winning name, “Dolphins,” was submitted by 622 entrants.

In 1972 the Dolphins completed the only fully 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 immortalized as the only team to complete an undefeated season and win the NFL title. QB Bob Greise was 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. They secured the team rushing record by averaging more than 200 yards per game on the ground for an entire season, while the defense allowed only 171 points.

Super Bowl VII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1972 season. The Dolphins defeated the Redskins by the score of 14–7, and became the first and still the only team in NFL history to complete a perfect undefeated season. The game was played on January 14, 1973, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California, the second time the Super Bowl was played in that city.

Super Bowl VIII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Minnesota Vikings and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Miami Dolphins to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1973 season. The Dolphins defeated the Vikings by the score of 24–7 to win their second consecutive Super Bowl, the first team to do so since the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowls I and II, and the first AFC team to do so.

In February 2008, Stephen M. Ross bought 50 percent of the Miami Dolphin franchise, Dolphin Stadium and surrounding land from then-owner Wayne Huizenga for $550 million, with an agreement to later become the Dolphins’ managing general partner. On January 20, 2009, Ross closed on the purchase of an additional 45 percent of the team from Wayne Huizenga. The total value of the deal was $1.1 billion. This means Ross is now the owner of 95% of both the franchise and the stadium.