A native of Ohio, Shula played 7 seasons in the NFL during the 1950's as a defensive back with the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Colts and Washington Redskins. In his Shula's two seasons with the Browns they would reach the NFL championship, but fell short against the Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions, respectively.
Although an average player, Shula demonstrated a mind for the game and after his retirement spent several seasons as an assistant coach in the collegiate ranks at the University of Virginia, Iowa State University and the University of Kentucky. In 1960, Shula returned to the NFL joining the Detroit Lions coaching staff as the team's defensive coordinator. It was during Shula's tenure in Detroit that the Fearsome Foursome of Alex Karras, Roger Brown, Darris McCord and Sam Williams would emerge.
While Shula is synonymous with the Dolphins, his first head coaching job in the NFL was with the Baltimore Colts where he had been during the bulk of his playing career. When Shula became the Colts' head coach in 1963 he was 33 and the youngest coach in the NFL. In seven seasons at the helm of the Colts, the team reached the playoffs thrice. The Colts would play in the NFL championship in 1964 but lost to the Cleveland Browns. Four years later, Shula would avenge his loss to the Browns by shutting them out 34-0 to win the NFL championship. However, this triumph would be forgotten when the Colts were upset two weeks later in Super Bowl III by the upstart New York Jets led by Joe Namath.
In the midst of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, Shula left the Colts to become the head coach of the Miami Dolphins. Shula instantly reversed the fortunes of the Dolphins' franchise which had losing campaigns in each of its first four seasons under his predecessor George Wilson. In Shula's first season, the Dolphins finished second in the AFC East reaching the playoffs for the first time although they would be bested by the Oakland Raiders in their first playoff appearance.
Shula became the first NFL head coach to lead his team to three straight Super Bowl appearances. The Dolphins would be defeated by the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI. But the perfect season would come the following year culminating in a triumph at Super Bowl VII against the Kansas City Chiefs. That 1972 team included the quarterback tandem of Bob Griese and Earl Morrall as well as fullback Larry Csonka and running back Mercury Morris plus what became known as the No Name Defense.
Although the New England Patriots had a perfect regular season in 2007 they would fall short in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants thus leaving the Dolphins swimming alone in a sea of perfection. The Dolphins would not be perfect in 1973, but they would win their second straight Super Bowl title this time besting the Minnesota Vikings.
The Dolphins have not won a Super Bowl since, but during Shula's remaining 22 seasons with the club the team would reach the playoffs a dozen times and win two AFC championships in 1982 and 1984 although they would be bested by the Washington Redskins and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XIX, respectively.
After Super Bowl XIX, Shula very nearly left the Dolphins to become the head coach of the New Jersey Generals in the upstart USFL. However, when Generals owner Donald Trump (yes, that Donald Trump) publicly discussed their negotiations, Shula broke off talks and wisely remained in Miami.
When Shula retired from coaching after the 1995 season he finished with 328 wins of which 257 came with the Dolphins and would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997. Shula spent a quarter century with the Dolphins. To give you an idea of what Shula meant to the Dolphins in the quarter century since his retirement, the Dolphins have gone through 10 head coaches.
I leave you with Shula talking about the Dolphins' perfect 1972 season as only he could. R.I.P.
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