Tag: Mercury Morris

Dolphins mourn death of legendary RB Mercury Morris

Mercury Morris, a core piece of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins, died Saturday night at age 77.

Miami Dolphins great Eugene “Mercury” Morris died Saturday night at age 77, his family announced.

Morris was a three-time Pro Bowler during his time with the Dolphins and was part of the legendary 1972 team that went undefeated en route to a win in Super Bowl VII.

On Sunday, the Dolphins released a statement mourning the loss of “one of the greatest players to don the aqua and orange.”

Current Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert also paid tribute to the loss of a Miami great.

In recent decades, there’s been a prevailing myth that members of the Dolphins’ 1972 team would meet for a champagne toast each year when the last undefeated team picked up its first loss. Morris dispelled that as untrue in his own social media posts.

Morris finished his eight-year NFL career with 4,133 rushing yards, 543 receiving yards, and 2,947 kick return yards. He scored 35 total touchdowns, including three kick returns in his first three seasons in the league.

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Miami Dolphins star running back Mercury Morris dies at 77

Dolphins great RB Mercury Morris dies at 77

One of the great players in Miami Dolphins history, Eugene “Mercury” Morris has died at the age of 77.

His family released a statement:

“Beyond the field, Mercury was a devoted father, a loving brother, a loyal friend, and a pillar in the community,” his family wrote in a statement. “His presence extended far beyond football, as he touched the lives of many throughout his time in Miami.”

Morris was the starting halfback Don Shula utilized in Miami’s back-to-back title seasons of 1972 and 1973. Morris led the Dolphins in rushing touchdowns in both of those seasons, finishing with an NFL-best 12 in 1972 and then 10 more in 1973.

Those two seasons — the best in Dolphins’ history — were the best of Morris’ eight-year career. He rushed for a career-high 1,000 yards in 1972, then ran for 954 more along with a league-best 6.4 yards per carry the following season.

Overall, Morris rushed for 4,133 yards in his NFL career.

Miami Dolphins fan cruise set to sail in April

A chance to enjoy the Caribbean with a number of former Dolphins.

In the same year that the franchise celebrates the 50th anniversary of their 1972 perfect season, the party extends to sea in a memorable experience waiting for Miami Dolphins fans of all ages.

Not only will the cruise allow you to embark from Miami, but you will also be welcomed on the industry’s newest ship the MSC Seascape! In addition to some amazing amenities, ship features and activities, onboard will be a slew of 1972 Dolphins from the 17-0 “Perfectville” team.

Of course, when you see that word, you know the mayor of that town, Mercury Morris, will be on the cruise. The running back will be joined by his backfield-mate, the great Hall-of-Fame fullback Larry Csonka. Fellow champion Larry Little, another Dolphins Hall of Famer, will be on the Seascape as well.

In addition to the 1972 team, the most prolific Dolphin of them all, Dan Marino, will be there, as well as his top four all-time targets. The Marks Brothers, Clayton and Duper, as well as O.J. McDuffie and Nat Moore will all represent the aqua and orange on board. And, just in case anyone tries to get too, too close to No. 13, Richmond Webb and Dwight Stephenson will be there, so you know he’ll be protected from more than the sun.

If you’re of a certain age, and your Dolphins clock started in the 1990s, you’ll be thrilled to know that players like Louis Oliver, Terry Kirby, Shawn Wooden and Troy Drayton will be joining in the experience.

Fan favorites like special-teamer Larry Seiple and an original swiss-army-knife type in Jim “Crash” Jensen are among the 35 Miami Dolphin legends scheduled to be on the seven-night cruise. There will even be a Wildcat sighting with Ronnie Brown joining the fun.

Remember the famous “hook-and-lateral” play against the San Diego Chargers in 1981? You can watch Tony Nathan score in highlights, or you can get a chance to talk to him about it directly.

With outstanding food onboard, the culinary critics will be there making sure of it, as restauranteurs, Kim Bokamper and Bob Baumhower will be approving the menus. Bokamper and Baumhower are a few of the “Killer Bee” defensive players from the Dolphins’ 1980s teams, and throw in Bob Brudzinski, yet another owner of a sports restaurant, who’ll be taste-testing from deck to deck.

With the number of exclusive activities scheduled for the Dolphins Fan Cruise guests, on-ship and at certain destinations, you’ll have the opportunity to talk and vacation with heroes from players across the history of the Miami franchise that has seen five Super Bowls and two Lombardi Trophies.

Certainly, a likely pair to document parts of this trip will be Dolphin players turned broadcasters, Jimmy Cefalo and Joe Rose. Both were former receivers for Miami and are now popular media figures in South Florida. Rose is the host of “The Joe Rose Show” on WQAM 560 as well as the color man next to Cefalo, who’s the Dolphins’ play-by-play man on the radio. Bokamper is also part of the Dolphins broadcast team.

The cruise sails April 2-9, and, throughout the week, there will be countless activities, events and competitions with fellow fans and the Dolphins as you sail the turquoise waters of the Caribbean. The ticket price includes all the special events with the Dolphins players, activities and competitions.

Some of the features include a welcome aboard party, player introductions and highlight reels, photo opportunities, basketball shootouts, quarterback competition, karaoke competition, trivia contests, a Talent show, and more. There’s even an ambassador program that can gain you access to super-VIP events with exclusive time and access to the players.

With a private island stop at MSC’s exclusive Ocean Cay beach in the Bahamas, as well as a private beach party with the Dolphins at another port-of-call in Nassau, you’ll also have destinations to look forward to in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

More legends are set to be announced in the coming days, so check the Dolphins’ website for the latest information.

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Flashback Friday: Dolphins 1972 perfect team celebrates 50th anniversary

It’s a special anniversary for a perfect team.

On this first Friday of April, following a momentous month of March in Miami, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the Dolphins’ banner accomplishment – the 1972 undefeated season.

It was 50 years ago that head coach Don Shula and his Dolphins steamrolled through the NFL to go 17-0, capping the only perfect season in NFL history, with a 14-7 Super Bowl victory over the Washington Redskins.

A team loaded with Hall of Fame players such as Bob Griese, Larry Csonka, Paul Warfield, Jim Lager, Larry Little and Nick Buoniconti helped lead the Dolphins to domination. They were the NFL’s top-ranked offense and defense in 1927, shutting out their opponents three times during that season.

In 17 games, including the postseason, Miami’s perfect defense only gave up 20 or more points on three occasions. When the season hit mid-October, the Dolphins’ defense hit its stride. From Week 6 through Week 19, Miami didn’t allow over 100 passing yards. They created 46 turnovers in the regular season, and in the playoffs, the Dolphins’ defensive unit caused 10 turnovers, including three in the Super Bowl.

The Dolphins had the offensive magic of the perfect backfield led by Ohio’s own Csonka. Mercury Morris was the charismatic running back to play alongside Csonka. The pair both exceeded 1,000 yards in the regular season, which was just 14 games. Jim Kiick added a complimentary punch to Shula’s rushing attack, as the trio combined for 2,638 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground.

As for the passing attack, Griese started the season off with five straight wins before an injury led to veteran quarterback Earl Morrall taking the reins, and he did so, well, perfectly.

Morrall, in his 17th professional season, rattled off a 9-0 record to help Miami not lose a step in their quest to return to the Super Bowl. The 1971 team lost to the Dallas Cowboys 24-3. Making it back in 1973 ade in two Super Bowls in a row for Shula and the Dolphins, the franchise’s only victory in the big game. While he led Miami two another two appearances in the 1980s, they weren’t able to capture another Lombardi Trophy.

The 1972 Dolphins have been a timeless tribute and a major source of pride for the organization and their legions of loyal fans and supporters. Whether it’s rewatching highlights of a graceful Warfield corralling a perfect pass from Griese in the championship game, seeing Csonka run through a would-be-tackler, or the simple joy of a cork-popping soundbite following the last fallen unbeaten in today’s game, that team continues to provide this community with palpable pride.

In a season of newfound hope in South Florida, coinciding with this special anniversary of perfection, perhaps there’s magic in the air in Miami Gardens, as the ghosts of 1972 will, without a doubt, be all over the sidelines in 2022, in person and in spirit.

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Miami Dolphins great Jim Kiick dies at age 73

Another member of the great Miami Dolphins teams, Jim Kiick, has died. The running back was 73.

Miami Dolphins running back Jim Kiick, one of the great players in the team’s dynasty of the ’70s, died at the age of 73, the team announced Saturday.

Kiick combined with Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris to form a powerful backfield that was the mainstay of the offense of the 1972 Super Bowl champions, the only perfect team in NFL history.

Kiick was a key to the 1972 Dolphins team that went 17-0 and won Super Bowl VII and repeated as champions the following year by winning Super Bowl VIII.

In his seven seasons with Miami, Kiick picked up 3,644 yards on 997 carries, recording 28 touchdowns. He also caught 221 passes for 2,210 yards with three scores. He missed one game over the seven seasons and was twice selected to the AFL All-Star Game. He won Super Bowls VII and VIII with the Dolphins.

His friendship and on-field pairing with Csonka led to the two being dubbed “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” A TV film was made of their exploits, showing them riding horseback into the sunset on Miami Beach, and they even posed for a poster dressed in western garb.

In March 1974, he was selected by the Memphis Southmen in the third round (27th overall) of the WFL Pro Draft. In 1975, Kiick and teammates Csonka and Warfield played for the Southmen of the World Football League.

The trio’s press conference in March 1974 announcing what was then the richest three-player deal in sports was national news and shocked the sports world. They signed three-year guaranteed contracts beginning in 1975 with a total value, including perks, of $3.5 million. Csonka’s salary was $1.4 million, Warfield’s $900,000, Kiick’s $700,000. Each player would also receive a luxury car every year and a three-bedroom luxury apartment.

Twelve games into its 18-game schedule, the second-year league failed in October 1975. Kiick led the team in touchdowns (10), “action points” (five), and points scored (75). He finished second on the team in rushing, with 121 carries for 462 yards and nine touchdowns, and tied for second with Warfield in receiving, with 25 catches for 259 yards and one touchdown.

Kiick returned to the NFL in a back-up role for the Denver Broncos in 1976. He rushed 32 times for 115 yards and one touchdown, and caught 12 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Kiick was released during the 1977 regular season and missed out on the Broncos’ playoff run to Super Bowl XII. (On the same day he was released by the Broncos, his house burned down and he got divorced.) He was picked up by the Washington Redskins on Dec. 1,[but Kiick played in just one game. He was waived in June 1978,  and then retired.

Kiick played college football at Wyoming from 1965-67, and was the Cowboys’ leading rusher each of those years. He totaled 1,714 yards and10 touchdowns on 431 carries, and 561 yards and five touchdowns on 52 pass receptions. He was the first player to earn first-team All-WAC honors three times.

Kiick was co-captain of the team as a senior and led undefeated Wyoming to the 1968 Sugar Bowl against LSU, where he rushed 19 times for 75 yards and a touchdown and caught five passes for 48 yards. Wyoming led 13–0 at halftime, but was outplayed in the second half and lost 20–13.

Kiick’s death comes six weeks after his coach in Miami, the legendary Don Shula, passed away at 90.