Posted on 05/04/2020 7:49:32 AM PDT by C19fan
Don Shula, the winningest head coach in National Football League history and a Miami Dolphins legend for half a century, has died. He was 90.
The Dolphins confirmed Shula's passing with a statement on social media.
(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...
I remember a story where he always thought Al Davis had the field soaked at the Oakland Coliseum stadium before the games to slow down the Dolphins. He was there another time for an event and realized the field was just naturally soggy.
Reading Art Donovan’s book “Fatso”, Art said when Shula was a teammate on the Colts, he was one of the guys who would run out onto the field and drag injured Colts off because Weeb Eubank hated games being stopped for injuries.
Don Shula was a regular for Mass at St. John’s in Downtown Indy. He was a very devoted Christian and a good person. He quietly helped the Pastor and did not want any publicity for his donations.
Anybody ever eaten at one of the Shula’s restaurants? There was one where I live but it closed a few years ago.
In the 70s, my friend’s dad owned part of the Dolphins. At the end of the school year banquet, Don Shula, Larry Czonka, Jim Kiick and Nick Bonacontti signed my yearbook...
I always thought what team I would like if I were not an Eagles fan. When I was a kid,I loved the Dolphins and liked watching Marino even though he went to Pitt being the arch rival to PSU.
Bob Griese is great.... One day, we were at the Orange Bowl and I was on the sidelines and Griese was showing me how to throw passes... I was my school’s QB...
For college football fans to reference if any of their players ever played for Coach Shula, go here;
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/schools/
Coach Shula was HC at the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969 and at the Miami Dolphins from 1970 to 1995.
Bill Belichick... “Sorry Don”
Bert was good,but in my opinion,but not as good as Johnny U. I’m glad that you have good memories of the “Fog Game”.
LOL, two years later I moved to South Florida, and became a rabid Dolphins fan. I pretty much dumped them after Shula was fired for Jimmy Johnson.
Unfortunately injuries took their toll. But Belichick even said, of all the quarterbacks he ever coached, Bert Jones, in his prime, was the best (and that includes you-know-who)
I understand, but as a kid, growing up in Baltimore Unitas was the man! Keep safe!
Mediocre? They were in the AFC championship game that year...I guess you define mediocre differently than I do.
RIP.
5.56mm
He was a jerk in person.
Interesting action between Donald Trump and Don Shula.
...
Despite this, one of the few times he came close to leaving Miami came
in the middle of the 1983 season, when Donald Trump, the new owner of
the upstart United States Football League’s New Jersey Generals,
offered him a $5 million contracta significant increase from the
$400,000 he was earning at the time with the Dolphins. Negotiations
hit a snag when Shula insisted on getting a rent-free apartment at
Trump Tower. When Trump publicly announced the deal was all but
done except for the apartment agreement, Shula broke off talks and
stayed in Miami. Years later, Csonka, by then an executive with the
Jacksonville Bulls, said that he believed Shula would have taken the
job, but was angered at being “thrown out to the press” by Trump.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Shula
They were. But they struggled throughout the season though. The victory over the Bears did provide them a spark for the playoff run.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.