Bob Griese

Lore & Background

Widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of the 1970s, Griese led the Dolphins to a then record three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including two Super Bowl victories in VII and VIII, the first of which capped off Miami's undefeated and untied 1972 season, the only such season in NFL history. Griese was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1984, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He later worked as a television commentator, calling NFL games for NBC Sports and college football for ESPN and ABC Sports. Griese is one of three quarterbacks from Purdue to win the Super Bowl (along with Len Dawson and Drew Brees).

In Their Own Story

The lights hummed over the stadium as Griese stepped into the pocket. The cold air bit at his exposed face beneath the helmet, but his focus remained locked downfield. With seconds ticking away on the clock and a championship hanging in the balance, he scanned the defense. He saw the gap, felt the rhythm of the snap, and launched the ball with precision. It wasn't just about throwing; it was about leading men to glory.

Reader's Guide

Dolphins owner Joe Robbie brought in Don Shula from the Baltimore Colts in 1970, and the team's personality and fortunes turned quickly. The Dolphins found a new discipline, and learned what it took to become a winning team. They went from a 3–10–1 record in 1969 to 10–4 in 1970, making the playoffs. In 1971, the Dolphins made it to the Super Bowl, losing 24–3 to the Dallas Cowboys. Griese was named the 1971 Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Most Valuable Player award, and won the Jim Thorpe Trophy. The 1972 season began with the Dolphins winning their first four games. In the fifth game of the season, Griese was tackled hard by Deacon Jones and Ron East of the San Diego Chargers, and went down with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Earl Morrall, fresh off the waiver wire from Shula's former team, the Baltimore Colts, guided the Dolphins through the rest of the regular season, and maintained an unbeaten record in the process. Morrall also led the NFL in five passing categories during this time, including passer rating. As the playoffs began, the Dolphins were not as strong as they needed to be to go deep into the postseason, barely winning against the Cleveland Browns, a team that they should have beaten easily. The second game of the playoffs the team got off to a slow start against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Shula asked Griese to relieve the ailing Morrall. Griese took the field and completed 3 of 5 passes for 70 yards as the Dolphins beat the Steelers by a score of 21–17 to clinch their second straight Super Bowl appearance. Despite their unbeaten season, the Dolphins were listed as two point underdogs to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Staying with the system that got them there, the Dolphins offense played a perfect ball control game. Griese completed 8 of 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, and Larry Csonka rushed for over 120 yards. Washington's only score was on a returned blocked field goal, and Miami won the game 14–7. In 1973, Griese led another strong Dolphins team, but they did not make it through the season undefeated. They reached the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24–7. In 1974, Griese and the Dolphins had an 11–3 regular-season record, but lost to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs. In 1975, Griese and the Dolphins started strong, but late in the season

Did You Know?

• Griese was a consensus All-American in 1966 and was the runner-up to Steve Spurrier for the Heisman Trophy.
• He led Purdue to its first Rose Bowl appearance, defeating USC 14–13.
• Griese was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round as the fourth overall pick in the 1967 Common Draft.
• He wore eyeglasses on the field starting in the 1976 season.