Jim Kiick

Lore & Background

Kiick was born and raised in Lincoln Park, New Jersey, and played football, baseball, and basketball at Boonton High School. He made the All-Morris County team as a defensive back, not as a running back, and graduated in 1964. His father, George, played in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1940 and 1945. Kiick played college football at Wyoming from 1965 through 1967, and was the Cowboys' leading rusher each of those years.

He was the first player ever to earn first-team All-WAC honors three times. As a junior, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the 1966 Sun Bowl win over Florida State. Kiick was co-captain of the team as a senior and led undefeated Wyoming to the 1968 Sugar Bowl against LSU. He played in the Senior Bowl, and was selected to play in the 1968 College All-Star Game against the Green Bay Packers, where he first met Csonka.

Kiick was selected by the AFL's Miami Dolphins in the fifth round (118th overall) of the 1968 NFL/AFL draft. He was the primary halfback for the next four years, and missed only one game in that period. Beginning with the 1972 season, he had to share halfback duties with other players, most notably Mercury Morris. Kiick started only three of 14 regular season games in 1972 as he became primarily a short-yardage and goal-line specialist, although he did start Super Bowl VII.

He led the Dolphins in rushing in 1968 (621 yards) and 1969 (575 yards) and was selected for the AFL All-Star game both years. His nine rushing touchdowns in 1969 led the AFL, and his 1,155 total yards from scrimmage in 1970 led the AFC and ranked fifth in the NFL. In 1971, he had his best year as a runner, rushing for 738 yards and three touchdowns. He led the Dolphins in receiving in 1970 and was second in 1968 and 1971.

Kiick played in three consecutive Super Bowls with the Dolphins. In Super Bowl VII, he caught two passes for six yards, and rushed 12 times for 38 yards, scoring the decisive touchdown, a one-yard blast, as Miami defeated the Washington Redskins 14–7, completing their perfect 17–0 season. In Super Bowl VIII, he rushed seven times for ten yards and scored the second of Miami's three touchdowns, diving in headfirst from the one yard line. Kiick and Csonka were roommates at training camp and on the road.

Reader's Guide

Kiick was a versatile player; in addition to being an effective inside power runner, he was also an excellent blocker and clutch pass receiver. He had over 1,000 yards combined rushing and receiving in each of his first four years. He was often compared to such well-known all-purpose backs as Paul Hornung, Tom Matte, and his boyhood idol, Frank Gifford. Teammate Jim Langer described him as "a very heady runner and receiver."

He played hurt and rarely fumbled. Kiick once played with a broken toe, a broken finger, a hip pointer and a badly bruised elbow. Wrote teammate Nick Buoniconti: "Jim Kiick...loved the game and loved clutch situations--where he was at his best. When we needed a first down on third-and-4 or 5, he'd get it.

We might get the ball to him on a short option because there was no one better coming out of the backfield to catch a pass. I've never seen anyone put moves on like him. He'd get a linebacker to lean one way and then go the opposite way. Even when they'd double team, he'd get open."

In the longest game in NFL history, the 27-24 double-overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1971 AFC playoffs, Kiick rushed 15 times for 56 yards and scored a touchdown. In the 1972 AFC playoff game against the Cleveland Browns, he rushed 14 times for 50 yards and scored the decisive touchdown. In the 1972 AFC championship game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he rushed only eight times for 15 yards, but those 15 yards produced two touchdowns, including the decisive one.