Larry Csonka

Larry Richard Csonka was born on December 25, 1946, in Stow, Ohio, a suburb of Akron, and grew up on a farm as one of six children in a Hungarian family. His father, Joseph, and mother, Mildred, a postal worker, raised him there. He started playing football at Stow High School, where he was the starting fullback on the 1962 team that won the Metropolitan League championship under coach Dick Fortner. Csonka also wrestled in high school. He became a running back by accident: as a sophomore, he played defensive end, but in the last game, he was sent in on a kickoff return, took the ball, and ran over two tacklers. That moment made him want to carry the ball.

Csonka was recruited by Clemson, Iowa, Vanderbilt, and Syracuse, choosing Syracuse. He played middle linebacker his first season before switching to fullback from 1965 to 1967, earning All-American honors. He set school rushing records, breaking marks held by Ernie Davis, Jim Nance, Floyd Little, and Jim Brown. Over three seasons, he rushed for a school-record 2,934 yards, had 14 games with 100 yards, and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He ranked 19th, ninth, and fifth nationally in rushing from 1965 to 1967. He was MVP of the East–West Shrine Game, Hula Bowl, and College All-Star Game, and entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989.

The Miami Dolphins selected Csonka as the eighth overall pick and first running back in the 1968 Common Draft. He signed a three-year contract with a $34,000 signing bonus, a car, and salaries of $20,000, $25,000, and $30,000. His pro career started poorly: in the fifth game of 1968, he suffered a concussion after his head hit the ground during a tackle, spending two days in the hospital. Three weeks later, he got another concussion, a ruptured eardrum, and a broken nose.

He missed three games in 1968 and three in 1969, and there was talk he might quit. Teammate Nick Buoniconti noted that after 1969, there were doubts Csonka would play fullback again due to injuries and poor play. When Don Shula arrived in 1970, he and backfield coach Carl Taseff reengineered Csonka’s running style, teaching him to lead with his forearm instead of his head. Over the next four seasons, Csonka never missed a game and led the Dolphins in rushing for five straight years.

Teammate Jim Langer said Csonka had the utmost respect of every player. By the 1970s, he was one of the most feared runners, standing 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, pounding through the middle and dragging tacklers. He was called a bulldozer or battering ram, compared to Bronko Nagurski. Minnesota Vikings linebacker Jeff Siemon said after Super Bowl VIII that the collision wasn’t the problem—it was that Csonka kept moving after being tackled.

He rarely fumbled or dropped a pass and was an excellent blocker. Stories of his toughness include breaking his nose about ten times, leaving it permanently deformed, and staying in games with blood pouring out. He may be the only running back to get a personal foul for unnecessary roughness while carrying the ball.

Csonka is best remembered for his Miami Dolphins success, including the 17–0 perfect season in 1972 and Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1973. He was Super Bowl MVP in 1973 after running for a then-record 145 yards. He also played three years for the New York Giants and had a short stint with the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League. Nicknamed "Zonk," he is considered one of the greatest running backs ever.

A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro, he remains the Dolphins’ all-time leading rusher with 6,737 yards and 53 touchdowns. In 1979, his last year with Miami, he won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. His jersey number 39 was retired by the Dolphins in 2002, making him one of three former Miami players so honored, along with Bob Griese (12) and Dan Marino (13). Csonka also worked as a commentator for the original run of American Gladiators.