That Time I Met Don Shula

So, here’s my Don Shula story.

I spent the summer of 1967 with my Aunt in Miami, Florida.

She took me to all the fun spots Crandon Beach on Key Biscayne (pictured), Miami Seaquarium, Parrot Jungle, Cypress Gardens, The Orange Bowl and Key West.

So that was quite a memory for a 5-year old!

At that same time, my favorite team, the Dallas Cowboys, were coming of age. After years of futility, the Cowboys soon made Super Bowl V in 1970. 

After losing to Baltimore, Dallas returned to Super Bowl VI, against an upstart Miami team led by Don Shula. 

Shula had left the NFL's Baltimore Colts in 1969 to lead the new Miami franchise which started in 1966. His offense was a power run game featuring fullback Larry Csonka, speedy Mercury Morris and Jim Kick.

Of course I was intimately familiar with the Dolphins because of my aunt. It didn't hurt that Howard Twilley, All-American at the University of Tulsa, was a star receiver for Miami, too.

The Cowboys beat the Dolphins 24-3 in Super Bowl VI.

However, the Dolphins would go undefeated the next year and  play the Cowboys arch-rival the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.

Memorable because the Dolphins, leading 14-0 with a little more than two seconds remaining, were about to cap off the NFL’s only perfect season by a score of 17-0 on a field goal attempt by 5’ 7” kicker Garo Yepremian. 

Instead of sealing the win, the kick was blocked, Yepremian tried a pass that went straight up in the air then he futilely batted the ball up in the air on the rebound. It was intercepted by Mike Bass who returned it for a touchdown. The Dolphins held on to win 14-7 and become the only undefeated team in NFL history. As documented by Al Levine's book in 1973 which arrived just in time for Christmas!

Yepremian would ride his notoriety to produce ties in a Miami shop and retired in 1981. Yep, in addition to the t-shirt, I had one of Garo’s ties, as well.

About 30 years later, I met Don Shula at a Dallas All-Sports Banquet. He was being honored and was on the dais along with other notable athletes.

I was a last-second fill-in for former Houston Oiler and Dallas Cowboy receiver Mike Renfro (second from right), a colleaque at Lone Star Park.

Mike's dad Ray had played wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns from 1952 to 1963 winning NFL championships in 1954 and 1955. His NFL career overlapped with Shula in 1952. He was also the quarterbacks and wide receiver coach for the 1971 Dallas Cowboys who had beaten Shula's Dolphins in Super Bowl VI.

I also had actually seen Shula's Dolphins play Dallas on Thanksgiving Day in 1993 at Texas Stadium. It was played in a drizzling sleet storm that hit Dallas. The Cowboys were leading 14-13 when Miami lined up for a game-winning 41-yard field goal that was blocked by Dallas and should have ended the game if not for Leon Lett.

Anyone remember?

Leon Lett tried to recover and kicked the ball to the Dolphins who recovered at the one yard line. Pete Stoyanovich made the 18-yard field goal on the next play for a stunning 16-14 Miami victory! Not sure if the NFL keeps these kind of records but Coach Shula was involved with two of the more bizarre field goal attempts in NFL history!

So I had enough background in case I ran into the coach.

It was a black tie affair but I didn’t own a tux so my best navy suit would have to suffice on my way home from work to change.

Backstage, I found myself being introduced with all of the other "celebrities" and seated on the dias between Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Don Shula.

Not only under-dressed but way, way out of place.

So afterwards wanting to meet Coach Shula, I extended my hand and introduced myself.

As I was saying “I'm filling in for Mike Renfro...my aunt lived in Miami...”, Coach Shula turned and began talking to another athlete on the stage.

Not only was I under-dressed but he had no clue who this guy was trying to talk to him about Mike Renfro, his aunt and Howard Twilley!

Don Shula retired in 1995 as the winningest coach in NFL history. He died today at age 90.

The 1972 Dolphins have a champagne ceremony at the end of every NFL season that ends with the last undefeated team losing preserving their record undefeated season.

Today, we'll raise a toast to an NFL legend, Don Shula. Well done coach.

Thanks for the memories...on and off the field that began for me that summer of 1967 in Miami.

Crandon Beach, 1989.