Sports

Miami Dolphins Announce 50th Season All Time Team

SOUTH FLORIDA – The Miami Dolphins announce Tim Bowens, Manny Fernandez, Larry Little, Mercury Morris and Bill Stanfill on 50th Season All Time Team.  In conjunction with the Dolphins 50th season celebration presented by Pepsi, voting took place to select the top 50 players in team history.

Four different groups voted on the composition of the team, including fans, Miami Dolphins alumni, South Florida media and a select blue ribbon panel. Each group’s selections counted for 25 percent of the overall vote.

Five players on the team will be announced each week leading up to home game vs. the New York Giants on Dec. 14 when the entire 50th team will be honored as part of a tribute to the 50 seasons of Dolphins football.

The latest five members of the team introduced today (Oct. 20th) are Tim Bowens, Manny Fernandez, Larry Little, Mercury Morris and Bill Stanfill.

Tim Bowens played 11 seasons (1994-2004) in Miami at defensive tackle and started 155 games as a Dolphins player, the third highest total among the team’s defensive players. Included in that total were 92 consecutive starts from 1994-99, the fifth longest starting streak in team history. Bowens finished second on the team with five sacks in 1997. He was named as the Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1994 and named to two Pro Bowl teams.

Miami Dolphins Tim Bowens (3)

Tim Bowens
Tim Bowens

 

“It’s an honor to be named to a team that has so many outstanding players who built the great tradition of the Dolphins. That started with the undefeated guys, and I’m lucky to share one thing with them  — we all were coached by one of the greatest coaches ever — Don Shula,” Bowens said.

 

 

 

 

Manny Fernandez played eight seasons (1968-75) with the Dolphins at defensive tackle and recorded 35 sacks as a Dolphins player, which ranks tenth among Miami’s all-time sack leaders and is second among defensive tackles. Fernandez led the Dolphins with eight sacks in 1971, one of only three DTs to lead the Dolphins in sacks in a season. He is likely best remembered for his 17 tackles in Super Bowl VII. Fernandez was inducted into the Dolphins Honor Roll in 2014.

Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez

 

Manny Fernandez
Manny Fernandez

 

 

“I just can’t tell you what an honor this is. Fifty years of Dolphins history, and to be a part of the all-time 50 greatest Dolphin players, and to be elected to that by fans, peers and the media, is an honor that’s really hard to describe,” Fernandez said. “I’m really looking forward to going down for that great weekend when we’re going to have that big celebration. I’m looking forward to all of it. It’s quite an honor and I’m thrilled.”

 

 

Larry Little played 12 seasons (1969-80) with the Dolphins at guard and was a key ingredient in the powerful running game that led to two Super Bowl titles in 1972 and 1973. He started 152 of the 158 games he played as a Dolphins player, the third highest starting total by any lineman in Dolphins history. Little was named to four Pro Bowls, including three starts and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. He was selected to the Dolphins Honor Roll in 1993.

Miami Dolphins Larry Little
Larry Little

 

Larry Little
Larry Little

 

“It’s really an honor to be a part of the top 50 Miami Dolphins. There have been some great players in the history of the franchise over the last 50 years, and I’m just honored to be one of them,” Little said.

 

 

 

 

Mercury Morris played seven seasons (1969-75) with the Dolphins at running back and rushed for 3,877 yards, which ranks fourth in Dolphins history. He rushed for  1,000 yards in 1972 and, together with Larry Csonka running for 1,117 yards as well that year, they became the first duo in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards each in the same season. Morris followed that with 954 yards rushing in 1973. He is the only Dolphins player to record three kickoff returns for a touchdown and ranks first in average kickoff return yardage. Morris was named to three Pro Bowls.

Mercury Morris
Mercury Morris

“The Dolphins were four years old when I joined the team and at that time they had a consistency — of losing. But when Don Shula came, we flipped that coin and became the best team in football. He preached the idea that in order to be successful, you had to play hard, practice hard and think about what the team means above everything else,” Morris said. “And that’s how we played — it was all based on the team, and not the individual. Once Shula brought that idea when he came to Miami, it never left us. An idea never leaves its source and that’s why he produced those champions and was successful for so long.”

Mercury Morris
Mercury Morris

 

Morris continued: “I’m happy people saw fit to choose me to be among the top fifty players recognized by the Dolphins. We had some great teams when I was there and I’m honored just to be part of this recognition that was 50 years in the making.”

 

 

 

 

Bill Stanfill played eight seasons (1969-76) with the Dolphins at defensive end. He retired as the Dolphins’ all-time sack leader with 67.5 career sacks in Miami, and still ranks second in team history. Stanfill’s 18.5 sacks in 1973 remain tied for the single-season team record, along with Jason Taylor’s 18.5 sacks in 2002. Stanfill made the AFL All-Star team in 1969 and was named to four Pro Bowls. He was inducted into the Dolphins’ Honor Roll in 2010.

 

Bill Stanfill
Bill Stanfill

 

 

Bill Stanfill
Bill Stanfill

“I think every starter on the three Super Bowl teams should be on this list because it was not all individual talent that got us that far. It was 11 guys on defense and 11 guys on offense that were all working together and that’s what put us in the Super Bowl three straight years. It all rolled into one from the coaches on down. Certainly Coach (Bill) Arnsparger was a genius and Coach (Don) Shula’s record speaks for itself. Along with the other defensive coaches, Mo Scarry and Tom Keane, they all did a great job putting us in the right place at the right time,” Stanfill said.

 

Miami Dolphins Announced 50th Season All Time Team

Dick Anderson

Doug Betters

Tim Bowens

Nick Buoniconti

Mark Clayton

Bryan Cox

Larry Csonka

Mark Duper

Bob Griese

Manny Fernandez

Bob Kuechenberg

Larry Little

Jim Mandich

Dan Marino

O.J. McDuffie

Mercury Morris

Tony Nathan

Jake Scott

Bill Stanfill

Richmond Webb

ADVERTISEMENT

14_BHS_1498.1-Static-Banners-300x250_0002_Cigars

South Florida Caribbean News

The SFLCN.com Team provides news and information for the Caribbean-American community in South Florida and beyond.

Related Articles

Back to top button