Former Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula is one of the best ever to be involved with the NFL. Shula passed away on Monday at the age of 90, so many people are reflecting on the type of legacy he left on the Dolphins organization, the city of Miami, and the NFL as a whole.
Let's take a look at Shula's five best moments ever.
5. Don Shula brings in Dan Marino
When most think of Shula, they almost always think of Dan Marino. The 1983 draft was loaded with talent, and Marino fell all the way to the Dolphins with the No. 27 pick.
Before Marino joined the franchise, Shula used a run-first approach, but that all changed with the future Hall of Famer under center. Shula went to a pass-first attack, really letting Marino use all of his talent.
During the 1984 season, Marino threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns, which was a record back at the time.
4. Colts win the 1968 NFL Championship Game
Shula is most known for his time with the Dolphins, but he also found a lot of success with the Colts.
During Shula's second season, the Colts were blown out by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Championship game. Then in the 1968 season, the Colts dominated the Browns 34-0 to advance to the Super Bowl. The Colts did get beat in the Super Bowl by Joe Namath in the Jets, but that shouldn't take away from what the Colts accomplished during the season.
The win over the Browns was a big deal, not just because it was a revenge game, but it seemed to really prove that Shula was a good coach.
3. Shula inducted into the Hall of Fame
Shula was part of the 1997 class that was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Shula was put into the Hall of Fame along with Mike Haynes, Mike Webster, and Wellington Mara.
Shula also played a few years in the NFL, but his induction into the Hall of Fame was for his coaching. In his bio for the Hall of Fame, he had one quote that really showed what kind of coach he was:
“The important thing is not what Don Shula knows or what any of my assistant coaches know. The important thing is what we can transmit to the people we’re responsible for. That’s what coaching is—the ability to transmit information.”
2. Shula becomes the winningest coach in NFL history
On November 14th, 1993, Shula passed George Halas for the most wins ever for an NFL coach. Halas had 318 wins, and when Shula hung up the whistle, he had 328 wins.
As of today, Shula's NFL record still holds, and it's something that could hold up for a long time if Bill Belichick decides to hang it up in the next few years. Heading into the 2020 NFL season, Bill Belichick currently has 273 wins.
Even if Belichick does end up passing Shula one day, that doesn't take away from what the latter was able to accomplish in his NFL career.
1. Shula leads the Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history
Was there really any doubt about what was Shula's best moment? The 1972 Dolphins team was the first team with a perfect season, and there hasn't been one since. The Dolphins completed the perfect season with a 14-7 victory in Super Bowl VII over the Washington Redskins.
The New England Patriots looked like they were going to be the second team to do that in 2007, but there was a big upset in the Super Bowl at the hands of the New York Giants.
When people think of Shula's legacy, they think of the undefeated 1972 Dolphins team.
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