page_title: Bob Griese
section_title: 1970–1976
hierarchical_section_title: Bob Griese / Professional football career / 1970–1976
caption_attribution_description: English: Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese pictured handing the ball to teammate Jim Kiick off for a running play against the Washington Redskins during Super Bowl VII.
context_page_description: Robert Allen Griese is a former American football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins. Griese led the Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including two Super Bowl victories in VII and VIII. Griese was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. He later worked as a television commentator, calling NFL games for NBC Sports and college football for ESPN and ABC Sports. Griese is one of three quarterbacks from Purdue to win the Super Bowl.
context_section_description: Dolphin owner Joe Robbie brought in Don Shula from the Baltimore Colts in 1970, and the team's personality and fortunes turned quickly. The Dolphins found a new discipline, and learned what it took to become a winning team. They went from a 3-10-1 record in 1969 to 10-4 in 1970, making the playoffs.
  In 1971 the Dolphins made it to the Super Bowl, losing to 24-3 to the Dallas Cowboys. Griese was named the 1971 Newspaper Enterprise Association NFL Most Valuable Player award, and was awarded the Jim Thorpe Trophy.
  The 1972 season began with the Dolphins winning their first four games. In the fifth game of the season, Bob Griese was tackled hard by Deacon Jones and Ron East of the San Diego Chargers, and went down with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Earl Morrall, fresh off the waiver wire from Shula's former team, the Baltimore Colts, guided the Dolphins through the rest of the regular season, and maintained an unbeaten record in the process. Morrall also led the NFL in five passing categories during this time, including passer rating. As the playoffs began, the Dolphins were not as strong as they needed to be to go deep into the postseason, barely winning against the Cleveland Browns, a team that they should have beaten easily. The second game of the playoffs the team got off to a slow start against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Shula asked Griese to relieve the ailing Morrall, simply asking Griese at halftime, “Are you ready?” Griese replied with, “Yes, I’m ready.” Griese took the field and completed 3 of 5 passes for 70 yards as the Dolphins beat the Steelers by a score of 21-17 to clinch their second straight Super Bowl appearance.
  Despite their unbeaten season, the Dolphins were listed as two point underdogs to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Staying with the system that got them there, the Dolphins offense played a perfect ball control game. Griese connected on 8 of 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown, and Larry Csonka rushed for over 120 yards. Washington's only score was on a returned blocked field goal, and Miami won the game 14-7.
  In 1973 Griese led another strong Dolphins team, but they did not make it through the season undefeated. They reached the Super Bowl for the third consecutive season and defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7.
  In 1974, Griese and the Dolphins had an 11-3 regular season record, but lost to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs.
  In 1975, Griese and the Dolphins started strong, but late in the season in a game against the Baltimore Colts, Griese suffered a broken toe and was out for the rest of the season. The Dolphins finished a respectable 10-4, but missed out on the playoffs for the first time in the Shula era.
  In 1976, the Dolphins had many injuries, and the team finished the season at 6-8, the first time Don Shula ever suffered a losing season in his career.
caption: Griese playing for the Dolphins in Super Bowl VII.
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