Well, this isn’t a blog I wanted to write today or ever, but I regret to inform you that legendary Miami Dolphin’s coach, Don Shula, has passed away at the age of 90.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsVery sad news: Dolphins Hall of Fame coach Don Shula passed away this morning at age 90, one of his children confirmed.
— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) May 4, 2020
I don’t know what the cause of death is, so no, I have no idea if this is COVID-19 related. What’s important is that Don Shula lived a full life and was phenomenal at what he did.
#Dolphins HOF Coach Don Shula has passed away at the age of 90…
— NFL Stats (@NFL_Stats) May 4, 2020
He was a HC for 33 seasons, and had some great achievements…
• 347 Career Wins (Most in NFL)
• Coached only perfect season in #NFL History
• 2x SB Champ (VII, VIII)
• 1968 NFL Champion
• 4x COY
RIP Legend pic.twitter.com/NzlM0yNT6e
And lets not forget his acting chops;
Beloved
Shula was a man that demanded the respect of his players and that’s exactly what he got. You won’t find any interviews with former players who had anything bad to say about him. Shula was a class act on and off the field. Football was his life but Shula was a father figure to many of his players. He had one of the best hairlines and those glasses he wore made him look like one of the coolest guys going.
Shula’s willingness to adapt to his players is one of the reasons he’s the winningest coach of all time. In the ’70s, it was a ground and pound approach that led to Super Bowls. When he got Marino in ’84, he knew that he had to let Dan throw it all over the place. It only got them one Super Bowl, but the Dolphins were in the hunt for the title every year for a decade. That’s impressive in any era of football.
Meeting Don
I actually met Don Shula when I was 23. Nine years ago, I went to Miami to see a Dolphins/Steelers game and before we were heading back to the airport, Shula was standing in the hotel I was in. I was nervous to go and ask for a picture but some guy was there and said you’ll probably never get another chance in my life. I walked up to him to Don and he couldn’t have been any nicer. The picture is at my parents’ house, but I’ll try and upload it later.
It’s a sad day but like I said, Don Shula lived a full life and gave so many of us some of the best feel-good memories of our own. RIP Don Shula
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