1972 Miami Dolphins

 The passing of Mercury Morris made me reflect on the passage of time.  The undefeated season was going on 52 years ago when the players were mostly young men.  And the coaching staff was fairly young as well.

But now, all of the coaches and the owner have died, and 21 of the 45 players have likewise moved to valhalla, where no doubt they feast and are revered.

And a word about the legend of the team popping champagne when the last team falls: a few of the players lived in the same neighborhood in west Miami in the 1980s.  They were friends, and a few would hoist a pint to celebrate their success, and remember their accomplishment during the ensuing football seasons.  Then, sometime in the early 90s one of the news outlets seized on that idea and took pictures of them celebrating after the last team fell - even if it was mildly staged.  And a legend was born.

They were always proud of their success, but also knew there was some amount of luck involved.  And while they would welcome another team to their ranks, they always enjoyed being special.

By their jersey number, here are the players who are still with us:

11. Jim Del Gaizo, quarterback is 77 and living in Plantation FL 

12. Bob Griese, quarterback is 79, is retired and living in Jupiter.

20. Larry Seiple, punter/tight end is 79, is retired and living in The Villages 

26. Lloyd Mumphord, defensive back is 77 and living in Lafayette, La. 

28. Ed Jenkins, running back is 74 and living in Florida, 

39. Larry Csonka, running back is 77 and recently moved to North Carolina.

40. Dick Anderson, safety is 78, living in Miami 

42. Paul Warfield, wide receiver is 81, living in California. 

45. Curtis Johnson, defensive back:is 76, is retired and living in Detroit. 

49. Charlie Babb, safety is 74, retired and living in Naples. 

51. Larry Ball, linebacker is 75 and living in Miami

54. Howard Kindig, offensive lineman is 83, and living in Houston

59. Doug Swift, linebacker is 76 and living in Miami,

60. Al Jenkins, guard is 78, and living in New Orleans. 

65. Maulty Moore, defensive tackle is 78 and living in Florida, 

66. Larry Little, guard: is 78 and living in Florida,  

72. Bob Heinz, defensive tackle is 77 and living in Fresno, California. 

73. Norm Evans, offensive tackle: is 82 and living in Seattle

75. Manny Fernandez, defensive tackle is 78 and living in Ellaville, Georgia. 

77. Doug Crusan, left tackle is 78 and lives in Indianapolis, 

80. Marv Fleming, tight end is 82, and living in Marina del Ray, California  

81. Howard Twilley, wide receiver is 80 and living in Dallas.

82. Otto Stowe, wide receiver is 75 and living in Santa Barbara, California.

83. Vern Den Herder, defensive end is 75 and living in Sioux City, Iowa.

And here are the players who have left us.  The first - and only for a long time - was Wayne Moore who had a heart attack in the 1980s

1. Garo Yepremian, kicker: Died in Pennsylvania in 2015, at age 70, 

7. Billy Lothridge, defensive back: Died in 1996 at 54 in Pensacola

13. Jake Scott, safety: Scott died at the age of 75 in 2020, 

15. Earl Morrall, quarterback: Died in 2014 at age 79; 

21. Jim Kiick. running back: Died in 2020, at age 73,

22. Mercury Morris, running back: died at 77 in 2024

23. Charlie Leigh, running back: Died in Albany, New York, in 2006 at age 60. 

25. Tim Foley, cornerback:  died in St Augustine FL in 2023 at 76

32. Hubert Ginn, running back:  died in 2023 at 76, ih South Carolina.

43. Mike Howell, defensive back: Died in 2016 at 73. 

53, Bob Matheson, linebacker: Died at age 49 in 1994 at Duke University Hospital 

56. Jesse Powell, linebacker: Died in a Texas hospital in 2012 at age 65; 

78. Jim Dunaway, defensive tackle: Died in 2018 at 76;

79. Wayne Moore, offensive tackle: died in 1989, at the age of 44 from a heart attack .

57. Mike Kolen, linebacker: died in 2024 at 76, in  Alabama. 

62. Jim Langer, center: Died in 2019, at age 71,

67. Bob Kuechenberg, guard: Died in 2019, at age 71, in Fort Lauderdale. 

84. Bill Stanfill, defensive end: Died in Albany, Georgia., at 69 in 2016, 

85. Nick Buoniconti, linebacker: Died in New York in 2019 at age 78 

86. Marlin Briscoe, wide receiver:  died on 2022 at 76 in Norwalk, Calif., 

88. Jim Mandich, tight end: Died in 2011, in Miami Lakes, at age 62