WinterBorn
Diamond Member
Shula is a legend.My favorite play involved a Miami Dolphins' game. It was back in the 70s and I can't remember who they were playing. With the clock winding down, the Dolphins were leading by 13 points and looked like sure winners. Then, with just a few minutes to go the other team scored cutting the lead to 6. The Dolphins got the ensuing kickoff at their 20 and on each down were driven back. Their third down attempt left them inside their own 5-yard line.
As the team left the field for the punting unit, Don Shula waived them back forcing them to play the fourth down. The sports announcers went crazy. They couldn't believe what they were seeing and they lambasted Shula for punishing the team for their poor performance. On fourth down Griese went back into the end zone and was tackled for a safety. Once again the announcers tore into Shula.
Something funny happened, though. When Griese came over to the sidelines both he and Shula were smiling. It was all planned! Since the Dolphins were leading by 6, the other team had to score a touchdown to tie; a field goal would have done them no good. After scoring 2 points for the safety they trailed by four points and still needed a touchdown to avoid defeat. By giving their opponents 2 points that made no difference, the Dolphins got a free kick from their 20 yard line instead of having to punt from deep within their end zone. It was brilliant. They had everyone fooled. When the announcers finally figured out what happened they praised Shula for his strategy. The Dolphins held on to win the game.
Don Shula is a legend. Mike Shula sucked as a coach when he was at Alabama.