Tag Archives: Miami Dolphins

NFL

Edwards, Dixon

Cards: ProSet 1991, Classic 1991
Acquired: In Person, Dallas Cowboys Training Camp 1991, 1992

Neither of these cards probably do Dixon Edwards enough justice. The ProSet pose feels obviously staged and faked, while the Classic 1991 is just one of the ugliest cards I’ve ever seen. Whoever convinced the Classic card corporation that grey on grey leopard print on a football card would be good looking should be thrown down a hole.

Dixon Edwards was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1991 draft with a pick that was directly related to the Herschel Walker trade. When we got his autograph at training camp he had this very odd hair style and pencil thin mustache. A rangy linebacker with good speed and coverage ability, Edward’s strength was playing weakside lienbacker, but he had the ability to play inside, outside, or the middle linebacker position. He’d contribute at left linebacker and special teams for the Dallas Cowboys organization through their SuperBowl years starting for the team from 1993-1995 after two years as a backup. After his stint in Dallas, Edwards would play for the Viking organization from 1996-1998 where he would excel. In 1999 Dixon would then sign with the Dolphins where Jimmy Johnson was building ‘Dallas South’. Edwards would be diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in training camp and would retire soon thereafter.

G/Gs  120/90        Tac 347       Sac 7.5        Fum  6       Int  2       Yds  54        Avg 27.0       Td 1         Lg 36T

AFL, NFL, Pro Football HoF

Shula, Don (1930-2020)

Card: ProSet 1991
Acquired:  TTM 1992, C/o The Miami Dolphins

Don Shula was a member of the newly merged Cleveland Browns a season after they joined the NFL. Playing defensive back on that stacked team, he rarely if ever saw any playing time, but still managed to make 4 interceptions his rookie season. He’d be traded to the Baltimore Colts in one of the largest player trades of all time getting 4 seasons in with the team continuing his strong play making 14 interceptions. In 1957, Don played his final season with the Washington Redskins making 3 more interceptions.

G  73       Tac  N/a       Sac N/a      Fum   4
Int 21      Yds  267     Avg 12.7     Td 0    Lg 35

This would not end Don Shula’s football career as he would make the transition into coaching. After a small stint in college at the University of Virginia,  Don was back in the pro ranks as an assistant for the Detroit Lions from 1960-1962 (defensive coordinator). He was then rewarded with the head coaching job in Baltimore in 1963 at the age of 33, which was the youngest coach in the league at the time. Don would spend the next 7 seasons there winning 71 contests but losing two championships (1964, and SuperBowl III).

In 1970 the Miami Dolphins signed Don as their head coach and were charged with tampering forfeiting their first round choice that year. Because of the odd nature of the timing- negotiating before the AFL/NFL merger, but signing afterwards, Miami had to suffer the consequences because they were now merged leagues.  Shula would go on to become one of the ‘Big 3’ coaches (Landry, Shula and, Noll,) in the NFL’s modern era. Shula’s teams during the 70s had dominating defensive units and offensive lines supported by a ground game which allowed them to excel against their NFL counterparts. His team would reach the big game by 1971. Shula’s 1972 unit is the only team to finish undefeated in NFL history winning all its regular season games and post season contests (17-0) and in 1973 they’d return again winning this time against the Minnesota Vikings. This team was the last of Shula’s teams to win the SuperBowl but his teams would consistently remain in the playoffs. In 1983 however the team would make the transition to a passing franchise with the drafting of one player- Dan Marino. Marino guided the team to the Super Bowl in 1984 throwing a then NFL record 50 touchdown passes. Shula’s teams reached the playoffs 20 times in 33 attempts. He’d retire after the 1993 season, with a large legacy under his belt.  26 of 28 seasons of winning football in Miami, the coach with the most Super Bowl appearances (6), a 4 time coach of the year, one of two coaches in history to have over 300 wins, and the winningest coach in league history. I would get Don’s autograph through the mail courtesy of the Dolphins in 1992 right after Christmas.

Since retiring Shula has made time to occasionally attend his team’s 17-0 reunions, owns an extremely successful chain of steakhouses and has his name on a golf course and hotel in Florida. He also is involved in the Don Shula Foundation for breast cancer research. In 1997, Shula was a shoe-in for the NFL HoF.  He has also been involved in numerous presentation ceremonies over the last few years, had stadiums and highways named after him and has authored 3 books.

W 328   L 156   T 6   Pct .678

UPDATE 5/4/2020– Don Shula passed away peacefully today at the age of 90.

NFL

Hodson, Tom

Cards: Action Packed 1990, ProSet 1990
Acquired: TTM 1991,1992, Patriots Blitz

Tom Hodson was drafted out of LSU in the 3rd round of the 1990 draft. Hodson would be the quarterback at the helm that helped lead the Louisiana State Tigers out of the stone age and back into the modern football age. Armed with a peashooter for an arm, the Patriots needed any help that they could acquire at quarterback and started Hodson in a platoon along with Scott Zolak and Hugh Millen over a 2 year period.  He’d play in 7 games and put up almost 1,000 yards, and 4 touchdowns clocking in with a rating of 68.5.  In 1991, he’d see some game duty, but by 1992 the writing was on the wall with his decreased playing time, and at the end of the season he’d sign with the Dolphins- as the Patriots would solve their quarterback problems by drafting Drew Bledsoe. He would not play a down over the next two seasons for the Dolphins or in 1994 with the Cowboys. He’d play a bit more for the Saints but after the 1995 season, Tom would retire at the age of 28- never starting more than 6 games in any season.  Hodson now lives in Baton Rouge and has fond memories of his time in the NFL.

G/Gs  36/12     Att 174       Comp 320     Pct 54.4     Yds 1823          Td  7    Int 11   Lg 57T     Rat  64.1