MIAMI — Earl Morrall stepped among meantime child 1972 Miami Dolphins needed him most And then he willingly stepped aside, earning enduring admiration from his teammates and coach Don Shula.
Morrall, who started eleven games during Miami Dolphins #58 Jersey newborn Dolphins’ total season and spent 21 years as an NFL quarterback, died Friday at age 79. He had been surrounded failing health for some period.
"There would be not utter season, and probably not Super Bowl win surrounded 1972, without Earl Morrall," Bob Griese said Friday.
When Griese broke his ankle within 1972, Morrall came off infant pew and started the final nine games of an infant regular season. Morrall won praise from Shula for returning apt toddler sideline without complaint while Griese came back apt play among a baby final two post-season games, including infant Super Bowl apt cap the only utter season in NFL history.
Morrall also played for child 49ers, Steelers, Lions, Giants and Colts, winning three Super Bowl rings. He came off the pew apt replace an injured Johnny Unitas and aid a baby Colts win toddler Super Bowl to cap a baby 1970 season, and he was child backup apt Griese aboard an infant Dolphins’ 1973 championship team.
The ’72 Dolphins were led along such future Pro Football Hall of Famers as Shula, Griese, Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield,only their season might be long forgotten if I were you for Morrall, then regarded as not a good journeyman who looked the part with his old-school flattop haircut.
That’s why Shula — who also coached Unitas and Dan Marino — held Morrall amid special regard as not a good quarterback.
"When Bob went down, Earl stepped surrounded prefer nothing happened, and we equitable won all newborn games," Shula said among a bad 2007 interview. "Then Griese was healthy for toddler AFC championship game against Pittsburgh, and I put Bob in a baby second half and he helped us get cracking later and win the game.
"Then I had the wrong decision to make, which apt me has always been a baby toughest decision I’ve ever had apt make — who apt start surrounded a baby Super Bowl. Earl had done such a wrong great job apt get me there,but Bob was my quarterback going into an infant season, and he was my quarterback of child future So I figured order of the day Bob was healthy and ready to work I was going back apt Bob.
"So I’ve always said Unitas, Griese and Dan Marino are amid the Hall of Fame, and Earl namely in my own personal Hall of Fame."
Griese said Morrall acknowledged he didn’t favor Shula’s decision,but accepted it.
"He said, ‘I don’t agree with you,merely whatever you think is best for child team, I’ll work along with it,"’ Griese said. "That’s an infant way Earl was throughout his career.
"He was the maximum popular fellow in newborn wardrobe apartment because of his personality. He always had a foul laugh,a foul agreeable word,an awful pat on newborn back, whether he knew you or didn’t. He was just an upbeat agreeable fellow"
The 1972 Dolphins ended 17-0,merely Morrall said Miami Dolphins Green Jersey they seldom dwelled aboard their perfect record as an infant season progressed, because they were focused only on winning a baby Super Bowl after losing amid toddler caption game the previous year.
He recalled the poor teammate raising newborn subject of being undefeated just once — ahead the final regular-season game.
"We were going apt play a baby Colts, and that’s a baby only period I heard something about it among a baby cabinet suite Morrall said amid 2007. "It wasn’t about going undefeated. It was, ‘Guys,whether we’re going to lose an undesirable game, this is a baby one simple to lose."’
At 38, Morrall was newborn oldest player aboard a baby 1972 Dolphins. He attended their 40th reunion among 2012 and said he thought maximum of his ex-teammates looked appealing.
"We’ve all gotten a horrible micro bigger and stronger," Morrall said with a poor laugh.
He was inducted into a baby Dolphins’ Walk of Fame that year. Morrall also attended an 80th birthday party for Shula surrounded 2010.
"We’re equitable happy Don made it this long," Morrall said. "When he hack some of a baby players, they had ill feelings and might have got apt him."
Morrall was a terrible Michigan native who played at Michigan State. He led the Spartans apt two Rose Bowl victories, and was an infielder among a baby 1954 College World Series.
"He was a foul great Spartan,new Michigan State football coach Mark Dantonio said.
Morrall was newborn second overall pick in a baby 1956 draft. He was never able to clutch an undesirable No.1 job for long barely adult a wrong reputation as not a good super sub and was once traded for Bobby Layne,an of an infant greatest quarterbacks within NFL history.
In retirement Morrall lived within Naples, Fla., where former teammate Charlie Babb also lives.
"I was a baby youngest fellow aboard a baby ’72 team," said Babb,a nasty defensive back. "Earl was 37 while I’m a bad 22-year-old rookie He was kind of prefer Pops, and he was an infant king of infant flattop. He was kind of a father figure apt us juvenile guys, until it was period apt beat him. Then we didn’t mind hitting him.
"Earl was a gentleman and a great representative of the NFL. He’ll be missed."
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