South Florida’s storied franchise debuts against the Oakland Raiders as the Miami Dolphins are born
On September 2, 1966, Joe Auer returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a Miami touchdown in the Dolphins’ first-ever NFL regular-season game. However, the Oakland Raiders would go on to win, 23-14, at the Orange Bowl before 26,776 fans.
The loss was hardly an indication of what was to come. Founded by Joe Robbie after Miami was awarded an American Football League franchise in 1965, the Dolphins struggled through their first four seasons before the arrival of Don Shula in 1970 changed the course of the franchise. With stars such as quarterback Bob Griese, running back Larry Csonka, fullback Jim Kiick, receiver Paul Warfield and linebacker Nick Buoniconti, Miami quickly transformed from expansion afterthought into NFL powerhouse.
The pinnacle came in 1972, when the Dolphins completed the only perfect season in NFL history, finishing 17-0 after defeating Washington, 14-7, in Super Bowl VII. Miami returned to the Super Bowl the following season and defeated Minnesota, 24-7, to claim a second consecutive championship.
The Dolphins would produce another generation of legends in the decades that followed. Dan Marino became one of football’s most prolific passers, throwing for 61,361 yards during his Miami career and rewriting the league’s passing record book. Defensive stars such as Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas later carried the torch, while Marino, Shula, Griese, Csonka and numerous others helped establish Miami as one of professional football’s most recognizable franchises.
From Joe Auer’s electrifying 95-yard return on that September night in 1966 to the perfection of 1972 and the enduring legacy of its Hall of Fame stars, the Dolphins’ history has been anything but ordinary.
