With the eighth pick in the 1968 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins selected Larry Csonka, Running Back out of Syracuse University. The rest is history, and history that included a Perfect Season in the great year of 1972. Larry Csonka was an oversized Running Back who could combo as a Full Back at any given moment. In fact, when he ran the ball it was as if a Full Back was coming full steam ahead. In the words of John Madden, people would see Csonka run and say, "I never knew a brick wall could run so fast." If you want a better idea of Csonka's running style, just think of the recent retiree Jerome Bettis. He was just a smash mouth runner with just enough speed to break loose for a few long yard gains.
In his eight year career in Miami, Csonka ran for a total of 6,737 rushing yards and 7,425 yards from scrimmage. He was a brutal force in the back field and he had the statistics to show for it. He had never rushed for more than 10 rushing TDs in a season with the Dolphins, that is until he came back in 1979, after a short stint with the New York Giants, and scored a career-high 12 rushing TDs.
Who would've thought that #39 would be back with a vengeance after his glory years in Miami. What is certain is that his performance earned him the AP Comeback Player of the Year that season and e finished his career in the place where it all started.
Not many analysts will point out Csonka as one of the greatest RBs in NFL history, but there is no doubt that he played an intricate role in Miami's success in the 1970's - especially in the '72 and '73 Super Bowl victories. His Super Bowl MVP award in 1973 is a clear indicator of that.
In honor of the underrated underdog Larry Csonka. He will always be remembered in Miami for the contributions he brought to the Miami Dolphins. Some can still see the images of him and the rest of the '72 and '73 team drenched in championship champagne.
For those who want to know what Larry Csonka is up to nowadays, you can visit his official site at http://www.larrycsonka.com/.
2 comments:
The head butt king! Great player from the "good-ole-days" -- nice story man.
It seems as though he was a great player back in his day. As I sadly admit this, the only thing I remember him from was his days as co-host of the original American Gladiators.
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