Don Shula's claim to fame was his perfect season in 1972 with the Miami Dolphins, the highlight of his career just four years after losing Super Bowl III with the Baltimore Colts to an upstart team The New York Jets in a new league, the AFC. Yet his 1972 perfect team was simply that perfect, the only team in the history of the NFL to go throughout the season unbeaten.

By 1972, I was a football fan. I remember Shula's Dolphins made up of the "no-name defense" because they played as a team with no standouts, with the exception of linebacker Nick Buoniconti, who was small in stature compared to other NFL linebackers. Regardless of his size, Shula drove Buoniconti into the leader of the defense. That's what Shula did, he brought out the maximum potential in his football players.

He even did so with second-string quarterback Earl Morrall, who replaced starting quarterback Bob Griese mid-way during the perfect season. Shula brought out the best in his players by being a no nonsense motivator. This, of course, happened during the week training sessions. By game time, Shula was more confidence and relaxed unless a botched play occurred. Then he flew off the handle.

Nevertheless, on the sideline, he looked like an aging beach boy with his suntan, checkered golf pants, and polo shirt, yet his players felt Shula's urge to win in their bones

I always assumed Shula's leisure look was a ruse to get the opponents to relax and to instill confidence in his team. He looked as though he was in Miami for a vacation, not to play hard nose football. Yet that's what he inspired his team to do, play nose to the grindstone football. Despite his leisure appearance, Shula was feisty on the sideline, arguing with the referees on any unjust calls. And he was quick to yank any player for sloppy play.

Shula was a tough coach to play for. He demanded the best from his players, and his own coaching staff. Sometimes his demands wore down players and coaches. Not everyone was tough enough to play under Shula's burning star of football intelligence, dedication, and discipline.

He, however, had his down moments in his coaching career. He coached the losing Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, in what has been the biggest upset in football when Joe Namath's NY Jets whipped the Colts. And in the 1980s, he had a star quarterback in Dan Marino but failed to win the Super Bowl again.

Shula, however, was also known for his fancy repertoire of tricks plays. One trick play sticks in my memory. The Dolphins were playing their AFC rival The NY Jets in a game with playoff implications. Losing, the Dolphins were driving down-field. They were in the red zone with only seconds remaining on the clock. Marino acted as though he was going to spike the ball to stop the clock. As Marino called hike, he stepped back one-step, and moved his arm toward the ground as though he was going to spike the ball. He didn't and caught the Jets flatfooted.

Marino quickly looked up and spotted an open receiver at the corner of the end zone. He threw a strike to the opened wide receiver. Even the cameraman was taken by surprise. Thus was the ways of the crafty coach. Shula often used double hand offs and flea flicker plays to throw the opposition off balance.

He was a thinking man's coach and less in your face coach. Yet if the situation warranted yelling and screaming that's what Shula did. In the perfect season, Shula, of course, did every right in the end. And for Shula that's what counted.

Learn more about this author, Frank Lavoine.
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