WEBVTT - Fins Flashback: Remembering Bill Arnsparger with AJ Duhe 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:07.320 Factors are as Patrick drawing twer. What a win for 0:00:07.400 --> 0:00:12.920 this Miami Dolphin team. Wow? What is up? Dolphins? And 0:00:13.080 --> 0:00:16.640 welcome to the Drive Time Podcast, part of the Miami 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:21.360 Dolphins official podcast network, covering your Miami Dolphins each and 0:00:21.480 --> 0:00:24.720 every day. How is it going? Everybody? Happy Friday? Happy 0:00:24.800 --> 0:00:27.960 June tenth. I am your host, Travis Wingfield, and I'm 0:00:28.000 --> 0:00:31.840 here to bring you your daily dose of Miami Dolphins football. 0:00:31.840 --> 0:00:35.279 And on today's show, we are joined by legendary Dolphins 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:39.800 linebacker on the Fins Flashback to discuss legendary Dolphins defensive 0:00:39.800 --> 0:00:44.680 coordinator Bill Arnsberger, who's up for a very very prestigious award, 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:47.680 will discuss the accomplishments of coach and here from one 0:00:47.680 --> 0:00:50.320 of his most accomplished players here in Miami, not one, 0:00:50.440 --> 0:00:54.560 not two, but three interceptions on the two a f 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:58.000 C Championship game over those no good New York Jets 0:00:58.160 --> 0:01:01.360 here on this Friday j in the nineteenth edition of 0:01:01.640 --> 0:01:08.400 the Drive Time Podcast. And so that very prestigious award 0:01:08.440 --> 0:01:11.800 that Bill Arnstbarger, Dolphins defensive coordinator for a long time, 0:01:12.080 --> 0:01:14.760 for a significant chunk of the Don Shula era and 0:01:14.800 --> 0:01:18.080 pretty well regarded as the best assistant coach in Miami 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:22.399 Dolphins history, and Arnsbarger is among eight nominees for the 0:01:23.280 --> 0:01:27.320 Paul doctor Z Zimmerman Award for Lifetime Achievement as an 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.640 assistant coach in the National Football League and honor bestowed 0:01:30.720 --> 0:01:34.400 by the Pro Football Writers Association here in the National 0:01:34.440 --> 0:01:37.039 Football League, and just real quick on doctor Z the 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:39.759 name of the award. I will say for the rest 0:01:39.760 --> 0:01:42.080 of my lifetime that he was the biggest influence in 0:01:42.120 --> 0:01:44.400 my life because even though I was a youngster when 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:47.600 he was really in his prime and really on the 0:01:47.600 --> 0:01:51.160 the the focal point, the forefront of all football riding 0:01:51.160 --> 0:01:53.800 and all football commentary. I always love the way he 0:01:53.840 --> 0:01:56.800 was able to piece together the analyst side and also 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.600 the good writing, the good storytelling side. That's who I 0:01:59.640 --> 0:02:02.680 always wanted to model my writing, my storytelling, my podcasting, 0:02:02.720 --> 0:02:04.720 my radio voice, whatever it was going to be that 0:02:04.720 --> 0:02:06.840 I was going to do in my life, I always 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:09.800 modeled it after Doctor Z. So rest in peace. Doctor 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:13.440 Z asked for Bill Arnstbarger among these eight nominees for 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:17.120 the lifetime award from the Pro Football Riots Association. What 0:02:17.200 --> 0:02:19.680 a big honor it is to have him even among 0:02:19.800 --> 0:02:22.799 those names to be among those eight people that are 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:25.040 in fact up for this award. And we're gonna talk 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:28.040 to a J. Dewey, former Dolphins linebacker here in just 0:02:28.120 --> 0:02:31.640 a moment to get some clarity, some some perspective on 0:02:31.720 --> 0:02:34.320 who Bill Arnstbarger was as a man and as a coach. 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:36.920 But just some quick facts here on coach Arnsberger. He 0:02:37.000 --> 0:02:38.880 was born all the way back in nineteen twenty six. 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:42.200 He passed away back in one of the most successful 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:44.840 defensive coaches in the nfl is one hundred year history, 0:02:45.080 --> 0:02:48.160 serving as an assistant coach in the NFL for twenty 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:51.000 one years, which he was with Shula there in Baltimore 0:02:51.000 --> 0:02:54.240 and the Colts came with Sula to Miami in nineteen seventy. 0:02:54.400 --> 0:02:56.520 He was there from seventy to seventy three and then 0:02:56.560 --> 0:02:59.399 again from seventy six to nineteen eighty three, and would 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:01.440 later go back to the NFL after a stint in 0:03:01.480 --> 0:03:04.840 college with the Chargers in San Diego, the defensive coordinator 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.000 from ninety two to ninety four. And if you listen 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.440 to the Lockdown Dolphins podcast when I hosted after Dolphins wins, 0:03:11.560 --> 0:03:14.520 we'd play the song win when When When? When all 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:17.280 we do is win, and that's all Bill Arn't Barger did. 0:03:17.480 --> 0:03:20.280 His defense finished among the top five and fewest points 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:24.040 allowed fifteen times out of twenty one seasons. Five of 0:03:24.040 --> 0:03:27.640 those years, Aren't Barker's defense led the NFL in fewest 0:03:27.680 --> 0:03:30.560 points allowed. His teams earned trip to the NFL Championship 0:03:30.639 --> 0:03:34.040 Game or Super Bowl in seven out of twenty one seasons, 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:36.720 so into the final four in one third of his 0:03:36.840 --> 0:03:40.080 NFL seasons as an assistant coach, and each of the 0:03:40.120 --> 0:03:43.240 three teams he coached with earned at least one trip 0:03:43.320 --> 0:03:46.280 to the NFL Championship or super Bowl. During his tenure, 0:03:46.440 --> 0:03:48.880 the Colts to the NFL Championship Game, we know about 0:03:48.920 --> 0:03:51.960 Miami's two Super Bowl victories, including five trips to the 0:03:52.000 --> 0:03:54.240 Super Bowl, and then after the eight year absence in 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:56.760 the NFL, he would come back to the Chargers and 0:03:56.800 --> 0:03:58.560 be a part of that team that went to a 0:03:58.600 --> 0:04:01.800 Super Bowl as well, and his units won world championships 0:04:01.800 --> 0:04:04.880 following the nineteen seventy two and nineteen seventy three seasons, 0:04:04.920 --> 0:04:08.240 including the NFL's only perfect season, the nineteen seventy two 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:10.760 Miami Dolphins. As we all know, the Dolphins had a 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:14.080 combined record of thirty two and two in those two seasons, 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:16.880 and that has also yet have been surpassed. Overall, his 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:20.600 teams posted a regular season mark of to fourteen eighty 0:04:20.600 --> 0:04:24.680 five and six. That's a seven twelve win percentage, averaging 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:27.400 more than ten regular season wins per year, and in 0:04:27.440 --> 0:04:30.080 an era when you only play fourteen regular season games. 0:04:30.200 --> 0:04:32.520 For the most part of that era, his seventy two 0:04:32.560 --> 0:04:35.520 and seventy three Dolphins teams averaged just twelve point two 0:04:35.560 --> 0:04:38.520 points allowed per game and ten points seven points allowed 0:04:38.680 --> 0:04:41.599 per game. That's fewer than any of the other members 0:04:41.640 --> 0:04:44.960 on this nominee list who were also defensive coordinators. They 0:04:44.960 --> 0:04:48.919 are Buddy Ryan, Floyd Peters, Romeo Crannell, and Rod Marinelli. 0:04:49.000 --> 0:04:51.960 Bill Arnsberger had the lowest points per game than any 0:04:52.000 --> 0:04:55.320 of those guys in those two seasons with the Miami Dolphins. 0:04:55.360 --> 0:04:58.880 His fifty three defense was named for the situational use 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:02.359 of number fifty three linebacker Bob Mathison as a fourth 0:05:02.400 --> 0:05:05.320 linebacker in the early nineteen seventies, and that served as 0:05:05.360 --> 0:05:08.360 something of a precursor to the modern three four defense 0:05:08.440 --> 0:05:11.359 that teams began using later that decade. Of course, we 0:05:11.400 --> 0:05:13.960 had the Buddy Ryan forty six defense there with the Bears. 0:05:14.000 --> 0:05:17.040 These guys on this list are innovators, and Bill Arnsbarger 0:05:17.279 --> 0:05:20.520 was the innovator of innovators. He was nicknamed one more 0:05:20.600 --> 0:05:24.080 Real by his players for studying countless hours of film 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:27.400 revealing his future opponents offensive tactics. And I think this 0:05:27.480 --> 0:05:30.200 quote here from Dick Anderson really says it all. It's 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:32.799 remarkable that he never called a defense that we didn't 0:05:32.839 --> 0:05:35.880 have total faith in. The man was brilliant. He put 0:05:35.960 --> 0:05:37.719 us in the right place at the right time for 0:05:37.760 --> 0:05:40.440 our abilities. He never asked someone to do something they 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:44.359 couldn't mentally or physically do. End quote. And Arnsbarger, of course, 0:05:44.480 --> 0:05:47.279 was there for the No Name defense, which recorded the 0:05:47.320 --> 0:05:50.640 first and now one of only two defensive Super Bowl 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:54.080 shutouts with the fourteen seven win over Washington and Super 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:57.320 Bowl seven. Of course, the only Washington touchdown on that 0:05:57.440 --> 0:05:59.760 day came on a special teams pumble from Gary A 0:05:59.800 --> 0:06:02.640 prim Me in his defense didn't allow a Minnesota score 0:06:02.680 --> 0:06:05.240 in super Bowl seven. Rather, super Bowl eight checked that 0:06:05.520 --> 0:06:10.320 until Miami was zero on their way to seven win overall. 0:06:10.600 --> 0:06:13.520 In the nineteen seventy three playoffs and Super Bowl, they 0:06:13.560 --> 0:06:17.000 allowed a total of thirty three points against Cincinnati, Oakland 0:06:17.160 --> 0:06:20.599 and Minnesota aren't. Barker's defense has posted two shutouts in 0:06:20.640 --> 0:06:24.680 conference championship games, the most by any coordinator since nineteen 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:27.680 seventy the nineteen seventy merger. Rather, the Dolphins won the 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:31.360 nineteen seventy one a f C Championship game with win 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:34.080 over the Colts. At safety Dick Anderson scored and a 0:06:34.120 --> 0:06:37.520 sixty two yard touchdown return on an interception. In nineteen 0:06:37.560 --> 0:06:40.320 eighty two, his Killer Bees defense led the way to 0:06:40.360 --> 0:06:42.840 a fourteen zero win in the a f C Championship 0:06:42.839 --> 0:06:46.320 game against the rival Jets, as linebacker A. J. Dewey 0:06:46.400 --> 0:06:50.000 recorded not one, not two, but three interceptions, including a 0:06:50.040 --> 0:06:52.599 thirty five yard pick six back to the house for 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.599 a touchdown. And that's a great way to segue into 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:59.440 my interview here with former Dolphins linebacker, former Dolphins great 0:06:59.680 --> 0:07:03.039 Age A. Dowey and writing Shotgun now on the Drive 0:07:03.120 --> 0:07:06.479 Time podcast. Is the nineteen seventy seven defensive Rookie of 0:07:06.480 --> 0:07:09.400 the Year Pro Bowl linebacker who spent the entirety of 0:07:09.400 --> 0:07:12.520 his eight year career with the Miami Dolphins, Number seventy 0:07:12.560 --> 0:07:16.280 seven A J. Dewey A J. Welcome in, Sir, well, 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:20.880 it's it's good to be uh part of a flashback podcasts. 0:07:21.440 --> 0:07:24.320 I'll give you as much information as I can drum 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:26.600 up here, and uh, ilet's have fun at it, right, Yeah, 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:28.200 that's that's the whole point we're doing here. It's a 0:07:28.560 --> 0:07:30.920 little bit slow for content these days because we don't 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:32.480 have the guys in the building, so it's nice to 0:07:32.520 --> 0:07:34.200 go back and and check in on some of the 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:37.640 old past wins of of these team's, you know, story franchise, 0:07:37.640 --> 0:07:40.080 story organization, and you're definitely a big part of that, 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:42.520 and so was coach Arnsparker. And we're gonna get into 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:45.240 that here just real quickly. But first, how are you doing, man? 0:07:45.280 --> 0:07:48.440 What's life like for you these days? Well, I mean, 0:07:48.480 --> 0:07:51.560 you know, I'm practicing COVID nineteen. I mean I got 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.360 my I got my COVID nineteen haircut. I I what's 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:57.720 your Uh My wife posted on Facebook, uh when she 0:07:57.800 --> 0:08:00.520 was cutting my hair out in the backyard, and uh, 0:08:00.560 --> 0:08:04.000 I was calling it my COVID nineteen uh uh and 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.160 she was calling it hill Billy chronicles. So we kind 0:08:06.160 --> 0:08:09.400 of had two different names for it. But uh, it's uh, 0:08:09.440 --> 0:08:11.680 it's been a little different, you know, the impact that 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:14.280 this viruses, you know, put on our country, in our 0:08:14.320 --> 0:08:18.120 in our in our world. It's it's it's tough. It's uh, 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:20.560 but I'm kind of getting used to it now. It's 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:22.440 it's just part of life. We have to just you know, 0:08:22.560 --> 0:08:24.600 deal with and grow through and hopefully, you know, the 0:08:25.160 --> 0:08:28.120 brighter side of it comes sooner than we're anticipating. Well, 0:08:28.160 --> 0:08:29.680 she did a good job, because I've seen a lot 0:08:29.680 --> 0:08:32.080 of people doing their own haircuts, cutting their own hair 0:08:32.440 --> 0:08:34.680 and doesn't go very well for them. So you definitely 0:08:34.679 --> 0:08:37.600 have a good in house barber. They're taking care of 0:08:37.640 --> 0:08:39.520 you and and and you know, to kind of make 0:08:39.640 --> 0:08:42.160 a difficult transition here, I want to first start with, 0:08:42.440 --> 0:08:44.079 you know, I'm sure you do a lot of these interviews, 0:08:44.080 --> 0:08:45.880 and when you do them, I'm sure the first game 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:49.040 that comes up is that AFC Championship game, And why 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:51.760 wouldn't it, Because first I just I want to hear 0:08:51.840 --> 0:08:54.960 your perspective about that game, like going into it, throughout 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:56.880 the course of it, after the first pick, after the 0:08:56.880 --> 0:08:59.120 second pick, like when did you know that you were 0:08:59.160 --> 0:09:01.120 gonna be so heavyly involved in the game plan and 0:09:01.160 --> 0:09:03.560 had such a big impact on that game and really 0:09:03.559 --> 0:09:06.520 be the difference in the game. Well, you know, I 0:09:06.600 --> 0:09:08.679 kinda uh. I did an interview just a week and 0:09:08.720 --> 0:09:11.040 a half ago with Yahoo Sports and kind of that 0:09:11.160 --> 0:09:14.120 same you know storyline we were trying to go through, 0:09:14.600 --> 0:09:17.800 and the guy was shocked that I said that in 0:09:17.880 --> 0:09:19.760 the moment, you just don't even think about it. But 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:22.679 you know that getting back from the start of that week, Uh, 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:27.480 it kind of was a crazy uh weather situation that 0:09:27.559 --> 0:09:29.400 whole week. I mean, it was one of those times 0:09:29.960 --> 0:09:31.920 in our country where you know, there's a lot of 0:09:31.960 --> 0:09:34.280 snow going on up north and on the East coast, 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:36.160 and by the time it makes his way down the coastline, 0:09:36.200 --> 0:09:39.400 once it gets to about South Carolina, it turns into 0:09:39.720 --> 0:09:42.840 you know, maybe some sleep and then gets the Georgian Uh. 0:09:42.920 --> 0:09:45.160 You know, in Florida it becomes rain. So we had 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:47.960 we had rain was every day for a good five 0:09:48.040 --> 0:09:50.840 or six seven days. And it wasn't it wasn't just 0:09:51.480 --> 0:09:53.480 a storm. It was of those that we just had 0:09:53.600 --> 0:09:56.680 rain throughout the throughout the day. We had to juggle 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:59.600 our schedule around a little bit. We practiced some in 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:01.680 the morning things because coach Chilo, I guess they would 0:10:01.679 --> 0:10:04.280 get some weather forecasts and know that the heavier range 0:10:04.280 --> 0:10:05.800 would be in the afternoon, and we we you know, 0:10:05.840 --> 0:10:07.640 we we were there for the full day like normal, 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:10.640 but you know, practices were cut short and we were 0:10:10.679 --> 0:10:13.120 just working on I guess h different things that would 0:10:14.520 --> 0:10:17.920 be successful for us on offensive and details. You really can't, 0:10:17.960 --> 0:10:19.520 you know, prepare because you don't know they're gonna do 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:21.959 uh offensively. You just gotta prepare for their game plan. 0:10:22.440 --> 0:10:24.959 So you know, we worked on that and uh when 0:10:25.080 --> 0:10:27.440 we got we got down to the field at the 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:30.320 Orange Bowl, I mean I was on the impression that 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.680 the stadium was gonna be fine. I'm sure everybody was, 0:10:32.760 --> 0:10:36.000 because we had what they called prescription athletic turf. I'm 0:10:36.040 --> 0:10:38.440 not sure you know the the average fan knows what 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:40.200 that means, but it's something that was put in place 0:10:40.760 --> 0:10:42.640 back in the days when they were converting all the 0:10:42.679 --> 0:10:46.880 AstroTurf fields to natural brass. And uh when they when 0:10:46.880 --> 0:10:49.320 they had the AstroTurf fields, they had already taken the 0:10:49.320 --> 0:10:52.160 turtleback out of the uh out of the field. So 0:10:52.400 --> 0:10:54.920 you're not old enough to know about turtleback fields, you know, 0:10:54.840 --> 0:10:56.400 you back back in the day, that's what it was. 0:10:56.440 --> 0:10:58.760 Because of the fall off of the range so they 0:10:58.840 --> 0:11:05.440 built these pa Tea fields with a major underground pumping system, 0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:07.920 and it was in the early stages of that development, 0:11:07.960 --> 0:11:10.920 in that type of field planning that they obviously didn't 0:11:10.920 --> 0:11:14.360 build the pumps with enough capacity. So the pumps, this 0:11:14.440 --> 0:11:16.040 is all told to me after the fact that the 0:11:16.040 --> 0:11:18.600 city of Miami owned the Orange Bowl. The pumps went down. 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.880 They were having trouble getting you know water, uh, you know, 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:24.360 sucked off the field to drain out, and it just 0:11:24.400 --> 0:11:29.559 turned into a complete flat bed of about two or 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:32.880 three inches of mucky, mucky water like you're walking in 0:11:33.320 --> 0:11:37.360 the marsh almost right. So, uh, it played to our advantage. Obviously, 0:11:37.360 --> 0:11:39.600 the Jets were a team that was loaded with team speed. 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:42.080 They had a lot of go to receivers who would 0:11:42.080 --> 0:11:44.120 start to feel on us. But you know, both teams 0:11:44.120 --> 0:11:45.760 had to play in those conditions. And uh, you know, 0:11:45.800 --> 0:11:47.719 I'm tired of hearing Jet fans winning about it. I'm 0:11:47.720 --> 0:11:51.240 telling this is like forty some five years ago. Come on, 0:11:51.360 --> 0:11:53.080 get over, you know, I mean, you know how many 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:55.199 things have going on in your life that could have 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:57.640 made it better, right, So, but you know, but in 0:11:57.640 --> 0:11:59.240 the nutshell, that's kind of the way it played out 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:02.640 from that week accssent participating and and on game day. 0:12:02.679 --> 0:12:04.840 But but getting back to I guess the question is 0:12:04.880 --> 0:12:08.120 how it played out, you know, interception one, two three. 0:12:09.400 --> 0:12:12.480 You know, it was just it was just making plays 0:12:12.520 --> 0:12:14.880 on the field. I mean, Uh, to this day, I 0:12:14.960 --> 0:12:17.440 really don't look back and and and sit there and say, 0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:20.360 you know, I knew exactly what they were gonna run 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:21.840 or you know, I'm not gonna sit here and take 0:12:21.840 --> 0:12:23.040 credit for any of that kind of stuff. You know, 0:12:23.040 --> 0:12:26.160 we just we played good coverages. Uh. Obviously the field 0:12:27.120 --> 0:12:30.520 being in the condition it was, it it allowed you know, 0:12:30.600 --> 0:12:33.280 both players to kind of play guarded, you know, because 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:35.960 the receivers, uh, they're not about to try and make 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:38.600 some fancy move on you because they're played that their 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:40.439 footing might give out on them. And for us to 0:12:40.559 --> 0:12:43.040 the defensive players, we just tried to trail and track 0:12:43.080 --> 0:12:45.200 and just stay in place as best we could. One 0:12:45.240 --> 0:12:48.240 thing that we did do as a team is that 0:12:48.280 --> 0:12:50.440 we were able to after warm up, so even before 0:12:50.480 --> 0:12:52.240 one with some of the guys made a decision to 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:54.400 go and change their cleets. So we we played with 0:12:54.440 --> 0:12:57.160 some long cleets. Uh. You know, we were playing with 0:12:57.160 --> 0:12:59.520 the uh you know, the screwing type of cleets where 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:01.520 you know, also gonna come with a three eighth inch 0:13:01.640 --> 0:13:03.680 I think the standard model, and it is a half 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:05.200 inch in their seven eighth. So we all went to 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:07.640 the longest think we could possibly get and helping to 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:09.839 pay it off for us. But you know, getting back okay. 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:14.400 The first interception happened to be on a uh I 0:13:14.440 --> 0:13:16.040 think a route that was throwing to the tight end 0:13:16.080 --> 0:13:17.800 on the steam route, and we were playing a coverage 0:13:17.800 --> 0:13:22.000 that we've worked on against uh the Jets that that 0:13:22.120 --> 0:13:24.160 weekend was the courage we hadn't shown that much of. 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:27.120 And I think Richard Todd probably thought the tight end 0:13:27.160 --> 0:13:31.240 had me beat uh and and in the because the 0:13:31.240 --> 0:13:32.880 safety was playing kind of back, we're in a double 0:13:32.920 --> 0:13:34.880 coverage situation, and he kind of under threw the tight 0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:36.920 end and I made uh. I went up and jump 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:38.360 for it and made a good catch on that one. 0:13:38.720 --> 0:13:40.880 The second one, they were trying to throw a little 0:13:41.000 --> 0:13:43.520 uh uh. They were trying to run a route where 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:46.480 the halfback option route they called up where he would 0:13:46.559 --> 0:13:48.680 try and just you know, fake me out and and 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:52.080 make a move, and he did. Unfortunately, Richard threw the 0:13:52.080 --> 0:13:54.600 past behind the running back. He had he had me beat. 0:13:54.720 --> 0:13:56.120 You look at he had me beat about three or 0:13:56.120 --> 0:13:58.079 four steps. I mean, if he throws a good pass, 0:13:58.080 --> 0:13:59.400 that could have been a big play for them, but 0:13:59.440 --> 0:14:02.080 he who were behind him and when he reached with 0:14:02.160 --> 0:14:04.520 his back arm, it kind of tipped it to me 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:06.400 and I was able to make the interception on the 0:14:06.480 --> 0:14:08.600 third one, which was the game breaker, and the game 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:11.839 changer was a little screen passed they tried to throw 0:14:11.840 --> 0:14:14.440 out in the flats. Uh. It was just some technique 0:14:14.440 --> 0:14:16.880 we worked on all the time, you know, protecting our 0:14:16.960 --> 0:14:18.520 legs when you're rushing the pass and they like to 0:14:18.520 --> 0:14:21.280 cut you and get your get you, uh to the ground. 0:14:21.960 --> 0:14:24.360 I was able to do that. And uh, when Richard 0:14:24.360 --> 0:14:27.360 couldn't throw the ball high enough because he anticipated me 0:14:27.400 --> 0:14:29.480 being cut by the offensive linement, he kind of threw 0:14:29.480 --> 0:14:31.520 it to where I kind of made a fingertip kind 0:14:31.560 --> 0:14:33.880 of another bat and the ball around played with it 0:14:33.920 --> 0:14:35.960 in the air. It seemed like it took forever. And 0:14:36.400 --> 0:14:38.480 you know in the end zone in area's game over, 0:14:38.600 --> 0:14:42.200 you know the Super Bowl bound right, we all remember 0:14:42.200 --> 0:14:43.720 that far, at least the ones that were around for 0:14:43.880 --> 0:14:46.960 before a little before my time. But I did. I 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:49.280 can see you yeah, you're a young guy. Even my kids. 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:51.680 You're probably the age of my kids. In the days 0:14:51.880 --> 0:14:53.480 before I came to the team and when I played 0:14:53.480 --> 0:14:56.400 with the team and a little after, Man, the Dolphins 0:14:56.400 --> 0:14:58.800 were the they were they were. They had the in factor, 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:01.080 you know. I mean, like everybody in the country loved us. 0:15:01.120 --> 0:15:02.920 You know, we had fans all of the country. You know, 0:15:02.960 --> 0:15:04.920 there's still a lot of good Dolphins fans on the country, 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:07.280 but back in those days, man, you felt it when 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:09.280 you went on the road to play. Well. I think 0:15:09.320 --> 0:15:12.040 that that has a large impact for why someone like 0:15:12.120 --> 0:15:14.320 myself was became a big Dolphins fan because a j 0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:16.800 I'm from Washington State. I didn't grow up anywhere near 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:20.160 South Florida. So I think that that tradition, that history 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:22.080 really attracted me at a young age. The colors didn't 0:15:22.120 --> 0:15:25.040 didn't hurt either. The winning success Dan Marino, all those 0:15:25.040 --> 0:15:27.520 factors went into why I became a Dolphins fan now 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:29.600 and worked for the team. So, I mean, I think 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:32.320 you guys laid a foundation that really developed a huge, 0:15:32.720 --> 0:15:36.240 huge contingency of Dolphins fans. And and you mentioned the 0:15:36.280 --> 0:15:38.200 sloppy play on the field that day. And I'm always 0:15:38.240 --> 0:15:40.520 curious because you know, we talked about the snow and 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:43.320 how it's like snow games where oh, this might be 0:15:43.400 --> 0:15:45.400 a problem for the opposing team because they're not used 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:47.000 to playing in the snow, but it's always more of 0:15:47.000 --> 0:15:50.000 an issue for the defensive players, right because the offense 0:15:50.080 --> 0:15:51.800 knows where they're going, but you're the one that has 0:15:51.840 --> 0:15:54.240 to react in those sloppy conditions. And with a muddy, 0:15:54.240 --> 0:15:57.840 wet field, same ideas snow, right, Well, I mean it's 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:02.040 a little different because usually in snow, you're still gonna 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.920 have some kind of footing because, uh, the surface under 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.480 the snow is still consistent. But when you play in 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:11.560 a muddy, sloppy field, uh, you know, you get more 0:16:11.600 --> 0:16:13.920 breakage you can. I mean, you you may have a 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:16.200 little bit more given the some given the snow, but 0:16:16.280 --> 0:16:19.160 you've got a lot more give in a muddy, uh 0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:23.920 kind of natural soil situation. Um. But but you know, 0:16:23.960 --> 0:16:26.360 I think it played both ways. I mean, because the 0:16:26.440 --> 0:16:29.320 running backs that were that were gifted and talented for 0:16:29.320 --> 0:16:31.400 the Jets or even though guys, you know, they had 0:16:31.440 --> 0:16:33.480 to make a decision do I plant my foot in 0:16:33.520 --> 0:16:37.800 the ground, and you know, every if everything is just straightforward, straightforward, 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:41.640 I mean, it's pretty much easy to uh, to make plays. 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:44.000 It's it's it's when guys want to cut and and 0:16:44.480 --> 0:16:45.960 you know, like they say, put that foot in the 0:16:45.960 --> 0:16:47.960 ground and go the other way, that's when it gets 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:50.920 a little challenging. So at some point you know that 0:16:50.960 --> 0:16:55.400 the other guy isn't gonna be you know, being uh, 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:57.800 you know, like a little b back there trying to 0:16:57.840 --> 0:16:59.960 buzz around and and and make cuts and make moves, 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:02.480 so you can't you know, line a guy up and 0:17:02.320 --> 0:17:04.040 and and go for him and probably make an easier 0:17:04.080 --> 0:17:06.520 at tackle than he would think. Right, Yeah, And it's 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:09.320 it's uh, it's definitely something that I think contributed to 0:17:09.320 --> 0:17:11.080 the performance that day for you guys there as well 0:17:11.080 --> 0:17:12.959 and get you back to the super Bowl. And one 0:17:13.000 --> 0:17:14.919 of the reasons this Dolphins team was so good for 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:17.840 so long was because two coaches and coach Shula and 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:20.399 coach Arnst Barker that both just really we're with the 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.600 team for so long you had that continuity. And I'm 0:17:22.600 --> 0:17:25.760 always curious to know how those two type of coaches 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:28.200 can balance each other. Because as we do this podcast 0:17:28.200 --> 0:17:30.760 here with A J. Dewey, former Dolphins linebacker, we are 0:17:30.800 --> 0:17:33.720 honoring coach Arnsparker today one of eight nominees for that 0:17:33.840 --> 0:17:37.480 Doctor Z Lifetime Achievement Award. And I'm always fascinated by 0:17:37.600 --> 0:17:41.360 possible coaching juxtaposition in terms of personalities and the way 0:17:41.359 --> 0:17:44.679 they meshed together. Because you've got coach Shula who is 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:48.000 known as this ultimate tactician, this ultimate or as ultimate 0:17:48.040 --> 0:17:51.120 disciplinarian guy that can really fire team up. Was coach 0:17:51.240 --> 0:17:54.760 Arnstbarger that same way in terms of the intimidation factor? 0:17:54.920 --> 0:17:57.640 Was he more pure tactician? How do they balance each other? 0:17:58.440 --> 0:18:01.119 I mean, Arns, they had a uh, he had an 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:05.080 intimidating kind of demeanor, but it was it was kind 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:07.439 of hidden. It wasn't like it didn't play out like 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:11.119 it did with Coachla coach almost every day. You know, 0:18:11.240 --> 0:18:14.600 you were sort of intimidated by you know what he 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:17.040 was all about. You know what he's brought to the 0:18:17.080 --> 0:18:19.880 game and his accomplishments. You know you are You're like, 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:22.639 you're honored to be part of that, but you are 0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:24.920 kind of like you're in all You're going, Man, you 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:27.520 know this guy, he's the real deal. You know, he's 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:29.240 the guy that you know as a kid, you know, 0:18:29.280 --> 0:18:31.760 growing up. I mean here, I am you know, uh 0:18:31.800 --> 0:18:34.840 in high school and and through college, you know, being 0:18:34.880 --> 0:18:37.320 a crazy football fan because that was my love. I 0:18:37.320 --> 0:18:39.280 played a lot of sports. My love was football, and 0:18:39.320 --> 0:18:41.520 I couldn't you know, I couldn't wait to watch games. 0:18:41.760 --> 0:18:43.280 You know. Back in those days, you're lucky to see 0:18:43.280 --> 0:18:45.560 two games on a Sunday. Now you can see you know, 0:18:45.760 --> 0:18:48.240 all whatever there is, all fourteen of them, because you 0:18:48.280 --> 0:18:50.639 got to say, yeah, so it's kind of a little different, 0:18:50.640 --> 0:18:52.800 you know scenario. You know, your younger generations get to 0:18:53.119 --> 0:18:56.240 enjoy a look differitely. But but he orn Z never 0:18:57.280 --> 0:19:02.080