1972 Miami Dolphins Perfect Season

1972 Miami Dolphins Perfect Season

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Name: Dick Anderson
Position: Defensive Back
Number: 40
Height/Weight: 6-2, 196
College: Colorado
Drafted: 1968 third round, by Miami
Hometown: Miami, FL
Born: 2/10/46

Career: Anderson spent his entire nine-year career with the Miami Dolphins, setting numerous team and individual records for interceptions and return yardage. A three-time All-Pro selection, Anderson played in 98 consecutive Dolphins games (109 including postseason) until stretching ligaments in the 1975 Pro Bowl which caused him to miss the entire 1975 season and the beginning of the 1976 season. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1973 by the Associated Press after his third career eight interception season (1968, 1970, and 1973). The eight interceptions during his rookie campaign is still a team record, and his two interceptions at Boston (11/24/68) also set a Dolphins rookie record, which has since been equaled three times (Jake Scott 12/7/69; Don McNeal 10/12/80; Jarvis Williams 10/9/88). His 34 career interceptions rank second all-time on the Dolphins list, one behind Jake Scott's 35. Anderson had his best game as a pro as the Dolphins defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 30-26, on a Monday night (12/3/73) during the Dolphins perfect season. In that game he set a club record with four interceptions (all in the first half) for 121 yards, returning two of them for touchdowns (27 and 38 yards). Other Dolphins records which Anderson holds include most career interception return yardage (792), most interception return yards in a season (230 in 1968), for a 28.8 average, most fumble recoveries in a career (17, tied with Bob Baumhower) and season (six in 1972), most takeaways in a career (51), season (11 in 1970, tied with Jake Scott), game (four, tied with Jeris White), and most takeaways by a rookie (nine). His return of four interceptions for 121 yards against Pittsburgh is second all-time behind Louis Oliver's 170 yards (10/4/92) for most return yardage in one game. Anderson's return of a Tom Sherman pass for a 96-yard touchdown is the third longest in team history behind Louis Oliver's 103-yard return of a Jim Kelly pass for a touchdown (10/4/92) and Brock Marion's 100-yard return of a Travis Brown pass against Buffalo (1/6/02). He also holds two Dolphins playoff records with five interceptions in eleven playoff games, and his 62-yard return of a John Unitas pass for a touchdown (1/2/72) is the longest interception return in team playoff history.

 


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