Which dolphins went to the white house

Some were gray-headed, others a bit stooped, at least one carried a cane. But despite age, there were still hints of the large frames that had once donned football pads and exploded countless times from lines of scrimmage during an unforgettable season. Nearly three dozen members of the Miami Dolphins finally received their White House moment Tuesday, 40 years after they made history by winning 17 games and losing none -- an undefeated achievement that no NFL team has ever matched.

President Barack Obama welcomed the former players to the East Room, a periodic occurrence at the White House these days for current sports champions. Four decades ago, however, saluting athletes was not an established tradition. And the Watergate scandal was preoccupying President Richard Nixon back then anyway. So the men of that historic Dolphins team had not received their due. The faces were still recognizable: Hall of Famers Larry Csonka, the team's star fullback; quarterback Bob Griese; offensive lineman Larry Little; linebacker Nick Buoniconti; and of course their leader, coach Don Shula.

Obama, an avid sports fan and regular ESPN watcher, made clear to the Dolphins and his audience that as a Chicagoan, his football team is the Bears. The team had not received the usual White House reception in , a decision attributed to the space shuttle Challenger disaster, which occurred two days after the Bears beat the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. But, I mean, take it with a grain of salt," the president added sheepishly with the Dolphins clustered behind him.

Obama praised their post football careers, noting that members of the team included a minister, a mayor, a doctor, a state senator, a high school counselor and a number of successful businessmen. He joked that some of the players might be a little hard to recognize because "they don't have the afros or the mutton chops, the Fu Manchus.

And my answer is simple: I wanted to be the young guy up here for once," Obama said, chuckling. The Bears Follow Jeff Darlington on Twitter jeffdarlington. Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson is set to play out the final year of his contract, but things could get interesting for the eight-time Pro Bowler after this season.

It seems the Bucs and Chargers weren't the only teams interested in acquiring Tom Brady this offseason. Howard Mudd, a former NFL lineman who coached in the league for 38 seasons, passed away Wednesday, his family announced.

Mudd was surrounded by family after suffering multiple injuries from a motorcycle accident in late July. He was Frustrated by the slow pace of minority hiring in college and professional football, Maryland's Michael Locksley has created the National Coalition of Minority Football Coaches. The nonprofit will seek to groom coaches of color for upward mobility.

Phil Krueger, who helped build a dominant defense as an assistant for national champion Southern California and later became part of the first coaching staff in Tampa Bay Buccaneers' history, has died. Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule said he's considering kneeling alongside his players during the national anthem this season in support of the movement against racial injustice. Mississippi State's Kylin Hill announced via social media on Monday that he will not be "representing this State" until the Mississippi state flag, which features the Confederate battle emblem, is changed.

Oklahoma State's Chuba Hubbard expressed unity with head coach Mike Gundy in a video on Monday after threatening a boycott earlier in the day when he took exception to an OAN T-shirt worn by the coach.

The attorneys for New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker and Seattle Seahawks cornerback Quinton Dunbar have issued statements claiming the innocence of their clients following an arrest warrant issued on Thursday.

The NFL will present a pair of resolutions to increase coaching and GM opportunities for minorities this coming Tuesday during the owners' virtual meeting, Jim Trotter reports. Russia is …. We can pretend we only wanna watch good games, or we can face facts. Pakistan comes into the semifinals ….

Please enter an email address. Something went wrong. Three '72 Dolphins won't visit White House because of Obama. Bob Kuechenberg, in his playing days.