No Lie: A.j. Duhe’s Honesty Led To ’83 Super Bowl, Miami Dolphins Drafting Dan Marino

[DKphin]

A.J. Duhe returns one of his three interceptions for a touchdown to beat the Jets in the 1982 AFC title game. (Palm Beach Post file photo by Alan Zlotky)

A.J. Duhe could not tell a lie, and it’s because of his honesty that he ended up a Miami Dolphin.

And because of that, the Dolphins reached the 1983 Super Bowl.

And because of that, they ended up in position to land Dan Marino.

There’s a decent chance some — all? — of those fortunate occurrences would not have befallen the Dolphins had Duhe not been so forthcoming when he was entering the league.

http://dailydolphin.blog.palmbeachp...uper-bowl-miami-dolphins-drafting-dan-marino/

 

[jlfin]

Elite player who should be in HOF

 

[finmann]

That's a great story.......although it was a little before my time.

 

[Danny]

I watched that game and the first person that Shula hugged was Bill Arnsparger for the great game plan and great job his defense did

 

[TheJetsBlow]

Great story.

 

[andyahs]

Good stuff. Loved Duhe.

 

[GasPed]

Elite player who should be in HOF

He was a great player when he wasn't injured, but HOF?? He played 8 seasons, and probably only started 2/3 of those games due to injury.

 

[jlfin]

He was a great player when he wasn't injured, but HOF?? He played 8 seasons, and probably only started 2/3 of those games due to injury.

As I stated in an earlier thread, had it not been for injuries and longevity
He was an elite player and a game changer and someone offensive coordinators had to gameplan for.
He was a hybrid defender before it became trendy.
In fact, he made such an impact that Shula spent the rest of his career trying to find another one. That’s how we got stuck with Kumerow and Rick Graf.

 

[Digital]

Glad to have had AJ Duhe. But, he had nothing to do with us getting Dan Marino. Although, there is a rumor, which many Dolphins of that time seem to believe, that the phantom crisis that led to Dan Marino sliding was an unconfirmed drug problem rumor that cropped up the day of or day before the draft--too late for teams to verify or rule out--and that this strange and late rumor might have generated from one Don Shula.

Now, Shula plays dumb, said he never heard the rumor and would never have believed such a thing so late. Shula claims to have called Tom Olivadotti, the Pittsburgh Coach at the time, and asked him why Dan was sliding, to which Olivadotti replied "I don't know Coach, but take him!"

According to everyone in the Dolphins War Room during that draft Shula was focused on only one player, Dan Marino. Other people kept trying to dissuade him from Marino as he slid, and they each had their own alternate candidates ... but Shula kept pounding the table saying "I WANT MARINO!" Eventually Marino fell to the Dolphins at 27, Shula got his way, ESPN's Chris "Back Back Back Back Back" Berman and Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z said it was a bad pick, and then Dan Marino came to Miami and re-wrote the NFL record books on his way to Canton.

There definitely is someone 'responsible' for the Marino to Miami thing ... but it wasn't AJ Duhe. I guess we'll never know for sure who that was, but I have a hunch it the stories about Shula were true ... because there are an awful lot of Dolphins players from that era that swear by that story.

 

[circumstances]

I was at that game in the OB.