Bob Griese

At 79 years old, Bob Griese has this physical status:

Robert Allen Griese (pronounced GREE-see), a former American football quarterback who received All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the Miami Dolphins, a former football quarterback.

Griese led the Dolphins to three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, including two Super Bowl victories against Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in VII and VIII (a feat since being matched by Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in four consecutive super bowls), and Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Super Bowls LI, LII, and LIII).

Griese was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1990, as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He worked as a television commentator, presenting NFL games for NBC Sports and college football for ESPN and ABC Sports.

Griese is one of three quarterbacks from Purdue to win the Super Bowl (along with Len Dawson and Drew Brees).

Early life

Griese was born in Evansville, Indiana, to Ida (Ulrich) and Sylverious "Slick" Griese. When Bob was ten years old, Slick owned a plumbing company in Evansville and died in 1955. Bob was primarily a baseball pitcher and excelled as a pitcher. At Rex Mundi High School in Evansville, he also competed in basketball and football. He received 12 varsity letters for the Monarchs.

Griese coached his American Legion Baseball team, Funkhouser Post #8 of Evansville, Indiana, to the American Legion Baseball World Series as the Region 5 champion in 1963. His team did not qualify for the finals, but the Arthur L. Peterson Post of Long Beach, California, claimed the honor.

He led the basketball team to the No. 1 position in the NBA. During the 1962-1963 season, one of the top 100 in Indiana, with a record of 19–3. He scored 900 points in his high school career, but he was not voted All-Sectional, so he was unable to lead the Monarchs past Evansville Bosse in the highly competitive Evansville IHSAA Sectional.

As he was named 1st Team All-City for three seasons, the Monarchs were 15-5 during his junior (9–1) and Senior (6–4) seasons. After being accepted by several colleges for football, Bob chose Purdue, where he studied Business Administration and became a three-sport celebrity.

Life after football

Griese, a 1982 Griese, decided to work as an announcer for NBC Sports, teaming with Charlie Jones for NFL games, in order to stay up to date with the game. When he was there, he called Super Bowl XX.

Griese was hired by ABC Sports in 1987, where he began to provide color commentary for college football games.

Griese used to play in the 1999, 2001, and 2005 BCS National Championship games while at ABC.

Brian Griese, a teenager who played for the Michigan Wolverines, had many chances to watch him play for ABC Griese. Fearing a conflict of interest, ABC was first reluctant to allow Griese to broadcast Michigan games. However, when they decided to give it a try, Bob remained as objective and professional as he could be, even referring to his son as "Griese" rather than Brian and calling out mistakes when he felt necessary.

Bob was able to watch the Rose Bowl game, the last college game of his son's career, on January 1, 1998. Brian was named MVP of the game, leading his Wolverines to an undefeated season and a national championship crown after their Rose Bowl win. Bob and Brian were ill at the time as they considered Bob's wife Judi, who died of breast cancer in 1988 but who was still smiling at that moment. Unefeated, Bob and Brian's book (ISBN 0-7852-7021-3), which addressed not only their football but also their love for Judi.

Brian, a retired quarterback and broadcaster, spent time with the Denver Broncos and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as later broadcasting games for ESPN and ABC.

Griese appeared as the lead commentator on ESPN's noon college football broadcasts during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. On February 3, 2011, he resigned from ESPN.

Since 2002, Bob Griese has been an analyst for the Miami Dolphins' preseason television broadcasts.

Bob Griese joined the Dolphins Radio Broadcast team as a color commentator in 2011, swapping former teammate Jim Mandich for former teammate Jim Mandich.

Personal life

After graduating, Griese married Judi Lassus in June 1967, and they had three sons together. Judi, a nurse, died of breast cancer at the age of 44 in early 1988. Shay and his second wife, Karen, now live in Jupiter, Florida, and Banner Elk, North Carolina. Brian Griese (b. ) is his youngest son. (also played quarterback in the NFL in 1975) was a footballer who played quarterback in the NFL.

Griese appeared on Wheel of Fortune in 2006: he won the $100,000 grand prize and donated his $114,310 total winnings to Judi's House.

Griese's 1975 was named as the American Academy of Achievement's Best In 1975, he received the Golden Plate Award.

Source

College career

While at Purdue, Bob became a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

Griese played for the Purdue baseball team, went 12-1 on the season, as well as serving as a backup guard and punter for the Purdue football team. Griese was involved in at least four football games, one of which was in some way responsible for all of Purdue's points.

Griese ranks #10 in all-time scoring at Purdue, where he ranked fifth in all-time scoring and fourth among kickers as of the 2016 NCAA football season. Griese's passing skills have greatly increased under the tutelage of head coach Jack Mollenkopf and quarterback Bob DeMoss.

Griese completed 19 of 22 passes in his junior year at Purdue, defeating the Boilermakers to an unexpected victory.

Griese, a two-time All-American at Purdue, finished at No. 1 on the charts, a two-time All-American. Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier was 8 in the 1965 Heisman Trophy run-up to Steve Spurrier in the 1966 Heisman Trophy. Purdue came in second in the Big Tenny in 1966, and he was in charge of the school's first appearance in the Rose Bowl, where they defeated USC 14-13. In 1992, he was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. He was also recognized with the Big Ten Award for excellence in athletics and academics.

Griese's contributions during his college career earned him induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984. Purdue does not have a policy of stripping jersey numbers, but he was inducted as the inaugural member of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

Griese on "The Mount Rushmore of Purdue Football" was selected by online fan vote on December 11, 2014. Drew Brees, Rod Woodson, and Leroy Keyes represented Griese in the service.

Professional career

Griese was selected by the Miami Dolphins as the fourth player in the 1967 Common Draft. Griese's rookie year, he ran for 2,005 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Griese, a student at the University of Florida, spent two years with the Dolphins, winning AFL All-Star or AFC Pro Bowl recognition in six other seasons. Though he never put up huge numbers, his leadership was instrumental in the Dolphins' triumph in three consecutive Super Bowls, as well as the second two tournaments.

Griese was the team's second-string quarterback behind John Stofa, who started the season as the team's second-string quarterback. Griese stepped in and led the Dolphins to a 35–21 victory over the Denver Broncos after Stofa broke his ankle in the first quarter of the 1967 season. The expansion Dolphins' 1967, 1968, and 1969 seasons were difficult for them. Coach George Wilson was suspended after a tough 1969 season that was worse than the 1968 season.

Don Shula from the Baltimore Colts was brought on by Dolphin owner Joe Robbie in 1970, and the team's image and fortunes changed quickly. The Dolphins found a new discipline and learned what it takes to be a winning team. They went from a 3–10–1 record in 1969 to 10–4 in 1970, winning the playoffs.

In 1971, the Dolphins made it to the Super Bowl by defeating the Dallas Cowboys 24–3. Griese received the Jim Thorpe Trophy from the 1971 Newspaper Enterprise Association Most Valuable Player award, as well as the 1971 Newspaper Enterprise Association's Most Valuable Player award.

The Dolphins won their first four games of the 1972 season. Bob Griese was tackling he was weak by Deacon Jones and Ron East of the San Diego Chargers in the fifth game of the season, and he went down with a broken leg and dislocated ankle. Earl Morrall, a rookie on Shula's former team, led the Dolphins through the remainder of the regular season and set a new record. During this season, Morrall led the NFL in five passing categories, including passer rating. The Dolphins were not as strong as they wanted to be to go deep into the playoffs, barely winning over the Cleveland Browns, a team that should have thrashed easily. The team got off to a shaky start against the Pittsburgh Steelers in their second game of the playoffs. Griese asked Griese at halftime, but the Dolphins beat the Steelers by a score of 21–17, securing their second straight Super Bowl appearance.

Despite their undefeated season, the Dolphins were rated as two point underdogs to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins' offense continued to be a hit in the system that brought them together, with their perfect ball control routine. Larry Csonka rushed for over 120 yards on 8 of 11 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown. Washington's only point was on a returned blocked field goal, and Miami beat Miami 14-7.

Griese led another strong Dolphins team in 1973, but they did not make it to the playoffs unbeaten. The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 for their third straight season.

Griese and the Dolphins had an 11–3 regular-season record in 1974, but they lost to the Oakland Raiders in the divisional round of the playoffs.

Griese and the Dolphins got off to a good start in 1975 but Griese suffered a broken toe and was out for the remainder of the season. The Dolphins finished a decent 10-4, but they missed out on the playoffs for the first time in the Shula period.

Many injuries were suffered by the Dolphins in 1976, and the team finished the season at 6-8, the first time Don Shula has had a losing season in his career.

Both Griese and the Dolphins were on a rebounding year in 1977; he began wearing eyeglasses on the field. Griese defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 5-14 on Thanksgiving, 1977. With 55 points, the Dolphins would set a franchise record for the most points scored in a single game. Of note, the Dolphins will score eight touchdowns and have 34 first downs. While Bob led the AFC in touchdown passes, the Dolphins' return to a 10–4 record was not enough to propel the team to the playoffs.

In a preseason game, Bob tore ligaments in his knee. However, when he returned to school, he was just as good a passer as he had been the previous year. Griese dueled with Oiler running back Earl Campbell in an offensive slugfest in one game against the Houston Oilers (nationally telecast on ABC's Monday Night Football). Griese threw for over 300 yards, and Campbell rushed for almost 200 yards. The Oilers won the game 35-33. Griese made the most of his passes in the Dolphins last year, defeating the Oilers in the playoffs.

Bob suffered with leg pains that affected his throwing in 1979. He was not as efficient, and he started to hear some criticism. However, he was able to lead the Dolphins to a 10–6 record. In the Divisional round of the playoffs, the Dolphins were dominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Griese had discovered in 1980 that he had lost his starting spot in the team to either Don Strock or rookie David Woodley. However, Griese came off the bench for several games in a row to lead comeback victories. Griese returned to his starting position in the season's fifth game, but the Baltimore Colts' Mike Ozdowski struck the ground hard. The tackle tore up Bob's shoulder, and he was out for the remainder of the year. Griese's decision to pull out of the game at the age of 35 was due to the injury. In 1990, Bob was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He had dubbed his own plays throughout his career, earning him his reputation as the "Thinking Man's Quarterback." Joe Robbie, the Dolphins' owner, was described as "the cornerstone of the brand" by Robbie, who was not aware that the Miami Dolphins were built. Robbie asked Griese to serve as an assistant coach for another year as a mentor for Strock and the young Woodley as they teamed up to become the iconic “Woodstrock” in 1981, despite Bob's inability to devote more time to his family but also loved being part of the sport. (Sources for Pro Football Career Discovered in Undefeated by Bob Griese, 2000, and Don Shula, 1974.)

Bob Griese, the Miami Dolphins, had the highest winning percentage in all professional sports in the 1970s, but he was forced to miss numerous games in 1972, 1975, and 1978.

He threw for 25,092 yards and 192 touchdowns in Griese's 14 pro seasons. Griese was also rushed for 994 yards and seven scores. Griese, the six-time Dolphins' MVP, was All-Pro in 1971 and 1977. He appeared in two AFL All-Star games and six Pro Bowls.

During a Monday Night Football game in 1985, the Dolphins won the telecast on ABC, the network that would prominently be featured in his post-football career.

Source