Doug Betters and Bob Baumhower to be inducted into Dolphins' Honor Roll

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamiherald.com/1262/story/565473.html

CHATTER

• Though Dolphins rookie Phillip Merling had modest sack numbers at Clemson (10 in 38 games), Miami expects that to change. ''His pass-rushing [will be maximized] by a 3-4 scheme,'' defensive-line coach Kacy Rodgers said. . . . A battle brews at fullback, where Boomer Grigsby and Reagan Mauia are splitting first-team snaps. Grigsby is an interesting character: He has a tattoo in Hebrew (``power, strength, valor''), is a two-time national trampoline champion and never played fullback until the Chiefs moved him from linebacker last summer. ``I feel like I've found my calling.''

• Look for Doug Betters and Bob Baumhower to be announced as inductees into the Dolphins' Honor Roll. They edged out John Offerdahl.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

Great!!!  Two members of the Killer B's. 

[Brian Fein]

seriously?  Are we just running out of "good" players?

Let's put Zach Thomas up there now...  why wait?

[BigDaddyFin]

They may be two of the best defensive linemen not in the hall of fame, but it makes me wonder why they were picked over Bill Stanfill and former team sack leader Vern Den Herder.

Bob Baumhower was one of my favorite players to read and learn about, as was Doug Betters and (for his versatility) AJ Duhe.

[ethurst2]

They may be two of the best defensive linemen not in the hall of fame, but it makes me wonder why they were picked over Bill Stanfill and former team sack leader Vern Den Herder.

Bob Baumhower was one of my favorite players to read and learn about, as was Doug Betters and (for his versatility) AJ Duhe.

I don't think that we'll be seeing any more guys from that Dolphins Dynasty (70-74) up there because most of them were a part of that 72 team. Guys from that team are already in the Ring of Fame.

Baumhower and Betters were good choices. Many people forget how good Baumhower was as a nose guard. Betters was a great pass rusher.

It's gonna be hard for guys like A.J. Duhe, John Offerdahl and even the Bruise Brothers (Glenn and Lyle Blackwood to get in because their careers either got cut short or ended up in injury). A.J. Duhe was one of the best inside linebackers that I'd ever seen play the game and if he would have stayed healthy, had a shot at the Hall of Fame. He totally, almost singlehandedly dismantled the Jets in the 1982 AFC Championship Game at the OB. You could line A.J. up anywhere on the line of scrimmage and he would still make a play.

[YoFuggedaboutit]

A.J. Duhe was one of the best inside linebackers that I'd ever seen play the game and if he would have stayed healthy, had a shot at the Hall of Fame. He totally, almost singlehandedly dismantled the Jets in the 1982 AFC Championship Game at the OB. You could line A.J. up anywhere on the line of scrimmage and he would still make a play.

I remember that game.  Duhe intercepted 3 passes from Richard Todd and took one back for a TD.  The Jets coach at the time accused the Dolphins of making the water flood on the field so it would be muddy on purpose.

[BigDaddyFin]

Point of Exception, Tommy, if I may. 

Nick Bouniconti has his own spot in the ring.  Now maybe because he was head and shoulders as a player and also largely due to his work in the Miami Project and his other charities, I think he'd be a damn good color commentator in his own right now that Inside the NFL is over.

Don't remember if Manny Fernandez is on the ring of honor but if not he should be.

[DZA]

seriously?  Are we just running out of "good" players?

Let's put Zach Thomas up there now...  why wait?

I think it will be like 10yrs from now that Zach and JT will be up there 

[DolFan619]

I think it will be like 10yrs from now that Zach and JT will be up there 

  Hardly.  The day these two retire, they're automatic locks.

[DolFan619]

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/news/andycohen.asp?contentID=5863

Dolphins Honoring The Right Two Players

June 17, 2008

Presented By
Andy Cohen

It is only fair that the Killer B's receive some recognition.

They represented an impressive time for the Miami Dolphins defense, a group that was linked by much more than merely the same letter that began many of their last names. They were linked by intelligence, by tenacity, by the belief that together they could be best. And for a long time from the late 1970s to well into the 1980s, they were among the best. Every season. Every game. Every down.

That the Dolphins chose to honor Doug Betters and Bob Baumhower from this group of Beloved B's, by adding them to the team's prestigious Honor Roll, is clearly a tribute to both men. But it is also a tribute to all of their Brother B's. Glenn Blackwood. Lyle Blackwood. Bob Brudzinski. Charles Bower. Kim Bokamper. All solid players. All class acts.

It is true that Betters and Baumhower were the most deserving from this group. Betters was the Jason Taylor of a different time, a dominating force from the outside who compiled sack totals in an impressive manner. Baumhower, you could make the argument, was the best nose tackle in the NFL for a period of time. He ate up blocking schemes. Hardly a Sunday passed when Baumhower wasn't a major factor in the game.

Together, they led a group that won five AFC East titles and made it to a pair of Super Bowls. The first Super Bowl, after the 1982 season, belonged to this defense. It was ranked No. 1 in the NFL that year, giving up some ridiculously low average of total yards each game.

With a no-name quarterback in David Woodley and without much big firepower on offense, it was this defense that made all the difference. While Dan Marino got most of the credit for the second Super Bowl visit two years later, don't lose sight of what the Killer B's did to get them there.

Marino has already enjoyed his moment on the Dolphins Honor Roll. So have his receivers Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. And his center and tackle in Dwight Stephenson and Richmond Webb. It is time for the other side of the ball to be heard from. Up until now, the only individual defenders on the Honor Roll are Dick Anderson and Nick Buoniconti and they were from a different time, more than a decade before Betters and Baumhower came along.

In a way, it is ironic that Betters' and Baumhower's names will go up on the stadium at halftime of a game this season against San Francisco. It was the 49ers who inflicted one of the worst defeats on this defense in Super Bowl XIX. That may have been their best chance for a championship and they would never get so close again.

But when you think of their careers and what they accomplished, Betters and Baumhower have nothing to be ashamed of. They could have played in any era on any team and have enjoyed the same kind of success.

I was fortunate to be able to cover both players for most of their careers. It was an interesting time. Practices weren't closed to the media with such great regularity. The locker was open much of the time and there was a lot of interaction between players and press back then, especially at the old Biscayne College training facility where we shared the same parking lot and, on some days, would sit around talking life when the tape recorders weren't turned on.

Baumhower and Betters were two of the players who would always let us into their lives.

At first Baumhower would try to intimidate you with that evil stare. But then, after you refused to bow down, he would replace that stare with a warm smile and a sincere conversation. Baumhower was a big, imposing man. He relied both on strength and quickness to separate himself from others. Nobody I knew back then wanted to win as much as he did. As approachable as he was on a Wednesday afternoon, you didn't want to cross his path after a tough Sunday loss. He was a warrior, starting 86 straight games to open his career.

And he was the type of player Don Shula coveted, a player who shared so many of Shula's values. I wondered if Baumhower would ever get honored during his post career years. Nose tackles just don't find the spotlight very often. It is a credit to the Dolphins that enough people around there remembered what Bob Baumhower was all about. Today Baumhower is a successful businessman. Not surprising.

Betters today is in a wheelchair, the result of a terrible accident years ago. It is hard to fathom, this once giant of a man who looked so imposing with that red beard and that 6-foot-7 frame, having to use a wheelchair to move around. Once upon a time he used those powerful legs and arms to gain an advantage. Now those days seem like so long ago.

I can still vividly remember that remarkable two-year run in 1983 and 1984 when Betters combined for 30 sacks, the first 16 in 1983 when some believed he was the best overall defensive lineman in the league. Betters was so much fun to watch, in many ways like Jason Taylor has been fun to watch over the last decade. His arms were always moving. No quarterback, or so it seemed, could escape from his menacing grasp.

As violent and intimidating as he was on the field, Betters was the opposite off the field. He was soft spoken and cerebral and he would talk your ear off about almost anything. When we wanted someone to put things in perspective, it was always easy to turn to Doug Betters. He would stand there outside the Dolphin weight room, and tell you exactly how he felt. There were no time restrictions. Betters was a treat, both on and off the field.

For those who weren't fortunate enough to see these two play, believe me when I say the Dolphins have made a wise choice in honoring them. For those who did see them play, well, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

It'll be a special night when the names Betters and Baumhower are added to the 17 other names already surrounding the stadium. No, they don't carry the punch of a Marino, a Griese, a Csonka or a Warfield. But in the 40-plus year history of this organization, in evaluating which players in what eras had the greatest impact; Betters and Baumhower belong to be there.

Two of the most imposing Killer B's are getting their due. And, at least from this viewpoint, it's about time.