BREAKING NEWSHoward Twilley, a receiver for undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins and Super Bowl winner, dies at age 81

BREAKING NEWSHoward Twilley, a receiver for undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins and Super Bowl winner, dies at age 81

Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the Miami Dolphins during the team’s perfect 1972 season and a Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Tulsa, has died. He was 81.

Twilley died Wednesday, according to a Tulsa spokesperson, who confirmed the death with his family. No cause of death was given.

Twilley caught a touchdown pᴀss in Super Bowl 7 against the Washington Redskins, a 14-7 victory that capped Miami’s 17-0 season. He also played for the team that repeated as Super Bowl champions the following season. 

He had 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns during an 11-year pro career that lasted until 1976.

At Tulsa, Twilley put up eye-popping numbers during the mid-1960s — an era when teams usually stuck to the ground game. He caught 261 pᴀsses for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns in college. His school record for career yards receiving stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022.

In 1965, Twilley was the Heisman runner-up to Southern California´s Mike Garrett. He had 134 catches for 1,779 yards that season — NCAA records that stood for more than two decades. He caught five touchdown pᴀsses against Louisville and had 230 yards receiving. He had 267 yards on 16 catches against Memphis, 242 yards on 18 receptions against Southern Illinois, 226 yards on 14 grabs against Cincinnati and 214 yards on 19 catches against Colorado State.

Howard Twilley, a receiver for the Dolphins during the team's perfect 1972 season, has died

Howard Twilley, a receiver for the Dolphins during the team’s perfect 1972 season, has died 

Twilley caught a touchdown pᴀss in Super Bowl 7 against the Washington Redskins

Twilley caught a touchdown pᴀss in Super Bowl 7 against the Washington Redskins

Twilley was the captain of the Academic All-America team in 1965, and the MVP of the 1966 Senior Bowl.

Minnesota selected Twilley in the 14th round of the 1966 National Football League draft and Miami chose him in the 12th round of the American Football League draft. He chose the Dolphins, a first-year team, and stayed with them his entire pro career.

After leaving football, Twilley owned and operated sporting goods stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. He considered running for Congress in Oklahoma in 1994, but chose instead to support another former Tulsa receiver, Steve Largent.

Twilley was inducted into the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired his No. 81 jersey.

Related Posts

Tom Brady names the NFL players he feared the most in his career

Tom Brady names the NFL players he feared the most in his career

After 23 seasons in the NFL, seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady took a number of hits across his career. Eventually, like a sommelier may have…

Aaron Rodgers sparks more marriage confusion as he leaves a gym in Los Angeles

Aaron Rodgers sparks more marriage confusion as he leaves a gym in Los Angeles

Aaron Rodgers has sparked more confusion about his marital status as the free agent quarterback was spotted on Wednesday without a ring on his finger. Rodgers, who…

Shedeur Sanders arrives for Cleveland Browns duty as rookie bids to put draft disaster behind him

Shedeur Sanders arrives for Cleveland Browns duty as rookie bids to put draft disaster behind him

Shedeur Sanders has arrived at the Browns’ rookie mini-camp as he looks to put his NFL Draft nightmare in the rearview mirror. The former Colorado pᴀsser –…

BREAKING NEWSCarolina Panthers release Jadeveon Clowney just one year into million contract

BREAKING NEWSCarolina Panthers release Jadeveon Clowney just one year into $20million contract

The Carolina Panthers have announced they are releasing defensive end Jadeveon Clowney after just one season. Clowney, 32, only signed a two-year contract worth $20million last summer. He played…

Giants took ‘one more swing’ on Cam Ward with last-second NFL draft call to тιтans

Giants took ‘one more swing’ on Cam Ward with last-second NFL draft call to тιтans

Joe Schoen knew what the outcome of this phone call would be. But as the general manager of a Giants team searching for a long-term answer at…

BREAKING NEWSNFL weighs in on Robert Prevost’s Pope election

BREAKING NEWSNFL weighs in on Robert Prevost’s Pope election

The NFL has weighed in on Robert Prevost Pope’s election, with white smoke coming out of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday.  The NFL posted…