Bill Stanfill, leader of Dolphins' legendary 'No-Name Defense', dies at 69
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Bill Stanfill, the leader of the "No-Name Defense" on the 1972 Miami Dolphins team that went undefeated, has died. He was 69.
Stanfill, an All-American defensive tackle at Georgia and winner of the Outland Trophy, was a four-time Pro Bowler in an eight-year career with Miami. He anchored the Dolphins defense along with Nick Buoniconti, winning back-to-back Super Bowls in 1972 and '73.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame along with coach Vince Dooley in 1998.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Bill was probably the greatest athlete as a lineman I ever coached," Dooley told The Associated Press. "He could have been a great tight end as well. Against the triple option, he was the only player that could take the quarterback, the dive back, and the pitch man. Bill was a great person, great warrior, and a great Bulldog."
Stanfill's health suffered after his football career and he was featured in a 2001 Sports Illustrated article that detailed the myriad physical problems he endured. He was forced to use a walker after hip-replacement surgery and still felt the effects of a near-fatal injury from a 1975 preseason game. He banged heads with a teammate and nearly severed his spinal cord.
He was hospitalized after a bad fall earlier this year and suffered complications during treatment. He died in hospice care in Albany, Ga.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"Just wish I'd made some of the money they're making today," he told SI. "It would make this a lot easier to live with."