Bob Kuechenberg, a driving force on the Super Bowl-winning Miami Dolphins teams of the 1970s including the undefeated 1972 squad, has died at the age of 71.
His death Saturday was confirmed by the Dolphins on Sunday, who had no further details.
A native of Gary, Indiana, Kuechenberg, who was named a five-time All-Pro guard, played at Notre Dame before he was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 1969 NFL draft.
Kuechenberg, who was also known by his nickname, “Kooch,” never played for the Eagles, who cut him. He then signed with the Atlanta Falcons, but they soon cut him, too. He ended up playing a year for a semi-pro team in Chicago before the Dolphins signed him as a free agent in 1970.
He played for the Dolphins until he retired at the age of 37 and was a key figure on what was viewed as one of the best offensive lines in NFL history.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Bob Kuechenberg,” the Dolphins wrote on Twitter.
Former Dolphins coach, Hall of Famer Don Shula, labeled Kuechenberg one of the toughest players he ever coached.
“He was one of the key performers on our championship team, leading by example every time he stepped on the field,” Shula said. “That was especially true in Super Bowl VIII, when he dominated Alan Page the entire game despite playing with a broken arm, a performance that was one of the keys to victory over the Vikings. You could count on Kooch to play well and to play hard.”
Shula pointed out that Kuechenberg was penalized for holding only 15 times throughout his accomplished career. He only missed four games in his 14 seasons playing professional football.
“I’ve coached a lot of Hall of Fame players, including a number of offensive linemen, and Kooch was as good as any of them,” Shula added. “I hope one day he gets that ultimate recognition by being enshrined in Canton. It’s an honor long overdue, and one he certainly deserves.”
Kuechenberg played for the Dolphins from 1970 to 1983. He started every game for the team that went 17-0 in 1972, and started 16 games for the team that repeated as Super Bowl champions in 1973.
He’s a member of the Dolphins’ Honor Roll, and played in six Pro Bowls and made the list of finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton several times, but was never elected.
South Florida Sun Sentinel sports columnist Dave Hyde argued in a 2009 column that Kuechenberg deserved to be in the Hall.
“Talk to players on the ’72 team (my credentials: I wrote a book on the ’72 team) and they’ll tell you he might have been their best lineman,” Hyde wrote.
“Larry Little and Jim Langer, of course, are in the Hall. So that tells you where Kooch stands. But those great ’72 teams weren’t the end Kuechenberg’s portfolio. It’s just the beginning.”
Kuechenberg was a finalist eight years in a row but in 2010 he failed to even get to the semifinals on the Hall of Fame ballot. Many from that legendary ’72 Dolphins team are already in the Hall of Fame, including fellow linemen Langer and Little, and the consensus among the Hall of Fame voters has been they felt that group has been sufficiently recognized.
Monday is the 46th anniversary of the Dolphins’ 14-7 victory against the Washington Redskins to complete their 17-0 season.
In 1984, Kuechenberg went on injured reserve and then in May 1985 announced his retirement.
At the time, Kuechenberg was the last remaining active player from that storied perfect season team.
In retirement, Kuechenberg got into art collecting, which surprised the people who knew him as a fierce competitor.
Langer, who said he stayed in touch with Kuechenberg, spoke with him in the past week and was shocked to learn of his death.
“He was the kind of guy you’d want in your foxhole,” Langer said. “He played hard and was very intense about the game, which was typical of our team. He was my roommate for 10 years, and we talked football damn near all the time.”
Kuechenberg is survived by his older brother, former Bears linebacker Rudy Kuechenberg.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
