Dolphins Bid for Mira, Get Rejected
by Edwin Pope
Wednesday, March 15, 1967
IT WAS quarterbacks' day for conversation, including the considerable list of Dolphin signal-callers after the Miami club drafted Purdue's Bob Griese as No. 1.
John Stofa finished up the Dolphins' first season as No. 1 by throwing for four touchdowns against Houston. He heard the news about Griese after finishing up his daily teaching chores at Lennox Elementary School in Daytona Beach.
"It's going to be interesting," said Stofa in superb understatement. "It furnishes more incentive . . . not that there hasn't been plenty all along."
The other four Dolphin quarterbacks are Rick Norton, George Wilson, Jr., Eddie Wilson and Jon Brittenum of Arkansas.
The acquisition of Griese means "a little more competition" to Norton, who is trying to get his weight back up from 160 after his jaw was broken at mid-season.
George Wilson, Jr., who started five games before going to the bench with a shoulder injury, said he thought Griese "will help us." But he added: "It's going to be the same as last year. The one who does the best in summer practice will be the starter.”
Eddie Wilson is coaching this spring at his University of Arizona. He seemed more concerned with overcoming the knee injury that sidelined him all of 1966 than with the addition of Griese.
'The knee's coming along," said Eddie. "I'm planning on being around."
One Dolphin attempt to trade the veteran Wilson fell through Tuesday. He still may be trade-bait.
JOE THOMAS, Dolphin personnel director, noted: "At least now we're able to draft in an intelligent manner. I mean, teams are able to draft the players they need instead of just the ones they think they can sign."
The Griese thing didn't come out quite that way. The Dolphins nabbed Griese simply because you don't bypass one of the two best available college quarterbacks. Michigan State running back Clint Jones, highly coveted by all, was picked up before the Dolphins got a shot at him.
The Dolphs also had eyes for Gene Trosch, the Miami defensive tackle who got away to Kansas City. And their No. 1 offensive line choice would have been Boston College guard Bob Hyland. The Green Bay Packers nailed Hyland first.
With some players, a club knows it is going to get greatness. At quarterback you never are sure. Griese is no different.
"You never can be certain," smiled Tom Keane, Dolphin secondary coach. "The Los Angeles Rams drafted ' me as a quarterback from West Virginia in 1948." He added wryly. “They already had Bob Waterfield and Jim Hardy." Keane never played a minute at quarterback.
Hopefully the Griese
choice will work out much better.