Griese Sees Bright Future With Dolphins
Bob Griese, the Dolphins’ No. 1 draft choice, is looking forward to a June honeymoon in Miami. He is also aware that in July the honeymoon will be over.
Then
the well-publicized Purdue quarterback will forget his clippings, leave his
bride and become one of six quarterbacks in the camp of the Dolphins at Boca
Raton.
Griese
has no illusions, nor is he awed at the prospect of professional football.
An
articulate senior, who will graduate in June from the School of Industrial
Management before marrying Judy Lassus of Fort Wayne, Ind., Griese is aware
of the football transition, he must make but is confident he can help the
Dolphins.
“I’ve
weighed the advantages of being drafted by a contending team or by one that
needs a lift,” said Griese Tuesday from the Purdue campus at Lafayette, Ind.
"I think it's better this way. I realize the Dolphins are not winning
yet. Still, I'm real pleased to join a young, upcoming club with a bright
future.
“I’ve
always been of the opinion I could add value to any team and help it win.
I don’t want to sound egotistical, but I think I can do it for Miami.
How
many quarterbacks will there be in camp?
Six?" he asked. He was told that the others are John Stofa, George
Wilson Jr., Rick Norton, Eddie Wilson and Jon Brittenum, the Arkansas redshirt
who will be the other rookie signal-caller.
“Well,"
said Griese, "I want to get started, I think I can do the job.”
The
6-1, 190-pounder did the job at Purdue. In three seasons he set school records
with 348 completions of 609 passes for 4,402 yards, a 571 percentage and 4,829
yards of total offense. Griese rushed for 427 yards in 264 carries, scored
42 touchdowns (28 by passing) 75 extra points and 10 field goals.
He
has been closely compared with Steve Spurrier, the Florida quarterback.
"Yeah,
I’ve heard of Spurrier," he said, laughing. “A pretty fair quarterback.
But if my performance lives up to my expectations, people in Miami won't be
sorry.
"By
the way," Griese asked, "How do they feel in Miami about the football
team?"
He
was advised that attendance averaged; 26,000 and that the customers showed
enthusiasm.
“Hmmm.
How many does the stadium hold?" he wanted to know.
He was told
that the Orange Bowl holds 70,000 and is being expanded to hold 75,000.
“Well that’s
pretty good. It’s probably difficult to sell season tickets with, a stadium
that size. Too many seats available.”
The
22-year-old Griese led the Boilermakers to an 8-2 record as a junior and 9-2
last year, including a 14-13 victory over Southern California in the Rose
Bowl.
“I’m
not gonna’ try to bleed anybody,” he said in discussing a possible bonus.
"I just want to get started in pro football as soon as possible. I hope
to come to Miami in the spring and talk. I was there last summer as a visitor
and liked it.”
Like
Spurrier, Griese can kick as well as pass.
“I
have confidence in my placekicking, even though I didn’t do much of it at
Purdue,” he said. I think I kicked six and made four, although I’m not certain.
My longest was 42 yards.
“A
quarterback, you know, has mixed emotions about kicking. In fourth down situations
close to the goal line I felt on the one hand I could get a sure three by
kicking, and on the other hand that we could make the offense go for a first
down or a touchdown.
Coach
(Jack) Mollenkopf usually preferred to go for it on the ground or by passing.
But I realize the field goal is a much more frequent weapon in the pros.
“I’m
also anxious to try my hand at audibles as a pro,” he said. "We used
a lot of automatics at Purdue. I feel that's the great challenge of the quarterback,
to read defenses and change off at the line of scrimmage."