A ’72 Dolphins’ 50th anniversary celebration: Five questions with left tackle Doug Crusan

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Dolphins’ Perfect Season, The Miami Herald is running weekly conversations with members of the 1972 team that went 17-0.

Five questions with left tackle Doug Crusan, who started 61 games in seven seasons for the Dolphins, including nine starts in ‘72 after coming back from preseason Achilles and calf injuries:

▪ What one memory stands out from that ‘72 season?

“The fifth game when Bob Griese went down and Earl Morrall came in. As the left tackle, your job just got enhanced 10 times.

“Here is Earl, 38 years old at that point, and he comes in and you say, ‘Oh my gosh.’ It’s not that we didn’t protect Bob. But it became more impactful [being down a quarterback and protecting the backup]. That brought the offensive line tighter together.”

▪ Between the offensive line — with you, Larry Little, Jim Langer, Norm Evans and Bob Kuechenberg, plus Wayne Moore and Al Jenkins — and the running backs (Larry Csonka, Jim Kiick, Mercury Morris), that was a special group. Why were the combination of you guys so good collectively with the running game?

“You had three backs with three different styles of running. With Mercury, it was speed and quick feet. Larry was big and physical and from his waist down, those were some tree trunks. If you got him rolling, that was it.

“You had Merc outside, Csonka in the middle and Kiick in between them. So you are throwing out three backs that were all different. You defend them differently, which made it interesting as offensive linemen [to block for them].

“As linemen, [former Dolphins assistant coach] Monte Clark taught us you were to hit and turn so your butt could take a picture of the running back going through. We had to get those three backs somewhere quickly.”

PERFECT MEMORIES

Join us each Wednesday as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the perfect 1972 team

▪ Why was this particular team the only one able to accomplish this incredible achievement, beyond Don Shula’s coaching?

“When you look at that team, there were awesome skill players — the backs, Paul Warfield, Marv Fleming at tight end; Howard Twilley.

“The other thing was when coach [Bill] Arnsparger came up with the 53 defense. That was unique when Bob Matheson would come in and stand there; you didn’t know if he would rush or drop back in the flat for a pass.

“When I look at that season and see how defenses [have evolved] later in life, that was a throw-off to opposing teams. Nick Buoniconti would trick you, and the four defensive linemen were big, strong and very good. And then you had Matheson throwing people off, not knowing what’s coming next. That wasn’t the standard 4-3 defense that everyone used at the time.”

Crusan indicated Arnsparger was ahead of his time, going to a semblance of a 3-4 defensive look that is often used in the modern game.

▪ You wear your ‘72 Super Bowl ring everywhere you go. Why? And how often do you get stopped?

“I wear it because I’m proud of it. It was an accomplishment. My wife and I went out [recently] to get a passport, went to lunch and people say, ‘Nice ring.’ That happens all the time. Some people are embarrassed to say, ‘What’s it for?’

“My wife and I spent 75 days in Islamorada this year, and we are more popular now than when we [went 17-0]. It’s amazing. Everyone knows the 17-0 Dolphins. I had a guy doing some work at my house on my screen and he saw the ring and said, ‘Is that your favorite team or did you play?’ It’s a conversation piece.”

Crusan says he always poses for pictures when people ask for one.

And “I get four to six things a week to sign. I do sign them and send them back. Someone cares enough on the other end to mail it. If I sign my name on four or five index cards, one of them will end up on eBay or whatever.”

▪ Unsung hero on that team?

“Larry Seiple. He punted, had the fake punt in the [AFC Championship Game] in Pittsburgh. He also was a utility player who could do a lot of things. It was Marv Fleming, Jim Mandich and Seiple on the depth chart at tight end. He could be a running back if he had to.”