Joe Robbie is being remembered as a tough and proud man who withstood considerable criticism in a quarter-century as the owner of the Miami Dolphins.
Robbie, the only owner in the history of the two-time Super Bowl champions, died Sunday at age 73, Coach Don Shula said.Robbie died in a Miami-area hospital of an undisclosed ailment.
"I was aware he was seriously ill, but I only found out about this a half hour ago, and it's still a shock," Shula said late Sunday night.
"Nobody wanted to win more than Joe Robbie did, when you think back on Joe Robbie, you think about the good times, the Super Bowl years," Shule added.
Born July 7, 1916, in Sisseton, S.D., Robbie had been a successful trial lawyer before getting involved in football at age 49. He secured the Dolphins franchise in the American Football League in August 1965.
In building the team and Joe Robbie Stadium, to which he moved the Dolphins in 1987, he overcame fierce opposition and skepticism.
"He is the toughest man, pound for pound, I have ever met in football," said Norris Anderson, long-time columnist for Football News.
Robbie hired Shula, who had taken the Baltimore Colts to two NFL championship games, in 1970. In his first season, Shula improved the Dolphins' record from 3-10-1 in 1969 to 10-4.
Two years later, the team was 17-0 - still the best record in league history - and the Dolphins were NFL champions.
They were champions again in 1973. The team has won five AFC titles and has pro football's best record since the 1970 NFL-AFL merger.
In 1984, Robbie announced plans to build his own privately financed stadium. The notion was greet with laughter.
Robbie put up all his possessions - including the franchise - as collateral.