Bob Heinz, Member of Dolphins’ Perfect 1972 Team, Dies at 79
Bob Heinz, a defensive lineman on the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 undefeated team and a two-time Super Bowl champion, died of natural causes in California on October 31. He was 79.
Heinz played on the Dolphins team that finished the 1972 regular season 14-0 and secured three playoff wins, including Super Bowl VII. The team remains the only one in NFL history to complete a perfect season. He was part of Miami’s “No-Name Defense,” which helped the club reach three consecutive Super Bowls and win two, in 1972 and 1973.
Miami drafted Heinz in the second round in 1969, after studying at the University of the Pacific and Delta College. He played 109 games for the Dolphins, including 11 playoff games, and finished his NFL career with a brief stint in Washington in 1978. He later worked as an advertising executive in California and was inducted into the University of the Pacific’s athletic Hall of Fame in 1988.
His son John said Heinz had been diagnosed with heart failure four years ago. Heinz is survived by his wife, Carol, their three children and two grandchildren. His family asked that donations be made to the Miami Dolphins Foundation instead of sending flowers.
Heinz died one day before Minnesota’s unbeaten run ended in a loss, leaving the 1972 Dolphins’ record intact for another season. Former teammate Larry Csonka celebrated the Vikings’ defeat online. Heinz’s obituary remembered his humor and affection for family and friends, as well as his fondness for cigars, bourbon, Jimmy Buffett and the San Francisco Giants.