We would like to honor the legendary Miami Dolphin’s Coach Don Shula that died on May 4, at age 90
Don Shula is a father to five kids and the coach with the most wins in the National Football League (NFL). He had 347 career victories, including 19 in the postseason, and his 1972 team remains the only NFL team to win the Super Bowl with an undefeated record.
Shula was the head coach for the Miami Dolphins for 26 years. He lived in Miami Lakes in the 1970s and 80s, with his family, and beyond that, he built restaurants, hotels, and golf courses in Miami Lakes. These businesses, along with his outstanding record and his family-first attitude, put Miami in the national sports scene and contribute immensely to Shula’s legacy.
To honor this legacy and everything Shula contributed to the South Florida community, District 13 Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo plans to propose resolution in his remembrance.
“Coach Shula was a dominating presence for many of us that grew up in the ‘70s. Don Shula did so much for our community, possibly putting Miami Dade County on the map. Thanks to Coach Shula, the Dolphins were the uniting force that brought our community together during the Cuban migration,”.
Commissioner Esteban Bovo
“He was a man that commanded respect and did everything with integrity. If God has a football team, they just got a new coach.”
Commissioner Esteban Bovo
In addition to the Commissioner’s kind words, a video was released of Nat Moore, former Dolphins receiver and current senior vice president of special projects and alumni relations with the Miami Dolphins franchise. Moore thanked the Commissioner for his desire to pay tribute to the “patriarch of the Miami Dolphins franchise.”
Shula emulated the essence of being a patriarch. He took care of his children and his family with the utmost amount of love. He guided his team with love, determination, and pride—all qualities that contributed to making him a wonderful father, and qualities that should be honored this Father’s Day.
“If there were a Mount Rushmore for the NFL, Don Shula would be chiseled into the granite,” said Stephen M. Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins.
In the video, Moore added that the proposal of a resolution by Commissioner Bovo has come at a perfect time, considering that the Dolphins have kicked off their professional tribute to Don Shula at the Hard Rock Stadium as of Friday, May 22. Fans were able to pay their respects to Shula on May 22 and 23 by visiting Shula’s bronze statue that sits outside the stadium.
During this tribute, social distancing guidelines are expected to be followed and no personal items may be brought to the statue.
This tribute is just one of several ways the Dolphins plan to honor Shula, according to Moore. The team plans to continue to honor their fallen coach and father figure as the COVID-19 guidelines for public health and safety allow.
“I know we will do something; we’re just not sure what. Without a doubt, the legacy of Don Shula will last forever, and we—and when I say ‘we’ I’m speaking not only of the alumni but also the Miami Dolphins—will figure out the best way to honor him,” Moore said in a statement to the Miami Herald.
This Father’s Day, our condolences and prayers are sent out to Shula’s family, friends, and the Dolphins franchise. May Coach Don Shula rest in peace.
Add Comment