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 Csonka in 1972 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 39 | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Fullback | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (1946-12-25)December 25, 1946 (age 78) Stow, Ohio, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Weight | 237 lb (108 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Stow-Munroe Falls | ||||||||||||||
| College | Syracuse (1965–1967) | ||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1968: 1st round, 8th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||||
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Larry Richard Csonka (/ˈzɒŋkə/; born December 25, 1946) is an American former professionalfootball player who was afullback in theNational Football League (NFL), primarily with theMiami Dolphins. He also played in the NFL for three years with theNew York Giants, and had a short stint with theMemphis Southmen in theWorld Football League (WFL). Nicknamed "Zonk", Csonka is widely regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time.[1] Csonka is mostly remembered for his success during his tenure with the Dolphins, which included being a member of their 17–0perfect season in1972, and winningSuper Bowl championships in1972 and1973, the latter of which he was namedSuper Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) when he ran for a then-record 145 yards. He was also a commentator for the original run ofAmerican Gladiators.
A five-time Pro Bowler, and three-time first-team All-Pro, Csonka remains to this day as the Miami Dolphins franchise's all-time leading rusher with 6,737 yards and 53 touchdowns. In his last year with the Dolphins in 1979, Csonka also won theNFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. Csonka was inducted into both theCollege Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. Csonka is also currently one of three former Miami Dolphins to have his jersey number (#39) retired—alongsideBob Griese (#12, 1985) andDan Marino (#13, 2000) -- with his being the most recent, in 2002.
One of six children, Csonka was born in the Akron suburb ofStow, Ohio, where he was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family.[2]
Csonka began his football career atStow High School inStow, Ohio. He was the startingfullback on the 1962 Stow Bulldogs football team that won the Metropolitan League of the Akron-area championship under coach Dick Fortner. Csonka played for Stow from 1960 to 1963. He was also awrestler while in high school.[3]
Csonka would become arunning back by accident. Because of his size, he playeddefensive end on the varsity team as a sophomore. In the last game that year, he was sent in as a substitute on the kickoff return team. The ball just happened to go to him and he took off running with it. Csonka wrote,
Csonka was recruited byClemson,Iowa,Vanderbilt, andSyracuse. He chose Syracuse, where he played middle linebacker in his first season before being switched to fullback from 1965 to 1967, the position where he was named anAll-American. He established many of the school'srushing records, breaking several that had been held byErnie Davis,Jim Nance,Floyd Little, andJim Brown.
In his three seasons at Syracuse, Csonka rushed for a school-record 2,934 yards, rushed for 100 yards in 14 different games, and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. From 1965 to 1967, he ranked 19th, ninth and fifth in the nation in rushing. He was the Most Valuable Player in theEast–West Shrine Game, the Hula Bowl, and the College All-Star Game. In 1989, he was enshrined in theCollege Football Hall of Fame.
Csonka was the No. 1 pick by theAmerican Football League'sMiami Dolphins in the1968Common Draft, the eighth player and first running back drafted in the first round. He signed a three-year contract that paid him a signing bonus of $34,000 (equivalent to $307,000 in 2024) and a car, and a salary of $20,000 (equivalent to $181,000 in 2024), then $25,000 (equivalent to $226,000 in 2024), then $30,000 (equivalent to $271,000 in 2024) each year.[5]
Csonka's pro career got off to a shaky start. In the fifth game of the1968 season, at home againstBuffalo, he was knocked out and suffered aconcussion when his head hit the ground during a tackle. He spent two days in the hospital. Three weeks later atSan Diego, he suffered another concussion, plus a ruptured eardrum and a broken nose.[6] There was talk he might have to give up football. He missed three games in 1968 and three more in1969. Writes his teammateNick Buoniconti,
Over the next four seasons, Csonka never missed a game, and he led the Dolphins in rushing the next five seasons. Writes teammateJim Langer, "Csonka had the utmost respect of every player on the team, offense and defense."[8] By the 1970s he was one of the most feared runners in professional football. Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and 235 lb (107 kg), he was one of the biggest running backs of his day and pounded through the middle of the field with relative ease, often dragging tacklers 5–10 yards. He was described as a bulldozer or battering ram. His running style reminded people of a legendary power runner from the 1930s,Bronko Nagurski. SaidMinnesota Vikings linebackerJeff Siemon afterSuper Bowl VIII, "It's not the collision that gets you. It's what happens after you tackle him. His legs are just so strong he keeps moving. He carries you. He's a movable weight."[9] He rarely fumbled the ball or dropped a pass, and he was an excellent blocker.
Stories abound about Csonka's toughness. He broke his nose about ten times playing football in high school, college, and the pros, causing it to be permanently deformed, and he would remain in the game with blood pouring out of it. He may be the only running back to receive a personal foul for unnecessary roughness while running the ball, when in a game against theBuffalo Bills in 1970, he knocked outsafetyJohn Pitts with a forearm shot that was more like a right cross.[10] In a close game against the Minnesota Vikings in theperfect season of 1972, Csonka was hit in the back by linebackerRoy Winston in a tackle so grotesque it was shown onThe Tonight Show. Csonka thought his back was broken and he actually crawled off the field. Once on the sideline, he "walked it off" and in a few minutes was back in the game. His return to the game was crucial, as the winning touchdown pass to tight endJim Mandich was set up by a fake to Csonka. He was named the 10th toughest football player of all time in the 1996 NFL Films productionThe NFL's 100 Toughest Players. Dolphins' offensive line coachMonte Clark was asked about Csonka's bruising running style, and he responded, "When Csonka goes on safari, the lions roll uptheir windows."[11]
The Dolphins had one of professional football's best rushing attacks in the early 1970s. The Dolphins led the NFL in rushing in 1971 and 1972, setting a new rushing record in 1972 at 2,960 yards. Csonka's 1,117 yards that season combined withMercury Morris contributing exactly 1,000 yards made them the first1,000 yard rushing duo in NFL history. That rushing attack led the Dolphins toSuper BowlsVI,VII, andVIII, with victories in the last two. Csonka's powerful running style set the tone for the ball-control Dolphins. He chose to run through defenders instead of around them, leading to three straight 1,000-yard seasons (1971–1973) and two seasons (1971–1972) in which he averaged more than 5 yards per carry, amazing for a fullback. His 5.4 yards per carry average in 1971 led the NFL.[12] TeammateBob Kuechenberg said that Csonka was the best back he ever saw for turning a 2-yard gain into a 5-yard gain. "The line got him the start, he got the finish and it added up to 4 or 5 yards every time," said Kuechenberg.[13] Csonka's 1971 season was also the only year in the 1970s that a running back gained over 1,000 rushing yards without a single fumble.
During the 1972 season, the Dolphins became the only team since theAFL–NFL Merger to go undefeated, and Csonka was an instrumental part of the success, rushing for a career-best 1,117 yards. Csonka led all rushers in Super Bowl VII with 112 yards on only 15 carries. Late in the third quarter, Csonka had a run that epitomized his style. After breaking several tackles near the line of scrimmage, he rumbled for 49 yards. Near the end of that run,Washington Redskins cornerbackPat Fischer, who was known as a fearless and gritty tackler, came up to try to tackle Csonka. Instead of trying to avoid Fischer, Csonka actually turned toward him and threw a forearm at him, brushing the 175-pound Fischer aside.
In 1973, Csonka was voted Super Athlete of the Year by theProfessional Football Writers Association.[2] That season, the Dolphins won a second straight title and "Zonk", as he was known, was theSuper Bowl VIII MVP. Exploiting brilliant blocking by his offensive line, he rushed 33 times for two touchdowns and a then-record 145 yards.
Csonka and his friend, Dolphinsrunning backJim Kiick, were known asButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The August 7, 1972 issue ofSports Illustrated featured a profile of Csonka and Kiick. This issue has become a collector's item because of the cover photograph of Csonka and Kiick by famedSports Illustrated photographerWalter Iooss, with Csonka (inadvertently) makingan obscene gesture with the middle finger of his right hand. In 1973, Csonka and Kiick, in collaboration with sportswriterDave Anderson, wrote a book,Always on the Run. (A second edition, with an additional chapter covering the 1973 season, Super Bowl VIII, and their signing with theWorld Football League was published in 1974.) Csonka and Kiick discuss their childhoods, their college football careers, their sometimes stormy relationship with Don Shula, their experiences as pro football players, and the sometimes outrageous behavior of their teammates. The book provides insight into the history of the Dolphins and the state of pro football in the late 1960s and early and mid-1970s.
In March 1974, he was selected second overall in theWFL Pro Draft. The same month, Csonka, Kiick, and Dolphin wide receiverPaul Warfield, announced they had signed contracts to play with Toronto in the fledglingWorld Football League starting in 1975. Csonka signed a three-year guaranteed contract for a salary of $1.4 million. While their signings are credited with giving the WFL credibility, the league was plagued by financial problems from its start. The three played for theMemphis Southmen, but Csonka and the others had minimal success and the league folded midway through its second season. Csonka carried the ball 99 times for 421 yards for 1 touchdown for Memphis in 1975.[14]
A free agent again, he joined theNew York Giants in 1976, along with Memphis coachJohn McVay.[15] (The Giants' head coach at the time wasBill Arnsparger, who had previously been the Dolphins' defensive coordinator.) He toreligaments in hisknee, prematurely ending his first season there. He blamed the injury in part onGiants Stadium'sartificial turf, and has been a vocal critic of the surface and its injury potential ever since.[16] (The Giants currently use a newer, more flexibleFieldturf). When the Giants started the season 0–7, Arnsparger was fired and replaced by McVay.[17]
Two seasons later, he was on the field forThe Miracle at the Meadowlands, the play that for years epitomized Giants' fans exasperation with the franchise's long-term mediocrity. On November 19, 1978, New York had apparently secured a 17–12 victory over the favoredPhiladelphia Eagles. However, with 31 seconds left to play and the Eagles out oftimeouts,offensive coordinatorBob Gibson overruled quarterbackJoe Pisarcik and called for the ball to be handed off to Csonka for a run up the middle, as Gibson felt Pisarcik was risking too much injury falling on the ball in an era before thequarterback kneel torun out the clock was common. However, Pisarcik botched the handoff and EaglescornerbackHerman Edwards returned the fumbled ball 29 yards for the winning touchdown.[18] The Giants went into a tailspin afterwards, and finished 6–10 after a hopeful start.[19]
The Giants let McVay go after the season ended. Csonka's contract was up, too, and he returned to Miami the next year.[20] He ran for over 800 yards, his best since their Super Bowl days, and rushed for a career-high 12 touchdowns while catching one more.[21] Csonka won Comeback Player of the Year for his 1979 season. Unable to come to terms with the Dolphins on a new contract, he retired after the year was over.
In his 11 NFL seasons, Csonka carried the ball 1,891 times for 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns. He also caught 106 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns.[22] He was among the NFL's top 10 ranked players in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns five times, total touchdowns three times and yards from the line of scrimmage once. He earned All-AFC honors four times and was named All-Pro in 1971, 1972, and 1973. He was also selected to play in fivePro Bowls.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Super Bowl MVP | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fum | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 1968 | MIA | 11 | 10 | 138 | 540 | 3.9 | 40 | 6 | 11 | 118 | 10.7 | 65 | 1 | 1 |
| 1969 | MIA | 11 | 11 | 131 | 566 | 4.3 | 54 | 2 | 21 | 183 | 8.7 | 42 | 1 | 3 |
| 1970 | MIA | 14 | 14 | 193 | 874 | 4.5 | 53 | 6 | 11 | 94 | 8.5 | 54 | 0 | 3 |
| 1971 | MIA | 14 | 14 | 195 | 1,051 | 5.4 | 28 | 7 | 13 | 113 | 8.7 | 25 | 1 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIA | 14 | 14 | 213 | 1,117 | 5.2 | 45 | 6 | 5 | 48 | 9.6 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 1973 | MIA | 14 | 14 | 219 | 1,003 | 4.6 | 25 | 5 | 7 | 22 | 3.1 | 9 | 0 | 3 |
| 1974 | MIA | 12 | 11 | 197 | 749 | 3.8 | 24 | 9 | 7 | 35 | 5.0 | 11 | 0 | 2 |
| 1975 | MEM | 99 | 421 | 4.3 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 54 | 10.8 | 25 | 1 | [23] | ||
| 1976 | NYG | 12 | 12 | 160 | 569 | 3.6 | 13 | 4 | 6 | 39 | 6.5 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| 1977 | NYG | 14 | 13 | 134 | 464 | 3.5 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | NYG | 14 | 12 | 91 | 311 | 3.4 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 73 | 10.4 | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | MIA | 16 | 16 | 220 | 837 | 3.8 | 22 | 12 | 16 | 75 | 4.7 | 18 | 1 | 4 |
| Career | 146 | 141 | 1,891 | 8,081 | 4.3 | 54 | 64 | 106 | 820 | 7.7 | 65 | 5 | 21 | |
Since his retirement, he has become amotivational speaker and has hosted severalhunting andfishing shows for theNBC Sports Network (formerly OLN and Versus). Csonka has been featured in many shows, such asThe Ed Sullivan Show, and had a role in the 1970s medical dramaEmergency! He played the part of commander Delaney in the 1976 movieMidway. He worked for theUnited States Football League (USFL)Jacksonville Bulls in the mid-1980s, first as director of scouting and then as general manager. Csonka was also acolor analyst for NFL games onNBC in 1988, and an analyst for the syndicated showAmerican Gladiators from 1990 to 1993 (seasons 2 through 4).
Csonka was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1987 and his #39 was retired by the Miami Dolphins in 2002. He is one of 11 Dolphins (Jim Langer,Bob Griese,Paul Warfield,Larry Little,Dwight Stephenson,Nick Buoniconti,Jason Taylor,Dan Marino,Don Shula andZach Thomas)in the Hall of Fame. Csonka was named a member of the Super Bowl Dream Team in anNFL Films production.
Between 1985 and 1990 Csonka started spending time inAlaska, eventually living most of the year inAnchorage. While observing the 1,161-mile (1,962-km)2005 Iditaroddog sled race he said, "when I was playing and practicing in that heat in July and August in Miami with shoulder pads on, it just vaporized me".[24]
From 1998 through 2013, Csonka was producer and co-host of Napa'sNorth to Alaska, before retiring the show. Csonka also didCsonka Outdoors, 1998–2005 on ESPN-2 and OLN. In early September 2005, Csonka and five others were returning by boat to the village of Nikolski onUmnak Island in Alaska's Aleutian Islands after filming a reindeer hunt on the island for Csonka's TV show,North to Alaska. The boat was caught in a severe storm and nearly capsized. They rode out the storm for 10 hours before aU.S. Coast Guard helicopter could reach them and rescue them one-by-one in a basket.[25]
Csonka andNorth to Alaska co-host Audrey Bradshaw currently live inWasilla, Alaska. He also maintains a farm inLisbon, Ohio[26] and operates Goodrich Seafood House inOak Hill, Florida. Csonka currently appears in television commercials for the Alaska Spine Institute, an Anchorage-based physical rehabilitation center.
In November 2013, Csonka was recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame as part of "Hometown Hall of Famers," a national program honoring the hometown roots of the sport's greatest coaches, players and contributors with special ceremonies and plaque dedication events in local communities. Csonka was presented with a plaque during a ceremony in the Stow High School gym, where the plaque will stay permanently to serve as an inspiration for the school's students and athletes.[27]
Larry and his then wife Pamela were in an episode ofThe Six Million Dollar Man Season 3 Ep 8 "One of Our Running Backs is Missing" Nov 2, 1975. Their characters were Larry and Pam Bronco. Larry was a gridiron hero, kidnapped by a disgruntled teammate played byDick Butkus.
Csonka played a fictional version of himself in the HBO seriesBallers and was named head coach of the Miami Dolphins. He also made a cameo with Dolphins legendary former head coach, Don Shula, during a fishing trip.
In 2022, he released a memoir titledHead On.[28]
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
