Latest news with #HowardTwilley
New York Times
07-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Howard Twilley, Receiver on the 1972 Champion Dolphins, Dies at 81
Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the Miami Dolphins during the team's perfect 1972 season and a Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Tulsa, died on Wednesday. He was 81. An announcement of his death by a Tulsa spokesperson did not say where Twilley died or cite a cause. Twilley caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl VII against Washington as Miami rolled to a 14-7 victory to cap a 17-0 season. He also played for the Dolphins team that repeated as Super Bowl champions the next season. Though relatively undersized as a wide receiver, at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds, he had a respectable 11-year pro career, all of it in Miami, that lasted until 1976, finishing with 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns. At Tulsa, Twilley put up remarkable numbers in the mid-1960s, an era when college teams usually stuck to the ground game. He caught 261 passes for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns. His Tulsa record for career yards receiving stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022. In 1965, Twilley was the Heisman runner-up to Southern California's Mike Garrett. He had 134 catches for 1,779 yards that season, N.C.A.A. records that stood for more than two decades. In one game, against Louisville, he caught five touchdown passes and had 230 yards receiving. He also had 267 yards on 16 catches against Memphis, 242 yards on 18 receptions against Southern Illinois, 226 yards on 14 catches against Cincinnati, and 214 yards on 19 catches against Colorado State. Twilley was the captain of the Academic All-America team in 1965 and the Most Valuable Player of the 1966 Senior Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings selected him in the 14th round of the 1966 National Football League draft, and Miami chose him in the 12th round of the American Football League draft. He chose the Dolphins, a first-year team. Howard James Twilley Jr. was born on Dec. 25, 1943, in Houston. Information on survivors was not immediately available. After leaving football, he owned and operated sporting goods stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. He considered running for Congress in Oklahoma in 1994 but chose instead to support another former Tulsa receiver, Steve Largent, who ran as a Republican and won a seat in the House of Representatives, which he held for four terms. Twilley was inducted into the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired his jersey, No. 81 — the same number he wore in Miami.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Dolphins receiver Howard Twilley, 2-time Super Bowl champion, dies at 81
Howard Twilley, a receiver on the Miami Dolphins' undefeated 1972 team and two-time Super Bowl champion, died on Wednesday at the age of 81. The team announced the news on Friday. Twilley was a member of the first Dolphins team in 1966 and one of two players from that roster to be on the 1972 Super Bowl championship team. He caught the first touchdown of the game in Super Bowl 7, a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Twilley, a founding player for the Dolphins in 1966," the Dolphins said in a statement. "His touchdown in Super Bowl VII helped the Dolphins cap the NFL's only perfect season and his contributions to the organization will be forever remembered." We are deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Twilley, a founding player for the Dolphins in touchdown in Super Bowl VII helped the Dolphins cap the NFL's only perfect season and his contributions to the organization will be forever remembered. — Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) February 7, 2025 Those 1972 Dolphins went 14-0 and are the lone NFL team to go through the regular season and playoffs without a loss. Miami won a second consecutive Super Bowl title during the following season, going 12-2 and defeating the Minnesota Vikings 24-7. Twilley was the third-leading receiver on the 1972 Dolphins, catching 20 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns. That was the third-best season he had as a pro. For his career, Twilley compiled 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 TDs in 11 seasons. RIP Howard Twilley🙏🕯️Original Miami DolphinThe dependable #Dolphins receiver played 11 seasons in Miami from the franchise's inception in scored the #GoFins' first touchdown in Super Bowl Super Bowl champion and member of the '72 Perfect Season team — Kevin Gallagher (@KevG163) February 7, 2025 Twilley played his college football at Tulsa, where he caught 261 passes for 3,343 yards and 32 TDs in three seasons from 1963-65. In his junior and senior seasons, he led the nation in catches, receiving yardage and receiving touchdowns. His No. 81 was retired by the football program. "We had a synergy because we worked at it."Two-time All American1965 Heisman runner-upCFB Hall of FamerSuper Bowl champHoward Twilley is an all-time great. Video coourtesy @TulsaFootball — Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) February 7, 2025 A two-time All-American, he was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy behind USC's Mike Garrett in 1965. That season, Twilley had 134 receptions for 1,779 yards and 16 scores for the 8-3 Golden Hurricane. Twilley was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992. He is also in the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame, and his No. 81 was retired by the university, in addition to the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995.
Reuters
07-02-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Howard Twilley, WR on undefeated Dolphins team, dies at 81
February 7 - Two-time Super Bowl champion Howard Twilley, a member of the Miami Dolphins' undefeated 1972 team, has died at 81. The National Football Foundation announced his passing on Friday, but did not provide a cause of death. The Texas native died on Wednesday. Before landing in Miami, the wide receiver played at Tulsa. In 1965, he was named a unanimous All-American and the Heisman Trophy runner-up after averaging 13.4 receptions per game, which the NFF said remains an FBS record. "Howard Twilley was one of the greatest receivers in college football history with an uncanny ability to get open and change the course of a game," said Archie Manning, NFF chairman. "He simply redefined what it meant to be a dominant receiver, and his performance at Tulsa during the 1965 season remains one of the greatest in our sport's history." Both the AFL's Dolphins and the NFL's Minnesota Vikings selected him in the late rounds of their 1966 drafts, and he wound up in Miami. He spent 11 seasons with the Dolphins, winning back-to-back Super Bowl championships after the 1972 and 1973 seasons. In 120 career games (82 starts) in the regular season, he caught 212 passes for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns. He started all three playoff games in 1972, making four receptions for 61 yards and a score. "We are deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Twilley, a founding player for the Dolphins in 1966," the team said in a statement Friday. "His touchdown in Super Bowl VII helped the Dolphins cap the NFL's only perfect season and his contributions to the organization will be forever remembered." Post-retirement, Twilley owned a chain of sporting goods stores and worked for an investment firm.
NBC Sports
07-02-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Former Dolphins WR Howard Twilley dies at 81
Dolphins receiver Howard Twilley died Wednesday, the team announced. He was 81. No cause of death was given. 'We are deeply saddened by the passing of Howard Twilley, a founding player for the Dolphins in 1966. His touchdown in Super Bowl VII helped the Dolphins cap the NFL's only perfect season and his contributions to the organization will be forever remembered,' the Dolphins said in a statement. Twilley caught a 28-yard touchdown pass, the first touchdown in Super Bowl VII that was won by the Dolphins 14-7 over Washington. It capped Miami's 17-0 season. He also played for the Dolphins in 1973 as the team repeated as Super Bowl champions. Twilley made 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns during an 11-year pro career that lasted until 1976. He was even better in college, finishing second in the Heisman race to USC's Mike Garrett in 1965. Twilley made 134 catches for 1,779 yards that season, setting NCAA records that stood for more than two decades. He ended his college career with 261 receptions for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns. His school record for career receiving yards stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022. The Vikings selected Twilley in the 14th round of the 1966 NFL draft, and Miami chose him in the 12th round of the AFL draft. He chose the Dolphins, a first-year team, and stayed with them his entire pro career. After retirement, Twilley owned sporting goods stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. He earned induction into the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired Twilley's No. 81 jersey.
CBS News
07-02-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Howard Twilley, who caught Super Bowl TD pass for undefeated 1972 Dolphins, dies at 81
Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the Miami Dolphins during the team's perfect 1972 season and a Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Tulsa, has died. He was 81. Twilley died Wednesday, according to a Tulsa spokesperson, who confirmed the death with his family. No cause of death was given. Twilley caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl 7 against the Washington Redskins, a 14-7 victory that capped Miami's 17-0 season. He also played for the team that repeated as Super Bowl champions the following season. He had 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns during an 11-year pro career that lasted until 1976. At Tulsa, Twilley put up eye-popping numbers during the mid-1960s -- an era when teams usually stuck to the ground game. He caught 261 passes for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns in college. His school record for career yards receiving stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022. Twilley was a Heisman runner up at Tulsa In 1965, Twilley was the Heisman runner-up to Southern California's Mike Garrett. He had 134 catches for 1,779 yards that season -- NCAA records that stood for more than two decades. He caught five touchdown passes against Louisville and had 230 yards receiving. He had 267 yards on 16 catches against Memphis, 242 yards on 18 receptions against Southern Illinois, 226 yards on 14 grabs against Cincinnati and 214 yards on 19 catches against Colorado State. Twilley was the captain of the Academic All-America team in 1965, and the MVP of the 1966 Senior Bowl. Minnesota selected Twilley in the 14th round of the 1966 National Football League draft and Miami chose him in the 12th round of the American Football League draft. He chose the Dolphins, a first-year team, and stayed with them his entire pro career. After leaving football, Twilley owned and operated sporting goods stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. He considered running for Congress in Oklahoma in 1994, but chose instead to support another former Tulsa receiver, Steve Largent. Twilley was inducted into the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired his No. 81 jersey.
