Jim Kiick

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Kiick's career is forever tied to the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins. While he started only three regular-season games that year due to a new rotation with Mercury Morris, his role as a short-yardage specialist proved vital. He scored the decisive touchdown in the 1972 AFC playoff victory over Cleveland and produced two touchdowns on just eight carries against Pittsburgh in the AFC championship game. In Super Bowl VII, Kiick rushed for 38 yards and scored the winning one-yard blast in a 14–7 victory over Washington, cementing the perfect 17–0 season. His partnership with fullback Larry Csonka, nicknamed "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," became legendary; they co-wrote the book *Always on the Run* and shocked the sports world in 1975 by signing with the World Football League for a combined $3.5 million deal.

In Their Own Story

The atmosphere was electric during the longest game in NFL history, the 27–24 double-overtime victory over Kansas City in the 1971 AFC playoffs. Kiick rushed 15 times for 56 yards and scored a crucial touchdown to help secure the win. His toughness was equally legendary; he once played through a broken toe, broken finger, hip pointer, and badly bruised elbow. Teammate Nick Buoniconti recalled how Kiick excelled in clutch moments, noting, "He'd get a linebacker to lean one way and then go the opposite way." Off the field, Kiick and Csonka were inseparable roommates known for their wild exploits, which led sportswriter Bill Braucher to dub them by their western movie names. Their fame grew so immense in 1972 that an imposter even rented a luxury home on Key Biscayne while passing himself off as Kiick.

Reader's Guide

For fans of the Dolphins' golden era, Jim Kiick represents the quintessential versatile back. Drafted in 1968, he immediately impacted the team, leading them in rushing in both 1968 (621 yards) and 1969 (575 yards). He was a dual-threat player who also led the Dolphins in receiving in 1970. His career highlights include playing in three consecutive Super Bowls (VI, VII, and VIII), with his most famous moment being the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl VII. Although he lost his starting role to Mercury Morris in 1972, his value as a specialist remained high. After seven seasons with Miami, Kiick joined Larry Csonka and Paul Warfield in the World Football League's Memphis Southmen in 1975, signing a guaranteed three-year contract worth $700,000 before the league folded mid-season.

Did You Know?

• Kiick was a defensive back in high school at Boonton High School and made the All-Morris County team there, not as a running back.
• He was the first player ever to earn first-team All-WAC honors three times while at the University of Wyoming.
• In the 1968 College All-Star Game, Kiick never got into the game because coach Norm Van Brocklin benched him for being out of shape and having a 'bad attitude'.
• A petty criminal named Ron Davis successfully rented a luxury home on Key Biscayne and got engaged while impersonating Kiick in 1972.
• Kiick, Csonka, and Warfield signed a deal with the WFL totaling $3.5 million, which included a luxury car every year and a three-bedroom apartment.