Paul Warfield

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Warfield's impact was immediate, though he caught only 28 passes in his first season (1970), averaging a staggering 25.1 yards per catch. His role expanded significantly in 1971, when he hauled in 43 passes for 996 yards and led the league with 11 receiving touchdowns. That year, President Richard Nixon famously telephoned head coach Don Shula before Super Bowl VI to suggest running a specific down-and-in pattern to Warfield; the play was attempted but resulted in an incomplete pass as Mel Renfro covered him tightly, limiting Warfield to four receptions for 39 yards in the 24–3 loss. Undeterred, Warfield returned in 1972, missing two games due to a foot injury yet still leading the team with 606 receiving yards during the historic undefeated campaign. In Super Bowl VII against Washington, he had 3 catches for 36 yards; his biggest playoff performance came in the AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh, where he recorded 7 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown, securing the franchise's first perfect season.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Warfield's Miami career came not just from his yardage, but from his clutch scoring ability in the biggest games. In 1973, despite catching only 29 passes during the regular season, he scored 11 touchdowns, with four of those coming in the first half of the finale against the Detroit Lions. This explosive output carried into the postseason, where he caught seven passes for 155 yards and a touchdown as Miami defeated Minnesota in Super Bowl VIII to win back-to-back titles. Even after his time in the World Football League with the Memphis Southmen in 1975—where he recorded 25 catches for 422 yards—he returned to the Dolphins' orbit only briefly before retiring, leaving behind a legacy of precision and speed that reshaped the wide receiver position.

Reader's Guide

Paul Warfield played five seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 1970 through 1974. During this span, he compiled 156 receptions for 3,355 yards and 33 touchdowns. His playoff performance was equally formidable: in 11 games, he caught 34 passes for 717 yards and four touchdowns. He earned five Pro Bowl selections with the Dolphins (following three with Cleveland) and was named a first-team All-Pro by the AP and UPI in 1971. While his time in Miami ended before his final two seasons back in Cleveland, his contribution to the team's Super Bowl VII and VIII victories remains central to the franchise's identity.

Did You Know?

• Warfield caught only four passes for 39 yards in Super Bowl VI, where President Nixon personally called coach Don Shula to suggest a specific play for him.
• During the undefeated 1972 season, Warfield missed two games due to an injured foot but still led the team with 606 receiving yards.
• In 1973, he scored 11 touchdowns on just 29 receptions, including a three-touchdown game against the New York Jets on November 11.
• Warfield played one season (1975) for the Memphis Southmen in the World Football League before returning to Cleveland for his final two NFL seasons.
• His career average of 20.1 yards per reception is among the highest in NFL history, though not the outright record for players with at least 300 catches.