The Hall of Fame linebacker from the Miami Dolphins talks about his mission to raise money to find a cure for spinal cord paralysis.
Q. How has the tragic football injury to your son Marc, that left him paralyzed, affected your life?
A. When Marc was injured back in ’85, I got a phone call and I had no idea what it was about. I thought it might be something about his shoulder or knee or something like that. It was much more serious. I went up to Johnson City (Tenn.) that day. They said, “Your son’s dying.” I went to his room and he was on a respirator and had tubes through his nose. He couldn’t talk and I looked into those big brown eyes and it was like he was saying, “Dad, please help me.” It was the first time in my life I couldn’t help my son. From that point on, I made a point to help find a cure for spinal cord injuries through the Miami Project.
Q. This year’s Miami Project To Cure Paralysis fundraising dinner in New York will honor Barry Sanders, Greg Norman, Michael Andretti, Robert Parish, Cam Neely, Gary Carter, Kristi Yamaguchi, Mia Hamm and Jerry Bailey. How successful have these dinners been?
A. Last year we raised $2.5 million, and this year on Sept. 28 we hope to again. This is our 19th annual dinner. The people we have had in the past were just remarkable–Muhammad Ali, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Wayne Gretzky, Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Stan Musial. . . . Over the past 18 years, more than $23 million has been raised at the dinners.
Q. Do you think any team has a legitimate chance to match your 1972 Miami Dolphins’ unbeaten 17-0 season?
A. I think the Patriots have a chance. . . . I think adding Corey Dillon as their running back makes them odds-on favorites to get to the Super Bowl again. They are by far the most solid team in the NFL. They not only have great players and coaches and a great organization, but they have players of character. Bill Belichick has built that team so that he has depth. They have a chance of breaking our consecutive-game win streak. They have 15 in a row and need three more to break it. But I think going undefeated in a season is difficult because you never know whether you are going to have injuries.
Q. Back in 1985 the Bears were 13-0 until the Dolphins knocked them off 38-24 in a Monday night game in Miami. Were you concerned about that Bears team matching the record?
A. I thought the Bears were going to go undefeated. Buddy Ryan had that 46 defense for the Bears rolling along. What he didn’t realize was that with Dan Marino’s quick release and the quickness of [receivers] Mark Duper and Mark Clayton, they were able to take advantage of the cornerbacks, because the Bears’ safety was up on the line of scrimmage most of the time. When Marino read that defense, he just took a three-step drop and hit those receivers. I have to give Don Shula and Marino a lot of credit for figuring out how to beat [that] defense.
Q. Besides the Patriots, what other teams should NFL fans keep an eye on this season?
A. I just don’t think there are any great teams. I look at the Patriots and then I look at the rest of the league. When you look at the NFC North where the Bears are, I mean, what team looks great? I mean, anybody can win that division. As far as winning the NFC, I guess the Eagles would be the odds-on favorite to win.
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