Adam Joseph Duhe Jr. (born November 27, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end for eight seasons with the Miami Dolphins from 1977 to 1984 in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the LSU Tigers.

A. J. Duhe
No. 77
Position:Linebacker / Defensive end
Personal information
Born: (1955-11-27) November 27, 1955 (age 69)
Reserve, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:247 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school:Leon Godchaux (Reserve, Louisiana)
College:LSU
NFL draft:1977 / round: 1 / pick: 13
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Sacks:8.5
Interceptions:3
Games:108
Stats at Pro Football Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Early life

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Born in Reserve, Louisiana, Duhe played football at Leon Godchaux High School on offense and defense, earning selections for All-District on both sides in his senior year, with him serving as defensive end and punter. He enrolled at Louisiana State University and starred as defensive tackle for the Tigers with an All-SEC and All-Academic honors.

Career

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He was drafted in the first round of the 1977 NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He was the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in his rookie year; unofficially, in his rookie year at Miami, he recorded seven sacks while recording 83 tackles.[1] He was a one-time Pro Bowler, in 1984.[2]

He switched from defensive end to inside linebacker in 1980. In the 1982 AFC Championship game, Duhe intercepted Richard Todd three times as the Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 14–0. He returned the third interception 35 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal Miami's trip to Super Bowl XVII. He also recorded an interception in the Super Bowl that year.

His last season saw the Dolphins reach Super Bowl XIX (with him starting eight games and playing in four others due to grueling workouts from him), but he played for only a small portion due to a knee problem that left him unable to move laterally and a shoulder with diminished hitting capacity. By the time he was 29, he had already gone through four surgeries for problems with torn ligaments and shoulders.[3]

In August 1985, the Dolphins placed him on medical waivers and released (which meant he received just over twenty percent of his planned $275,000 salary).[4]

Personal life and honors

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Duhe also has done work as an actor. Duhe was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 and the Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2018. As of that year, he was working for Caesars Entertainment while residing in Fort Lauderdale with his wife, with whom he has three children.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Miami's Duhe Gets Defensive Honor". The Vernon Daily Record. Associated Press. January 4, 1978. p. 8. Retrieved June 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "A.J. Duhe Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  3. ^ Moran, Malcolm (January 22, 1985). "Players; A.j. Duhe Laments from Bench View". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "The Rise and Fall of A.j."
  5. ^ "A.J. Duhe - Hall of Fame".
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