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Bob Kuechenberg

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Bob Kuechenberg
No. 67
Position:Guard
Personal information
Born:(1947-10-14)October 14, 1947
Gary, Indiana,U.S.
Died:January 12, 2019(2019-01-12)(aged 71)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida,U.S.
Height:6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:253 lb (115 kg)
Career information
High school:Hobart(Hobart, Indiana)
College:Notre Dame
NFL draft:1969/ round: 4 / pick: 80
Career history
* Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Games played:196
Games started:176
FumbleRecoveries:6
StatsatPro Football Reference

Robert John Kuechenberg(October 14, 1947 – January 12, 2019) was an American professionalfootballplayer who was aguardin theNational Football League(NFL) for theMiami Dolphinsfor 14 seasons between1970and1983,spending the1984 seasononinjured reserve.He was a mainstay in a line that included Hall of FamersJim Langer,Larry Little,andDwight Stephensonand played in sixPro Bowlsin the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was selected as one of the top 15 finalists for thePro Football Hall of Famefrom 2002 to 2006, and one of the top 17 finalists from 2007 to 2009, but missed the cut every year. He was inducted into theMiami Dolphin's Honor Rollon December 15, 1995. He was the brother of the retired Chicago Bears linebackerRudy Kuechenberg.[1]

College career

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Kuechenberg attended college at theUniversity of Notre Dame,where he played both the offensive anddefensive lines. Before college Kuechenberg attendedHobart High School,located inHobart, Indiana10 minutes from Gary, and 30 minutes from Chicago. Kuechenberg played football for the Hobart Brickies in his high school years.

Professional career

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Kuechenberg was drafted by thePhiladelphia Eaglesas a fourth-round pick in the1969 NFL/AFL draft.He quit shortly after training camp started and played a season with theChicago Owlsin theContinental Football League.Kuechenberg signed with the Dolphins as afree agentin1970.He became a starter that season as the Dolphins finished 10–4 and made the playoffs for the first time in club history. During the next regular season, 1971, Kuechenberg helped the Dolphins make it to the Super Bowl, where they lost to theDallas Cowboys24–3.

The next two seasons the Dolphins won the Super Bowl (going 17–0 in 1972) and his play was noticed by New York Post writerPaul Zimmerman,who named Kuechenberg on his All-pro ballot. The following season, 1974, he was named All-AFC by Pro Football Weekly and was named to his first Pro Bowl. He was named 1st team All-Pro in1975and in1978and was named All-AFCthree times. He was Second-team All-Pro in 1977.

Kuechenberg was sometimes critical of his past teams. One such critique prompted then-current Miami All-Pro,Jason Taylor,to comment, "It's another chapter in the grumpy Kuechenberg story. It's Kuechenberg. He gets up every year and complains about something. If it ain't one thing, it's another. He needs a hug and a hobby. It's ridiculous."[2]

Kuechenberg was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986.[3]In 2013, PresidentBarack Obamahonored the entire 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins at an event in theWhite House,but Kuechenberg declined to attend for political reasons.[1][4][5][6]He told sports columnistDave HydeofFt. Lauderdale'sSun-Sentinel"I want to be careful, because Mom said if you have nothing good to say about someone, then don't say anything. I don't have anything good to say about someone."[7]TheProfessional Football Researchers Associationnamed Kuechenberg to the PRFA Hall of Very Good Class of 2013.[8]

He was one of at least 345NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.[9][10]

References

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  1. ^abHamnik, Al (August 20, 2013)."NFL great Bob Kuechenberg makes his point with White House snub".nwitimes.Times Media Company. Archived fromthe originalon August 24, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  2. ^Maske, Mark (November 2, 2006)."J. Taylor Sticks Up For Beleaguered Dolphins".The Washington Post.Archived fromthe originalon May 23, 2011.RetrievedMarch 8,2010.
  3. ^"Archived copy"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on January 22, 2016.RetrievedAugust 28,2011.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. ^Cote, Greg (August 20, 2013)."White House invite a last stamp of approval for '72 Miami Dolphins".MiamiHerald.Miami Herald Media. Archived fromthe originalon August 20, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  5. ^Darlington, Jim (August 20, 2013)."President Obama honors 1972 Miami Dolphins at White House".NFL.NFL Enterprises.Archivedfrom the original on August 21, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  6. ^McIntyre, Brian (August 20, 2013)."Three members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins to skip White House visit for political reasons".Sports.yahoo.Shutdown Corner.Yahoo!.Archived fromthe originalon December 16, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  7. ^Hyde, Dave(August 17, 2013)."At least three '72 Dolphins refuse White House invite".Sun-Sentinel.Howard Greenberg (Tribune Company). Archived fromthe originalon August 21, 2013.RetrievedAugust 20,2013.
  8. ^"Professional Researchers Association Hall of Very Good Class of 2013".Archived fromthe originalon January 4, 2017.RetrievedNovember 10,2016.
  9. ^"The driving force behind Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)".Concussion Legacy Foundation.Archived fromthe originalon July 2, 2023.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
  10. ^Ken Belson and Benjamin Mueller (June 20, 2023)."Collective Force of Head Hits, Not Just the Number of Them, Increases Odds of C.T.E. The largest study of chronic traumatic encephalopathy to date found that the cumulative force of head hits absorbed by players in their careers is the best predictor of future brain disease".The New York Times.RetrievedJuly 2,2023.
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