Remembering Dolphins’ Garo Yepremian
By Brian Miller
There is not a lot of things I recall from my youth. My very young youth. Most of those memories of being a six year old kid come from family pictures or others’ recollections. Pasted together to form a random image of someone else’s memory, thus making it my own. There is one memory however I do recall. Former Miami Dolphins’ kicker Garo Yepremian.
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At first thought you will probably say, “yeah, we all remember that ill fated Super Bowl pass attempt”. That’s not it. In fact, I was three when that happened. No I remember standing outside our corner house and looking across a 100 yard field, if that, and seeing the back of Yepremian’s house. Why would that stick in my mind? For starters he was the kicker of the Miami Dolphins and it amazed me, even then, that a pro-football player lived in a house no bigger than my own. That I could walk across the field playing and he would be out back. A normal guy who had an everyday job that wasn’t quite ordinary. I loved Garo Yepremian. I remember my father talking about the fact that when he wasn’t playing football he was selling neck-ties. Again just an ordinary guy with an un-ordinary job. It’s a memory I will always have and relived it today as I had recollections of Yepremian after learning of his passing at 70 years old according to multiple reports including messages from his family. In a way his passing was quite different for me this time as opposed to say, Jim Mandich’s. The cancer that took Yepremian’s life, a brain tumor, is still cancer, like Mandich. Only this time I watch a close member of my family battle the disease. As I made the drive North on I-75 from Cape Coral, Fl. to my parents home I had plenty of time to reflect upon many memories. Keeping with football I can say that Yepremian was always one of my favorites. He was just a guy, back when kickers were just kickers and made little money but were so important to a teams’ success. Garo is ranked third on the teams history list in FG’s made with 165 behind Olindo Mare and Pete Stoyanovich. He is 2nd behind Mare in field goal attempts. Yepremian also boasts the 2nd most points in Dolphins history, again behind Mare, with 830. Yepremian may be best remembered for his pass but many forget he ended the longest game in playoff game in history beating the Kansas City Chiefs in double overtime. Interestingly Yepremians first ever NFL game was the first one he ever kicked in. There are few 1972 Dolphins reunions these days as more and more of the teams members become older. Last year we watched the team lose Earl Morrall and linebacker Jesse Powell in the last two years. Always proud of the teams accomplishments, Yepremian took the faux pass in stride and didn’t let the ribbing get him down. Still today he is the best player to ever wear the number one jersey. Here is a pop of the champagne for you Garo Yepremian. Thanks for being a part of my youths memories!