Miami Dolphins At 50: Top 10 OLs

Mandatory Credit: MiamiDolphins.com.

No. 4 – Bob Kuechenberg

Bob Kuechenberg didn’t make his first NFL roster. He was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles after they took him with the 80th overall pick in the fourth round of the 1969 AFL/NFL Draft. Instead, he spent time with the Chicago Owls of the Continental Football League.

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Before the 1970 season, Don Shula and company brought Kuechenberg in and he appeared in all 14 games while starting in five. For the rest of his 14-year career he missed only five games.

Kuechenberg made his first Pro Bowl in 1974 and continuously – and somewhat sporadically – returned to the game throughout his career. All of his six Pro Bowl appearances came in back-to-back seasons but never continued into a third. He ended his career with back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons in 1982 and 1983.

He withstood the test of time like no other Miami offensive lineman. Not only does he lead all linemen in games played, but Kuechenberg is third in team history among all players in the category. Only Dan Marino and Jason Taylor have participated in more contests.

Kuechenberg started 176 out of 196 games and was selected to the Pro Bowl in every juncture of his career (late 20s, early 30s, late 30s). It was a career that spanned such a great amount of time that he went from the emergence of the early 70s to the resurgence in the early 80s while protecting the likes of Bob Griese, Earl Morrall, Don Strock, Dave Woodley, and for a few games – Marino.