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He didn’t say much. He didn’t have to.
Anyone could look at Manny Fernandez in that moment, see him reclining in his favorite easy chair as a grin crossed his face, the grin of a man who seemed like he’d spent a few hours — maybe more — wishing for something to happen that, in fact, just did happen.
To most people, the New York Giants had just won the Super Bowl. Not so in South Florida and, more specially, inside the Cooper City living room of Fernandez. Here, it was all about the New England Patriots losing the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion, allowing Fernandez and his 1972 Miami Dolphins teammates to remain sole occupants of Perfectville, which sticklers will tell you is a fictional town for the very real Dolphins who went 17-0.
I’d invited myself to a small gathering of family and friends at Fernandez’s place to get a firsthand look at the moment the Dolphins would finally have company in Perfectville.
What I got was the exact opposite. Unexpected turns make for a better story in the newspaper business, so on that level, Feb. 3, 2008, delivered. Today, it delivers even more with the news that Fernandez has passed away at age 79. The reason: A couple of decades ago, Fernandez had shared his wish for how long the Dolphins would own Perfectville.
“The NFL I think is 80 years old,” he said. “I’d like to see it go 100 years and be there to celebrate it. Right after that, I really don’t care.”
Fernandez, and the Dolphins, made it with a handful of years (and a couple of points by the Giants that night) to spare. Not only were the Patriots heavily favored, but even Fernandez predicted in the third quarter that New England would kick it in overdrive and finish 19-0.
Then crazy things happened, not the least of which was David Tyree catching that pass with his helmet. Next thing you knew, the Giants won 17-14.
Fernandez always was one to speak his mind, so I’d come for a great money quote at the game’s conclusion. What I got was Fernandez flipping his glasses onto his lap with a grin that spoke volumes.
Then his phones, plural, started ringing nonstop, including a call from his goddaughter calling from California.
“We’re still alone at the top of the mountain, aren’t we, kid?” he told her.
It had been quite a ride for Fernandez, a California kid himself in 1968 when he arrived as an undrafted free agent, exciting locals who latched onto a name that was Hispanic even if, they eventually discovered, his language skills weren’t.
Fernandez played a position, defensive tackle, where guys easily get lost. Fernandez, Bob Baumhower and Tim Bowens are the only defensive tackles in the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor at Hard Rock Stadium. Undersized by today’s standards at 6-feet-2 and 250 pounds, Fernandez was the rock who didn’t just set up tackles for Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti.
Fernandez made 17 tackles in the 14-7 Super Bowl victory over Washington that capped the Perfect Season. It would be piling on, one supposes, to point out the staggering concept of a defensive tackle making 17 tackles in a championship game. But pile on, I will, by mentioning that Rams DT Aaron Donald, who deserves his own wing in Canton, never was credited with more than nine tackles in a game, according to Pro Football Reference.
On probably more than one occasion I told Fernandez how his not earning MVP honors that day just doesn’t compute, but he would have none of it. “Didn’t matter,” he’d say. His team won. That’s all that mattered. Any credit that was to be dished out could go to teammates, especially those on the No-Name Defense, and a coach, whom he staunchly defended.
The passing of coach Don Shula in 2020 hit him hard.
“Probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole life is him coming to Miami when he did and helping us accomplish everything we did accomplish,” Fernandez said. “Tremendous leader. What a man.”
That wasn’t just Shula’s 347 wins that Fernandez was referring to, either. In 2019, when it appeared New England’s Bill Belichick would top Shula’s record, Fernandez didn’t hold back.
“I just think it’s a shame that a guy who constantly gets caught cheating is even there because — I don’t know — his moral character leaves me kind of questioning,” Fernandez said.
In 2014, Fernandez took his rightful place in the Ring of Honor, but only after undergoing eight hours of back surgery that proved to be the easy part. An infection left him hospitalized for 63 days under what he called “very life-threatening” conditions. Keep in mind that by this time, he’d moved to the hills of Georgia but remained a workout warrior, proudly doing 15 reps with 350 pounds on the leg press. Fighting the infection knocked 40 pounds off his frame that he had to work to build back up.
“Every day is special,” he said.
Getting enshrined by the Dolphins, he said, humbled him. Fitting, because his introduction to the Dolphins was nothing if not humble.
“I got off the airplane and got hit with the heat,” he said. “A Bay Area guy from California, from the University of Utah, and they put us in a station wagon with five other guys, no air conditioning, and we rode all the way to Boca. Got there and the mosquitoes and gnats ate us alive.
“And the first year, (Larry) Csonka caught about an 8-foot rattlesnake right there by the dorms and I just thought to myself, ‘Boy, did I screw up.’ I had other teams that wanted to sign me as a free agent and the reason I signed with the Dolphins was not because I spoke Spanish (he laughed), but because, looking at their record and their roster, I thought, ‘I might be able to make this team.’ ”
He made the team, all right, but not just in the sense of earning a roster spot.
He helped make the Dolphins perfect, and lived the rest of his life knowing precisely how special that was.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Manny Fernandez always celebrated Miami Dolphins' perfect season
Continue reading...
Anyone could look at Manny Fernandez in that moment, see him reclining in his favorite easy chair as a grin crossed his face, the grin of a man who seemed like he’d spent a few hours — maybe more — wishing for something to happen that, in fact, just did happen.
To most people, the New York Giants had just won the Super Bowl. Not so in South Florida and, more specially, inside the Cooper City living room of Fernandez. Here, it was all about the New England Patriots losing the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion, allowing Fernandez and his 1972 Miami Dolphins teammates to remain sole occupants of Perfectville, which sticklers will tell you is a fictional town for the very real Dolphins who went 17-0.
I’d invited myself to a small gathering of family and friends at Fernandez’s place to get a firsthand look at the moment the Dolphins would finally have company in Perfectville.
You must be registered for see images attach
What I got was the exact opposite. Unexpected turns make for a better story in the newspaper business, so on that level, Feb. 3, 2008, delivered. Today, it delivers even more with the news that Fernandez has passed away at age 79. The reason: A couple of decades ago, Fernandez had shared his wish for how long the Dolphins would own Perfectville.
“The NFL I think is 80 years old,” he said. “I’d like to see it go 100 years and be there to celebrate it. Right after that, I really don’t care.”
Fernandez, and the Dolphins, made it with a handful of years (and a couple of points by the Giants that night) to spare. Not only were the Patriots heavily favored, but even Fernandez predicted in the third quarter that New England would kick it in overdrive and finish 19-0.
Then crazy things happened, not the least of which was David Tyree catching that pass with his helmet. Next thing you knew, the Giants won 17-14.
Dolphins alone 'at the top of the mountain'
You must be registered for see images attach
Fernandez always was one to speak his mind, so I’d come for a great money quote at the game’s conclusion. What I got was Fernandez flipping his glasses onto his lap with a grin that spoke volumes.
Then his phones, plural, started ringing nonstop, including a call from his goddaughter calling from California.
“We’re still alone at the top of the mountain, aren’t we, kid?” he told her.
It had been quite a ride for Fernandez, a California kid himself in 1968 when he arrived as an undrafted free agent, exciting locals who latched onto a name that was Hispanic even if, they eventually discovered, his language skills weren’t.
Fernandez played a position, defensive tackle, where guys easily get lost. Fernandez, Bob Baumhower and Tim Bowens are the only defensive tackles in the Dolphins’ Ring of Honor at Hard Rock Stadium. Undersized by today’s standards at 6-feet-2 and 250 pounds, Fernandez was the rock who didn’t just set up tackles for Hall of Fame linebacker Nick Buoniconti.
Fernandez made 17 tackles in the 14-7 Super Bowl victory over Washington that capped the Perfect Season. It would be piling on, one supposes, to point out the staggering concept of a defensive tackle making 17 tackles in a championship game. But pile on, I will, by mentioning that Rams DT Aaron Donald, who deserves his own wing in Canton, never was credited with more than nine tackles in a game, according to Pro Football Reference.
On probably more than one occasion I told Fernandez how his not earning MVP honors that day just doesn’t compute, but he would have none of it. “Didn’t matter,” he’d say. His team won. That’s all that mattered. Any credit that was to be dished out could go to teammates, especially those on the No-Name Defense, and a coach, whom he staunchly defended.
Manny Fernandez grateful to play for Don Shula
You must be registered for see images attach
The passing of coach Don Shula in 2020 hit him hard.
“Probably the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole life is him coming to Miami when he did and helping us accomplish everything we did accomplish,” Fernandez said. “Tremendous leader. What a man.”
That wasn’t just Shula’s 347 wins that Fernandez was referring to, either. In 2019, when it appeared New England’s Bill Belichick would top Shula’s record, Fernandez didn’t hold back.
“I just think it’s a shame that a guy who constantly gets caught cheating is even there because — I don’t know — his moral character leaves me kind of questioning,” Fernandez said.
You must be registered for see images attach
In 2014, Fernandez took his rightful place in the Ring of Honor, but only after undergoing eight hours of back surgery that proved to be the easy part. An infection left him hospitalized for 63 days under what he called “very life-threatening” conditions. Keep in mind that by this time, he’d moved to the hills of Georgia but remained a workout warrior, proudly doing 15 reps with 350 pounds on the leg press. Fighting the infection knocked 40 pounds off his frame that he had to work to build back up.
“Every day is special,” he said.
Getting enshrined by the Dolphins, he said, humbled him. Fitting, because his introduction to the Dolphins was nothing if not humble.
“I got off the airplane and got hit with the heat,” he said. “A Bay Area guy from California, from the University of Utah, and they put us in a station wagon with five other guys, no air conditioning, and we rode all the way to Boca. Got there and the mosquitoes and gnats ate us alive.
“And the first year, (Larry) Csonka caught about an 8-foot rattlesnake right there by the dorms and I just thought to myself, ‘Boy, did I screw up.’ I had other teams that wanted to sign me as a free agent and the reason I signed with the Dolphins was not because I spoke Spanish (he laughed), but because, looking at their record and their roster, I thought, ‘I might be able to make this team.’ ”
He made the team, all right, but not just in the sense of earning a roster spot.
He helped make the Dolphins perfect, and lived the rest of his life knowing precisely how special that was.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Manny Fernandez always celebrated Miami Dolphins' perfect season
Continue reading...
