50 years ago, Evansville native Bob Griese led the Miami Dolphins to a perfect season

EVANSVILLE — This weekend marks 50 years since the Miami Dolphins completed their Hollywood ending. And an Evansville native was at the center of it all.

Bob Griese, now 77, is still celebrated here locally, long after he made a name for himself at Rex Mundi High School. He’s a longtime member of the Indiana, College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. There’s even a street named in his honor along Bosse Field along with a bust of him outside the park’s entrance.

His legacy was cemented on Jan. 14, 1973, during Super Bowl VIII against Washington as the Dolphins completed the NFL’s first and only perfect season at 17-0. Griese threw a 28-yard touchdown late in the first quarter to put Miami on the board first. He had returned from injury just two weeks prior after missing most of the season with a broken leg.

Then he led the Dolphins to another Super Bowl the following year to establish themselves as part of football folklore. Living members still pop champagne every season when the last undefeated team loses.

Let's take a look back on the Evansville native's prolific career, from Rex Mundi High School to a Super Bowl champion.

A star was born at Rex Mundi

Rex Mundi High School was a Catholic school that opened in 1958 because Mater Dei and Memorial became overcrowded. It originally started as a freshman and sophomore school before expanding to a four-year school in 1960, which was the start of Griese's sophomore year.

Griese, who earned 12 varsity letters, is considered the most famous alumnus from Rex Mundi, which ultimately closed in 1972. (Coincidentally, the same year Griese and the Dolphins were making history.) There's even a case for him being the most-decorated athlete from Evansville — he's at least on the hypothetical Mount Rushmore.

Tears and remembrance:Students gathering one last time to remember Rex Mundi's closing

The Monarchs' football coaching staff raved about Griese even when he was a freshman, although he stood just 5-foot-9 and weighed 145 pounds. Griese originally shared quarterback duties with a sophomore but, the staff expected great things to come on the gridiron in the near future.

"Griese will be one of the best in the city in a couple of years," Rex Mundi coach Ed Labbe said at the start of the season. "He does everything well."

Griese was already a budding baseball star, from little league to lifting Funkhouser to the 1963 American Legion World Series. Before his freshman year at Rex Mundi, Griese tossed a no-hitter at Bosse Field, striking out 19 batters before blasting a three-run homer later on in the eighth. There was a belief he could have turned pro on the diamond, but he decided to continue his three-sport dominance at Purdue University.

He, of course, especially thrived on the gridiron. In addition to playing quarterback in football, he also was a punter and placekicker and sold popcorn at halftime. The four-year starter made All-State First Team as a senior. Griese also scored 900 career points in basketball and as a senior baseball player posted a .330 average with a perfect record on the mound.

Griese's stardom grows even more at Purdue

The Sigma Chi member still did it all for the Boilermakers, from going 12-1 on the mound in baseball one year to playing consistently at guard in basketball. But his football talents started to shine even more in West Lafayette.

While Griese was a quarterback, kicker and punter during his time at Purdue, he made the most out of his three-year career under center. The Boilermakers won 22 games in Griese's tenure and had their fair share of highlights.

A two-time All-America selection, Griese led Purdue to victory over Southern California in the 1967 Rose Bowl. He was runner-up for the 1966 Heisman Trophy to Florida's Steve Spurrier and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and the Indiana Hall of Fame in 1984.

He became an inaugural member of the Purdue Intercollegiate Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.

A life and legacy after football

From the Wabash to South Beach, Griese has made an impact everywhere he's gone.

The fourth-overall NFL draft pick spent his entire 14-year career in Miami. Both he and the expansion Dolphins took their lumps in the late 1960s, but his leadership led to three Super Bowl appearances the next decade and consistent 10-win seasons. Griese inspired many generations of quarterbacks, like fellow Dolphins legend and Hall of Famer Dan Marino.

Griese went into broadcasting not long after his retirement in 1980. He called Super Bowl XX with NBC Sports, then he joined ABC Sports for college football. He called many of his youngest son Brian's games with Michigan. Griese even called Brian's final collegiate game, which was a National Championship win against Washington State in the Rose Bowl.

Brian went on to have a solid NFL career, mainly with the Broncos, and even played for the Dolphins in 2003. He also went the broadcasting route like his father and called Monday Night Football games. He joined the 49ers' coaching staff this past season as the quarterback coach.

In the Evansville sports landscape, Griese reigns supreme. Rex Mundi shut down, but the memories of Griese leading his basketball team to a No. 1 ranking in the state will still live on. If there was ever an Evansville Mount Rushmore, Griese's face would be the main attraction.

Griese will continue to celebrate his life. He and his wife, Shay, are nearing 30 years of marriage while the Dolphins are in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

When it comes to star athletes in Southwestern Indiana, Griese is in a league of his own.

Courier & Press sports reporter Treasure Washington can be reached via her email, treasure.washington@courierpress.com, and on Twitter @Twashington490.

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Miami Dolphins: 50 years ago, Bob Griese capped perfect season