The BIZARRE RETIREMENT CONTROVERSY of Larry Csonka | 1969 Dolphins

Prior to the start of the 1969 American Football League (AFL) season, Miami Dolphins head coach George Wilson announced that fullback Larry Csonka, after just one year in the AFL, was done, and was about to announce his retirement. The only problem? Csonka was planning on doing no such thing. This is the story of the bizarre retirement controversy involving Larry Csonka and the 1969 Dolphins
#nfl #dolphins #nflthrowback
OFFICIAL JAGUARGATOR9 MERCHANDISE: jg9shop.com/
New listings every week! Get your official JG9 merchandise at jg9shop.com, featuring t-shirts, sweatshirts, mugs, and much more! Includes merchandise of the JG9 logo, the JG9 Live logo, some minigames played on JG9 Live, and a shirt symbolizing your passer rating if you did nothing but spike the ball into the ground on every single play
LINK TO PATREON: / jaguargator9
Get early access to videos, your name featured in the credits, and the ability to request future video topics by joining today for as low as $3!
LINK TO TWITCH: / jaguargator9_nfl
Play live NFL trivia every Tuesday night at 9 PM Eastern/6 PM Pacific with the chance to win cash prizes!
Check out the video below to learn more: • WEEKLY LIVE NFL TRIVIA...
LINK TO DISCORD: / discord
LINK TO TIK TOK: vm.tiktok.com/ZMJmVTKpr/
See videos like this condensed down to 60 seconds by following JaguarGator9 on Tik Tok!
SUBSCRIBE TO 60 SECOND NFL HISTORY: / @jaguargator8
See videos like this condensed down to 60 seconds by subscribing to 60 Second NFL History on KZbin!
SUBSCRIBE TO JG9 HIGHLIGHTS: / @jg9highlights184
See daily highlight videos on random players throughout NFL history!
Larry Csonka played for the following Dolphins teams:
1968 Dolphins
1969 Dolphins
1970 Dolphins
1971 Dolphins
1972 Dolphins
1973 Dolphins
1974 Dolphins
1979 Dolphins

[@DerrickMeacham]

He says "Imagine someone averaging less than 10 yards per half and being the leading rusher on the team". Dolphins fans can imagine with Ryan Fitzpatrick in 2019

[@maskedmotorsdiy3575]

In the 1960's, a typical defensive lineman such as Hall of Fame DE Willie Brown was about 6'3" and 240 lbs. Then here comes fullback Larry Csonka who was about 6'3" and 240 lbs. Pretty wild to consider.

[@67marlins81]

Good point.

[@mikevanriel7573]

Do you mean Willie Davis of the Packers or Willie Brown of the Raiders who played Cornerback?

[@bjchit]

@@mikevanriel7573 Willie Brown of the Raiders was a DE. Willie Brown who was a CB played for the Rams.

[@selfdiscardedkingofruin7291]

I think I read somewhere once that he broke his nose eight or nine times. True badass.

[@tommythomason6187]

Glad he didn't. He was a sight to watch. He'd dish out that brain-shattering forearm, usually on defensive backs. I saw more than one of them struggle to get off the ground after they'd been , "Csonked," by that forearm. It must have been a nightmare to tackle him.

[@nasetvideos]

One of my all-time favorite players as a kid. Personified tough football for the Dolphins. Great video; excellent context explaining the story

[@DolFan316]

I used to pretend to be Csonka in all the backyard football games I played as a kid. And TBH nobody else could tackle me until one day a ringer showed up.

[@jpmnky]

My aunt was a teenager during his prime. Lifelong Dolphins fan. I’m 100% convinced she has a crush on the guy.

[@radar0412]

To this day Csonka is still in EVERY TOP rushing category in Superbowl history. Including LONGEST RUNS!

[@newriver8940]

A true legend on and off the field. Wish he played in Marino’s era. He actually loved contact

[@newriver8940]

@Matt Joseph I remember that.

[@DolFan316]

Unfortunately men like Csonka are pretty much outlawed in today's world. And soon might literally be.

[@mikepainter3111]

He would have been just another blocker for selfish Dans passing game

[@bjchit]

@@mikepainter3111 So selfish to not want to hand the all off to guys like Sammie Smith, Lorenzo Hampton, Ron Davenport, Joe Carter, Andra Franklin, Troy Stradford, and Marc Logan.

[@Fender178]

A very good FB. He set the SB rushing record in in their SB VIII win with 145yds rushing on top of being named SB MVP. Which was broken by Franco Harris in SB IX with 158 yds who also was named SB MVP.

[@seanm3226]

Is it possible that Larry Csonka was always running downhill?

[@DolFan316]

True story: when Csonka, Kiick and Warfield jumped to the Memphis WFL team they practiced at the junior college in the town I lived in. My dad and granddad (who is the reason I am a DolFan) went to a practice one day to get their autographs but chickened out and didn't. They swore for years that when Csonka was tackled on one play the ground shook. I was only around a year old at the time though so they didn't bring me.

[@billb0313]

Three concussions in a year, a broken nose, abnormal bone growth on the skull, torn muscles. He should retire. Larry Csonka: "Walk it off."

[@charismatic9904]

When we were men. Unlike todays males who are pansies. I still live my life this way. I never see doctors.

[@67marlins81]

@@charismatic9904 I admire your toughness, but I would get blood work once a year, to rule out anything that doesn't show symptoms early on, like some cancers, hypertension, mild infections....etc.

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

Zonk: " Hold my beer."

[@DolFan316]

Csonka is to my knowledge the only ballcarrier in NFL history to actually be penalized for roughing a tackler. This was a thing that happened.

[@rjsweda]

i think it was against the bills

[@artistamisto]

Billy Sims was penalized for karate-kicking a defender in the early 80s.

[@skiprockjr.6881]

Larry Csonka is best known as the inventor of the "Csonkastrator", as seen on American Gladiators.

[@DolFan316]

It seems like the Fins have always had a bunch of quacks for their medical staff. A player who goes on to a HOF career and whose mind still seems to be fine even 50 years later? Gotta retire after his rookie season! Injecting players with cortisone for years that causes their joints to crumble and fall apart? Perfectly fine! And don't even get me started on the whole Brees/Culpepper thing in the '06 offseason.

[@67marlins81]

Credit Coach Shula for instructing Csonka to adjust his running game, credit Csonka for taking the criticism like a man, and these changed him from injury-prone to indestructible, huh?

[@DolFan316]

At least the doctors showed legit concern. I guess the team had a different medical staff when Mercury Morris broke his neck VS the Steelers in '73 and they pretended he was perfectly fine, only for him to find out he had fractured vertebra during a physical before that season's Pro Bowl.

[@haroldmccoy6748]

One of a multitude of unfortunate victims of legendary Hofer , agressive tackler ,hitter CB , Mel Blount .

[@DolFan316]

As bad as the '67 Dolphins' running game was, it's still not worse than a QB leading the 2019 team with 243 yards with only one other player breaking 200 in a 16-game season.

[@Sirharryflash82]

Never saw any change in his running style as he continued to lead with his head.

[@Arsd08]

Also the host of the orginal american gladiators not too many remember that show

[@michaelkrawczyk6715]

Undefeated...without any ties OR LOSSES...imagine that! growing up in the 70s, ZONK was our GRONK!

[@bjchit]

2:01 With blocking like that, it's no wonder Miami was dead last in rushing.

[@ravenheaven2425]

I have watched countless hours of these videos. I appreciate the videos. It's like you're the KZbin encyclopedia of the NFL.

[@JWD1992]

It would be cool if Tua followed the same path: getting concussed so much early on that people thought he'd retire young, then learning how to not get concussed and leading the Fins to a pair of Lombardis.

[@Disasterpiece5150]

Met Larry today. We did his gutter job

[@toddmarshall2726]

I did not know that Shula and his coaching staff helped Csonka to run differently. He was the only back I've ever seen that used his head to bowl over defenders. No wonder he kept getting concussions. He was a lot of fun to watch though.

[@RWildekrav66]

Could you see a backfield of Czonka and Mike Alstott ? Broken defensive bodies strewn around the field , getting chills just thinking about it .

[@aronjones7237]

Alstott's idol growing up WAS Csonka, hence his running style and many similarities, so yeah that woulda been totally badass!!!!

[@Jin04115]

Great video. New subbie👍🏿

[@marcus813]

I didn't know that Don Shula change Csonka's running style. Shula might have saved Csonka's life moreso than his career.

[@Kornelli98]

I learn so much about football from your channel

[@morghenmurdochlundgren8640]

So the Dolphins runners before Csonka had such a bad rating that they would've been just as effective as if they just spiked the ball on every down......oh,ok,yeah!

[@massimilianobelloni5613]

When NFL wad straight

[@robertbishop5357]

Larry is the original example of Beast Mode.

[@jamesfarrington9030]

He wasnt taught how to run properly until Shula came along.

[@rdalev1]

Also, after so many concussions, a special helmet with water filled pads was designed for him...which later, many other players used.

[@bjchit]

I'd like to hear the story about Larry Csonka's final season in Miami.

[@aronjones7237]

They made such a big deal about his "comeback" season in Miami and he had a great yr! Always curious why he'd retire after that when he could still kick ass with the best of them!

[@bjchit]

@@aronjones7237 Larry recently released his memoirs where he talks about why, and it came down to the same story as why he left the first time; with Joe Robbie being a skinflint after Larry asked for a raise after he was turned into the primary back halfway through the season.

[@aronjones7237]

I'm gonna have to get that.... I figured it was probably something like that.... definitely was their loss.

[@psychosem17]

I've been told by long time fans that Larry swapped his helmet to a water cushioned one during the 69 season that would better protect his head.

[@cuse445]

THE CZONK! Lived three blocks from the Orange Bowl 1972 -1980 (Little Havana) as a kid, and born and raised in Syracuse, go figure.

[@karlcooper8460]

Oh hell if he were just coming out now he would have retired for real after 3 years but we wouldn't be talking about his career like we do now.

[@thomasclinton5875]

Enter don shula and the no name coach forgotten.

[@DolFan316]

What would've been even crazier is if Wilson and the doctors tried to play it off as Csonka having announced his retirement but having no memory of it due to his head issues, and then using his non memory of a fake retirement to justify cutting him. If they were really devious about it they could've even had a fake press release made up to show him and say, "See? You said you retired but just don't remember because your brain is broken."

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

Yeah, and Paul is dead.

[@karlcooper8460]

When did he get the cleft chin he didn't have it when he was younger.

[@F40PH-2CAT]

I only remember him as a Giant....and one fumble 😬

[@99somerville]

He was pretty much done when he played for the Giants.

[@iamhungey12345]

@@99somerville Plus it was a brain dead play call.

[@RobertJohnson-hq6jq]

Miracle at the Meadowlands. That was on Pisarcik not Czonka.

[@Oliviacaptain]

Re: Miracle At The Meadowlands... wasn't Pisarcik trying to hand off to Doug Kotar?!?

[@artistamisto]

@@99somerville He wasn't done. The Giants were shit. Zonk got over 800 with Dolphins in '79. After that he was pretty much done.

[@BrendonChase2012]

Larry Csonka = #39 Spiking the ball into the ground on every single play = #39.6

[@kentfreeman8674]

Great story time hr

[@karlcooper8460]

He played a year or two in the world football league and came back to the dolphins.

[@artistamisto]

Dolphins -> Southmen -> Giants -> Dolphins

[@geeskin5750]

This is what happens when you have a linebacker carry the ball

[@67marlins81]

You would have liked Bears QB Bobby Douglass.....he was like a left-handed Bradshaw, plus 20 pounds. I saw him run through one of the Cowboys' safeties once, just about jolted him off the ground he hit him so hard running with the ball.

[@cheaplaughkennedy2318]

@@67marlins81 I remember watching Douglas many years ago , he could really rifle the ball .

[@67marlins81]

@@cheaplaughkennedy2318 Absolutely, his arm strength was phenomenal, I agree. I admired Terry Bradshaw and Dante Pastorini also for that same reason.

[@cheaplaughkennedy2318]

@@67marlins81 Yep that’s true , I always surprised the Pastorini never got to the Bowl though I believe he came close in 79 on a controversial end zone call against the Steelers. I could be wrong but it’s been so many years.

[@67marlins81]

@@cheaplaughkennedy2318 Dante was voted into the 1975 Pro Bowl. You have a good memory about the '78 and '79 AFC Championship games. I grew up a Steelers fan, but greatly admired the good old Houston Oilers under coach Phillips. Even as a kid Steelers fan, looking back I almost wish Houston had won the '78 AFC Championship, so they could have gone on to win that Super Bowl over Dallas. That would have been a statement game that might have kept them in Houston, and they deserved the Super Bowl. The Steelers still would have been a dynasty if they won 3 of them through 1980 anyway.

[@karlcooper8460]

Hes still living and hunting and I don't hear that he has CTE issues at least as far as I know.

[@robinrodriguez480]

Just an incredible player !!! Run football at its best !! They just dont make them like that anymore !!!!

[@DolFan316]

Dolphins draftee Jaelan Phillips was forced to retire by UCLA before transferring to Miami and winding up as a first round pick. Just sayin'.

[@rjsweda]

you make great videos from great eras

[@dantankboy4155]

Can we all agree Larry Csonka killed my Buffalo Bills?

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

The whole Dolphins team killed the Bills in the 1970s...20 games, 20 wins. Doesn't get worse than that.

[@Boomhower89]

Who would ever guess a RB from Syracuse could be successful in the NFL? 😉. Oh how I miss this game. Back when you didn’t have to be a great athlete but could excel as a great “football” player. Toughness counted

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

His running mate in the backfield at Syracuse also did well in the NFL..some guy named Coughlin.

[@Boomhower89]

@@andrewpadaetz5549 I had forgotten Coughlin was back there. Floyd Little and his bow legs come to mind.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

@@Boomhower89 Almost forgot about Little…Broncos drafted him and for a while he was their offense.

[@Trafficcoordinator]

I mostly remember him from American gladiators

[@scottconner7930]

52 Years Ago

[@ericveneto1593]

Does Csonka plan on donating his brain for CTE research

[@karlcooper8460]

He had a real thick neck.

[@DolFan316]

Reading in the newspaper that your own coach wants you to retire isn't any worse or more bizarre than a player watching ESPN and reading that he's been cut/traded on the screen crawl.

[@harryasmith527]

You sound like Roman from RCR.

[@isabellzdicham1184]

I'm actually related to him ✨

[@67marlins81]

Coach Wilson was before my time, so can some of you older fans weigh-in......was the coach a genuinely good guy who seemed genuinely concerned about Csonka?......or do you think he was just wrong and shouldn't have forced this rookie into a bad position?

[@rudolphguarnacci197]

I can't weigh in on that. But i am old.

[@stevenbauer4799]

I used to see Csonka do hunting outdoor programs on espn in the 90's with a couple of other good old boys bert jones and jay novachek.

[@DolFan316]

UH oh...did I actually catch OJG9 making a mistake??? Abner Haynes actually led the '67 Fins in rushing with 274 yards to Mitchell's 269, and he only played 11 games before winding up with the Jets the last 3 games of that season.

[@OfficialJaguarGator9]

Qualified it by saying “of players to finish the season with the Dolphins.”

[@DolFan316]

@@OfficialJaguarGator9 DRAT!!! CURSES!!! I thought I had you for a minute there 😋

[@karlcooper8460]

I thought he ran like a big stiff I didn't like him but he was just so bull strong.

[@velvetdogg7375]

Head injury has always been a topic in football. That's where the stereotype of the dumb jock's comes from. That plus all the players that couldn't read of write that they would let play college ball back in the day. Can't understand why it takes government to get involved for changes to happen?

[@WaltGekko]

Of course, for all of Csonka's greatness, there also was the one infamous play he was a part of in 1978 while with the Giants: The fumble that led to "The Miracle In The Meadowlands" when Csonka fumbled while the Giants were trying to run out the clock against the Eagles that Herm Edwards recovered for a touchdown that wound up propelling the Eagles to their first playoff berth since 1960 (though it should be noted, prior to 1966 in the NFL the only playoff game was the championship game unless a one-game playoff was needed to determine a division).

[@mikeperkins8031]

Wrong. That was QB Joe Piscarik that fumbled the handoff to Csonka. Not Csonka's fault.

[@stevenbauer4799]

In csonka's defense he didn't know the hand-off was coming. Everyone thought the usual kneel down was coming. Only Pisarchik and the off. coordinator who called for the hand off knew it was coming. Off. coordinator was canned the next day.

[@nala3038]

That was on the moronic qb and offensive coordinator, not Csonka