The ’72 Dolphins’ 50th anniversary celebration: Five questions with Charlie Babb
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Dolphins’ Perfect Season, The Miami Herald is running weekly conversations with members of the 1972 team.
Five questions with safety Charlie Babb, who appeared in 97 games and started 35 in eight seasons for the Dolphins, including 14 appearances for the 1972 team:
▪ What’s your best memory from the ‘72 season?
“Probably the most popular thing I did was I blocked a punt and picked it up and scored against Cleveland in a playoff game. We were losing to Cleveland and it kind of turned the game around. That was our first playoff game that year [a 20-14 win]. That was pretty exciting. It was my career highlight, along with intercepting three passes in a game against the Raiders [in the 1975 opener].”
▪ Who was an unsung hero from that team, a real contributor who nobody ever talks about?
“[Punter] Larry Seiple. Faking the punt against Pittsburgh turned that game around. For guys that were backup players — and him being a punter — Don Shula always preached you don’t win the game all on offense or defense; special teams is going to be a big part of the game. Shula was involved in all the special teams, too.”
▪ What was it like playing for Shula? Did he treat backups differently than he treated stars?
“Slightly. Larry Little and Larry Csonka and Bob Griese, they got treated a little different, no doubt about it. But if you were a backup back then, the coach expected nothing less from you. It was next guy up. If you went into play, he expected you to perform just as well.
“The one thing you learn about Shula pretty quickly is little things do not get past him. When you did something wrong, he made sure he covered that in front of the team. If you did something good, he made sure you got rah-rah in front of the team.”
Babb said Shula might let a little more slide with the stars, which isn’t unusual in coaching.
“If it’s a backup, they might linger on it if you make a mistake. Shula was all about perfection. And what an example he set. He expected perfection. He filmed every practice and the coaching staff would go through every single practice film too, just looking for weaknesses.”
▪ You were one of only three rookies on that team. Was their any rookie hazing? How did they treat you?
“Well. There was no pettiness. Everyone was very professional. I wasn’t asked [to go out and get the veterans food or anything]. When you were away from the place, everything was normal. And when you were there, somebody might call you, ‘hey rookie.’
“But there was no childishness in terms of how you were treated. Shula wouldn’t have cared one way or the other. But it was all the players and the quality of individuals that they weren’t going to do that.”
▪ How was your life enhanced by being a member of the only undefeated team in NFL history?
“At least once a year, everyone talks about it. It’s the only thing we have left.”
But he said what he learned from Shula more even more valuable.
“I was in the building material business and I ran a couple of big companies. What I learned from him were great examples of how to handle people and situations. I learned a lot from him to the point where I went out in the business world, I was like a replica.”
Babb has been living in Naples since moving from Plantation in 1988.
