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5 unusual facts about Don Shula


145th Armored Regiment

One recruit in Company C was a young John Carroll University football player named Don Shula, who would later have one of the finest coaching careers in the National Football League.

Bryan Wiedmeier

This group includes the winningest coach in NFL history, Don Shula as well as Jimmy Johnson, Nick Saban, Bill Parcells and Mike Holmgren.

Florida State Road 874

In 1983, the South Dade Expressway was renamed by the Florida Legislature to the Don Shula Expressway, in honor of the Hall of Fame head coach of the Miami Dolphins NFL team.

Nickel defense

The nickel defense was popularized by the Miami Dolphins (Head Coach Don Shula and Defensive Coordinator Bill Arnsparger) in the 1970s and is now commonly employed in obvious passing situations or against a team that frequently uses three wide receiver sets on offense.

Ray Didinger

He co-authored Football America: Celebrating Our National Passion along with Don Shula in 1996 and co-wrote The Eagles Encyclopedia with Robert S. Lyons in 2005.


Hank Goldberg

In 1992, following weeks of Hurricane Andrew aftermath that dominated all the local market stations, Goldberg opted to interview guests Dolphins coach Don Shula to talk football and novelist/screenwriter Elmore Leonard when WIOD's program director insisted he talk only about Hurricane Andrew, three weeks after the storm.

Skipper Chuck

Among the special guests who made periodic appearances were Miami Dolphins football coach Don Shula and Jackie Gleason.

Tom Heckert, Jr.

In his career, Heckert has had the opportunity to work with four of the more successful head coaches in recent NFL history, including Hall of Famer Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Andy Reid, and Mike Holmgren.


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