Georgia football countdown to kickoff: 69 days to go
The 2018 Georgia football season begins in 69 days.
Another Saturday has passed, meaning there are less than 10 weeks remaining until Georgia football begins the year against Austin-Peay. With just 69 days, lets look back at the amazing career of Bill Stanfill who the Miami Dolphins drafted 11th overall in the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft.
Stanfill’s is a name any Georgia football fan should know. And if you don’t, don’t leave this page because you’re about to learn about the best interior defensive lineman in Georgia football history. A member of the College Football Hall of Fame. A should-be Pro Football Hall of Famer, whose constant exclusion is a black mark on the hall’s reputation.
Stanfill played at Georgia from 1966-to-1968 and started all three seasons. He played a major role on the Bulldog’s 1966 and 1968 SEC Championship teams. He earned All-SEC honors every year at Georgia.
His best year was 1968 when he was named a consensus All-American, Academic All-American and SEC Defensive Player of the Year. He also won the Outland Trophy for to the best interior defensive lineman in the nation.
Head coach Vince Dooley viewed Stanfill as the perfect defensive tackle, saying:
“He was everything you’d want in a defensive tackle. He combined speed, size, range, quickness and competitiveness to make him one of the greatest linemen to ever play the game.”
His accolades continued to stack up after he left school. His name appears on the 50th Anniversary All-SEC team (1933-to-1982), SEC Quarter-Century Team (1950-to-1974), All-SEC 25-Year Team (1961-to-1985) and the SEC All-1960’s Team. The Georgia Sports Hall of Fame inducted Stanfill in 1984 and the College Football Hall of Fame followed suit in 1998.
But he didn’t reach his peak until after college. The Miami Dolphins drafted him 11th overall in the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft. He started almost every game he played in and was a leader on the Dolphins two Super Bowl seasons.
Stanfill was one of football’s early sack masters. Back when he played, the league didn’t keep up with sacks so his stats for quarterback tackles are unofficial. But they’re nonetheless impressive. he had eight sacks as a rookie in 1969 which would be the Dolphins rookie record. He also had two interceptions for touchdowns that year.
He followed his great rookie year with six sacks in 1970 and 6.5 in 1971. Stanfill reached his peak in 1972 and 1973 and as did his team. The Dolphins won the Super Bowl both year’s, including their 17-0 season in 1972. Stanfill sacked quarterbacks 10 times in 1972 and an unbelievable 18 times in 1973. His 18 sacks would be a Dolphins franchise record tied with Jason Taylor.
In his last great year in 1974, Stanfill recorded 10 sacks. Knee and neck injuries slowed him down in 1975 and eventually ended his career in 1976. Yet he still had 10.5 sacks over the course of those two seasons. He retired with 67.5 unofficial sacks.
Dolphins head coach Don Shula echoed Dooley when he spoke about Stanfill:
“Bill was an outstanding player and a key contributor to our Super Bowl championship teams. He was quick and he was strong, and it was almost impossible to block him. His constant pressure on the opposing quarterback helped make our great No-Name defense even better. I enjoyed coaching him.”
Stanfill earned even more accolades in the pros. He was included on five Pro-Bowl teams, named second-team All-Pro twice and first-team All-Pro once. The Miami Dolphins inducted him to their Honor Roll in 2010 alongside another Georgia Bulldog, Jake Scott. He’s also a member of the Dolphins All-Time Team.
It’s unbelievable that he isn’t in the Pro-Football Hall of Fame yet. His unofficial sack totals in an eight-year career that included five Pro-Bowl’s, three AFC Championships and two Super Bowl’s is more than enough for a spot in the Hall of Fame. His exclusion is inexcusable.
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Saddly, Stanfill will not be able to accept his induction. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 69. The injuries he suffered in the last two years of his career played a part in his death. Regardless of whether the Pro-Football Hall of Fame realizes it, the Bulldog Nation as well as fans of the Miami Dolphins know how great Bill Stanfill was.
He’s a Bulldog legend. His is a shadow all defensive tackles and nose guards who wear the red and black must chase. He earned numerous individual awards while leading his teams to five championship seasons. Bill Stanfill is a Damn Good Dawg.