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Jim Mandich
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James Michael Mandich (July 30, 1948 – April 26, 2011), also known as "Mad Dog", was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Mandich played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1967 to 1969 and was recognized as a consensus first-team tight end on the 1969 College Football All-America Team. A second-round pick in the 1970 NFL draft, he played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins (1970-1977) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1978). After his playing career ended, he worked as the color commentator for the Miami Dolphins and also hosted a sports talk show on local AM radio in Miami.
Key Information
Early life
[edit]Mandich was born in Cleveland to a Serbian immigrant father.[1] He graduated from Solon High School in Solon, Ohio.[2] While at Solon High, Mandich won 12 letters and was an All-Ohio and All-America football player.[3]
University of Michigan
[edit]Mandich enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1965 and played for coach Bump Elliott and coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1967 to 1969. As a sophomore, Mandich started six games at the left end position for the 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 4-6 record.[4] Mandich caught 25 passes for 248 yards during the 1967 season.[5]
As a junior, Mandich started eight of ten games at the left end position for the 1968 Michigan team that improved to 8-2 and was ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll.[6] With Dennis Brown at quarterback, Mandich caught 42 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.[5] Brown and Mandich were both selected by the Associated Press (AP) as first-team players on the 1968 All-Big Ten Conference football team.[7]
Prior to the start of his senior season, Mandich was elected captain of the 1969 Michigan team under new head coach Bo Schembechler.[8] Mandich led the 1969 team to a Big Ten Conference championship, an upset victory over Ohio State and the 1970 Rose Bowl.[9] Mandich had the best game of his collegiate career on October 11, 1969, catching 10 passes for 156 yards while scoring a touchdown and setting up two others in a victory over Purdue.[10] Over the course of the 1969 season, Mandich caught 51 passes for 676 yards and three touchdowns and was selected by the AP as a first-team All-Big Ten player for the second consecutive year.[11] Mandich was also selected as the most valuable player on the 1969 Michigan team,[9] and a consensus first-team tight end on the 1969 College Football All-America Team.[12]
Mandich finished his collegiate career at Michigan ranked second only to Jack Clancy in career receptions (Mandich had 118, Clancy had 132) and receiving yards (Mandich had 1,489, Clancy had 1,917).[5] Mandich was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1994 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.[13]
Professional football
[edit]Miami Dolphins
[edit]Mandich was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round (29th overall pick) of the 1970 NFL draft.[2] He signed with the Dolphins in July 1970.[14]
Mandich joined the Dolphins in 1970, their first season under head coach Don Shula. Mandich appeared in 14 games for the 1970 Dolphins, but caught only one pass for three yards and a touchdown against the Houston Oilers on September 27, 1970.[2] In Mandich's second NFL season, the Dolphins lost Super Bowl VI to the Dallas Cowboys. Mandich appeared in 11 games for the 1971 Dolphins and caught three passes for 19 yards and a touchdown.[2]
In his third year in the NFL, Mandich appeared in all 14 games for the undefeated 1972 Miami Dolphins that defeated the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. Mandich had 11 catches for 168 yards and three touchdowns for the 1972 Dolphins.[2] In the playoffs, he had two catches, a five-yard catch against the Pittsburgh Steelers and a 19-yard reception in Super Bowl VII.
In 1973, Mandich again appeared in all 14 games for the Dolphins team that defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII. Mandich caught 24 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns for the 1973 Dolphins.[2]
Mandich's most productive year in the NFL was 1974, when he again appeared in all 14 games and had 33 receptions for 374 yards and six touchdowns.[2] Mandich remained with the Dolphins through the 1977 season, totaling 21 catches for 217 yards and four touchdowns in 1975 and 22 catches for 260 yards and four touchdowns in 1977, before dropping off in 1978 to only six catches for 63 yards.[2]
Pittsburgh Steelers
[edit]In May 1978, the Dolphins traded Mandich to the Washington Redskins in exchange for two eighth-round draft selections in 1979 and 1980.[15] He did not appear in any regular season games for the Redskins,[2] but, after an injury to Bennie Cunningham, Mandich was signed in October 1978 as a backup tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers.[16][17] Mandich appeared in 10 regular season and three playoff games for the 1978 Steelers team that won Super Bowl XIII, making him the only man to play on the first two teams in NFL history to win 14 games in a season.[2][18] Mandich had no receptions during the 1978 season, and at the conclusion of the season, Mandich announced his retirement from football.[18]
NFL career statistics
[edit]| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
[edit]| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1970 | MIA | 14 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | MIA | 11 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 6.3 | 10 | 1 |
| 1972 | MIA | 14 | 0 | 11 | 168 | 15.3 | 39 | 3 |
| 1973 | MIA | 14 | 3 | 24 | 302 | 12.6 | 28 | 4 |
| 1974 | MIA | 14 | 10 | 33 | 374 | 11.3 | 44 | 6 |
| 1975 | MIA | 14 | 6 | 21 | 217 | 10.3 | 32 | 4 |
| 1976 | MIA | 14 | 3 | 22 | 260 | 11.8 | 31 | 4 |
| 1977 | MIA | 14 | 0 | 6 | 63 | 10.5 | 15 | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 119 | 23 | 121 | 1,406 | 11.6 | 44 | 23 | ||
Playoffs
[edit]| Year | Team | Games | Receiving | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 1970 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | MIA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 9 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 19 | 0 |
| 1973 | MIA | 3 | 3 | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 13 | 1 |
| 1974 | MIA | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 14 | 3 | 9 | 86 | 9.6 | 19 | 1 | ||
Later years
[edit]Mandich was the radio sports talk show host on WIOD 610 AM from 1983 to 1987, and joined WQAM 560 in 1987. He also did color commentary on Dolphins radio broadcasts on which he was teamed with Jimmy Cefalo and Joe Rose. He was known for his trademark soundbite "All right, Miami!" When he gave out the call-in number for cell phone users, he playfully told his radio listeners to call "if you're riding around with the windows down." Diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct, in early 2010, Mandich became absent from his afternoon show. In the fall of 2010, the terminally ill commentator returned to the broadcast booth for his final season of game-day color commentary.[citation needed]
Death
[edit]Mandich died from cancer in April 2011 in Miami Lakes, Florida, at age 62. At a public memorial the following month at Sun Life Stadium, Mandich was remembered by speakers that included former Michigan teammate Tom Curtis and former Dolphins teammates, Nat Moore, Dick Anderson, Kim Bokamper, Joe Rose, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jimmy Cefalo, and coach Don Shula. Shula announced at the service that Mandich would be added to the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll — a ring around the second tier at Sun Life Stadium that honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franchise.[19]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "ANTHOLOGY: Those Who Stay - The Entire Series". WolverinesWire. December 4, 2019. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Jim Mandich". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ John Hannen (November 13, 1968). "Wolverines' Mandich Compared To Kramer". The Blade, Toledo, Ohio. p. 70.
- ^ "1967 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ a b c "Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page". University of Michigan. Archived from the original on November 12, 2007.
- ^ "1968 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Podolak and Meskimen Named All-Big 10" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 27, 1968. p. 3.
- ^ Eric Siegel (September 5, 1969). "Mandich to captain Wolverines". The Michigan Daily. p. 11.
- ^ a b "1969 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Michigan's Mandich The No. 1 Lineman". Schenectady Gazette. October 15, 1969.
- ^ "No Hawks Named All-Big Ten" (PDF). The Daily Iowan. November 26, 1969. p. 6.
- ^ "2014 NCAA Football Records: Consensus All-America Selections" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). 2014. pp. 6–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 26, 2018. Retrieved February 10, 2015.
- ^ "Jim Mandich". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ "Mandich Signs With Dolphins". Owosso Argus-Press (AP story). July 13, 1970. p. 10.
- ^ "Dolphins trade Mandich to 'Skins". St. Petersburg Times. May 12, 1978. p. 3C.
- ^ "Steelers Sign Jim Mandich". Daytona Beach Morning Journal (AP story). October 12, 1978. p. 4C.
- ^ "Mandich Catches On". Observer-Reporter. October 12, 1978.
- ^ a b Glen Sheeley (December 22, 1978). "Steelers End of Super Trail For Tight End Jim Mandich". The Pittsburgh Press. p. B-6.
- ^ Brian Biggane (May 7, 2011). "im Mandich's life celebrated by Dolphins past and present, crowd of about 2,000". Palm Beach Post. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015.
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Jim Mandich
View on GrokipediaEarly Life
Childhood and Family
James Michael Mandich was born on July 30, 1948, in Cleveland, Ohio.[6] He was raised in the nearby suburb of Solon, Ohio, where he spent his early years in a working-class environment.[6] Mandich's father was a Serbian immigrant from Yugoslavia who owned and operated Emil's Bar in northeast Ohio, instilling values of hard work in his son by having him assist after school.[7] This family emphasis on diligence and perseverance shaped Mandich's approach to life and athletics from a young age, reflecting the immigrant experience of building a new life in America through labor and community involvement. In his childhood in Solon, Mandich developed an early passion for sports, frequently riding his bike around the neighborhood while engaging in little league baseball and football.[8] Local residents recalled him often carrying a football or baseball, highlighting his constant immersion in physical activities that fostered a competitive spirit and laid the groundwork for his future athletic pursuits.[8]High School Athletics
Jim Mandich attended Solon High School in Solon, Ohio, from 1964 to 1967, where he distinguished himself as a multi-sport athlete across football, basketball, baseball, and track and field.[1] His family encouraged his deep involvement in athletics, fostering his competitive drive from an early age.[9] In football, Mandich excelled as a tight end and defensive end, earning All-America recognition in 1965 for his standout performance.[10] He played a pivotal role in key team victories, including a dramatic halftime comeback against West Geauga, where Solon trailed 16-0 before rallying to win, with Mandich helping to inspire the turnaround.[9] His versatility and leadership on the gridiron highlighted his potential as a top prospect. Mandich also shone in other sports, setting Solon High School records in the shot put and discus events in track and field that endured for more than 40 years until they were broken in 2010.[9] In basketball, he was a star player, contributing significantly to the team's efforts, while in baseball, he participated as a team member during his high school years.[6][11] These accomplishments across disciplines underscored his athletic versatility and drew recruitment interest from major college programs, particularly the University of Michigan, which he selected over Ohio State due to its stronger academic offerings.[9][3]College Career
University of Michigan
Mandich enrolled at the University of Michigan in the fall of 1966 following an All-America high school career at Solon High School in Ohio. As a freshman that year, he saw limited playing time, primarily on the freshman squad, in line with the era's restrictions on first-year varsity participation.[12] In his sophomore season of 1967, Mandich earned a spot on the varsity team, starting six games at left end for the Wolverines, who compiled a 4-6 record under head coach Bump Elliott. He recorded 26 receptions for 256 yards that year, contributing as both a blocker and receiver in Michigan's offensive scheme.[13] Mandich solidified his role as the starting tight end during his junior and senior years. In 1968, still under Elliott, he started all 10 games, hauling in 43 passes for 576 yards and three touchdowns while providing crucial blocking support for the run-heavy offense that helped the team achieve an 8-2 record. The following year, 1969—Bo Schembechler's inaugural season as head coach—saw Mandich serve as team captain and earn Most Valuable Player honors; he caught a team-high 50 passes for 662 yards and four touchdowns, keying the Wolverines' 8-2 campaign that clinched a co-Big Ten championship after a landmark 24-12 upset victory over undefeated Ohio State.[13][14][15] Over his three-year varsity career from 1967 to 1969, Mandich amassed 119 receptions for 1,494 yards and seven touchdowns, establishing himself as a reliable tight end who excelled in both pass-catching and run-blocking duties. His contributions peaked in the 1970 Rose Bowl, where Michigan defeated USC 10-3 to secure the program's first bowl victory since the 1948 Rose Bowl; Mandich recorded eight catches for 79 yards in the game, helping control the line of scrimmage against the defending national champions.[13][12][15]College Achievements
During his junior and senior seasons at the University of Michigan, Jim Mandich earned unanimous first-team All-America honors as a tight end in 1969, receiving first-team recognition from multiple selectors including the Associated Press, United Press International, and the American Football Coaches Association. That same year, he was named the Wolverines' team Most Valuable Player and served as captain, contributing to a 8-2 record that included a Big Ten championship and a berth in the 1970 Rose Bowl, positioning Michigan in national championship contention.[4] Mandich set enduring standards for tight ends at Michigan, establishing all-time records with 119 career receptions and 1,494 receiving yards over his three-year starting tenure from 1967 to 1969, marks that ranked first among Wolverines tight ends as of his later honors.[12] These accomplishments underscored his reliability as a pass-catching threat and blocker, helping to elevate Michigan's offensive output during a transitional era under coach Bo Schembechler. In recognition of his collegiate impact, Mandich was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1994 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004, where he was celebrated for embodying the program's tradition of toughness and leadership at the tight end position.[15]Professional Football Career
Miami Dolphins
Jim Mandich was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round, 29th overall, of the 1970 NFL Draft, marking the first draft pick of the Don Shula era for the franchise.[1] As a rookie tight end in 1970, Mandich appeared in 14 games but had a limited offensive role, recording just one reception for three yards and one touchdown against the Houston Oilers. Under Shula's disciplined coaching, which emphasized fundamentals and team cohesion, Mandich developed into a reliable contributor, transitioning from a peripheral player to a starter by his third season while honing his skills in both receiving and blocking.[16] Mandich played a key role in the Dolphins' historic 1972 perfect season, starting all 14 regular-season games and helping the team go 14-0 before an undefeated playoff run culminating in a 14-7 victory over the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII. In that game, he made a crucial 19-yard diving catch on third down from the Miami 31-yard line, setting up Jim Kiick's touchdown run that gave the Dolphins a 7-0 lead they never relinquished.[17] The following year, in 1973, Mandich remained a vital part of the offense during another championship campaign, catching 24 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns en route to a 24-7 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII, where he added two receptions for 21 yards.[18] Throughout his eight seasons with Miami from 1970 to 1977, Mandich amassed 121 receptions for 1,406 yards and 23 touchdowns in 109 games, often serving as a complementary piece in Shula's run-heavy offense that featured Hall of Famers Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris.[1] His blocking prowess was essential to the Dolphins' ground attack, which led the NFL in rushing yards in 1972 (2,960 total) and 1973 (2,757), as he frequently sealed edges and created lanes for Csonka's power runs and Morris's speed, exemplified in plays where he faked blocks before releasing on routes.[19][20] After the 1977 season, Mandich was traded to the Washington Redskins but ultimately joined the Pittsburgh Steelers for his final NFL year in 1978.Pittsburgh Steelers
In May 1978, the Miami Dolphins traded Mandich to the Washington Redskins in exchange for two eighth-round draft picks in 1979 and 1980.[21][16] Later that year, in October, Mandich signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers as a veteran backup tight end to provide depth following an injury to Bennie Cunningham.[22][16] Mandich served as the primary reserve behind starter Randy Grossman during the 1978 regular season, appearing in 10 games without recording a reception on one target.[23] Despite limited offensive involvement, he contributed to the team's depth on special teams and as a blocker during their 14-2 campaign, which secured the AFC's top seed.[1] In the playoffs, Mandich played in all three postseason contests, including the AFC Championship Game victory over the Houston Oilers and Super Bowl XIII, where the Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 35-31 on January 21, 1979, at the Orange Bowl in Miami.[24] He again had no receptions but earned his third Super Bowl ring as part of the championship roster, joining those from Super Bowls VII and VIII won earlier with the Dolphins.[1][16] At age 30, Mandich retired from professional football immediately following the Super Bowl victory, concluding an eight-year NFL career that spanned two franchises.[16][3]Career Statistics
Jim Mandich played in 119 regular-season games and 14 postseason games during his nine-year NFL career as a tight end, primarily contributing through receiving.[1] His regular-season receiving statistics are summarized below:| Year | Team | Games | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | MIA | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 1971 | MIA | 11 | 3 | 19 | 1 |
| 1972 | MIA | 14 | 11 | 168 | 3 |
| 1973 | MIA | 14 | 24 | 302 | 4 |
| 1974 | MIA | 14 | 33 | 374 | 6 |
| 1975 | MIA | 14 | 21 | 217 | 4 |
| 1976 | MIA | 14 | 22 | 260 | 4 |
| 1977 | MIA | 14 | 6 | 63 | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 119 | 121 | 1,406 | 23 |
| Year | Team | Games | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | MIA | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1971 | MIA | 2 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIA | 3 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| 1973 | MIA | 3 | 5 | 49 | 1 |
| 1974 | MIA | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 1978 | PIT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 14 | 9 | 86 | 1 |
