Miami Dolphins Tales From The Deep

While not widely recruited out of Tuscaloosa High School, a chance film room discovery by Bear Bryant led to Bob Baumhower playing on the defensive line for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Baumhower helped lead the Tide to a 31-4 record during his college career while earning consecutive All-SEC honors in 1975 and 1976. The Miami Dolphins took Bob in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft and he was thrust into the starting lineup, making an immediate impact at nose tackle as a rookie. Baumhower would play his entire nine-year career in Miami, playing in 130 games with 129 starts, earning five Pro Bowl nods and five All-Pro selections (2 first-team; 3 second team) as well as he anchored the Fins Killer B’s defense of the 1980s. In 2008, he was inducted into the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll. In The Tank, Bob shared his unlikely path to the University of Alabama and how one conversation with the legendary Bear Bryant changed his life. He also recalled some rookie hazing from Dolphins great Manny Fernandez, enjoying the fun and sun of South Florida with the likes of Mark Duper, Nat Moore, and Hugh Green, partnering with Joe Namath in his first experience in the restaurant business that would lead to a life-long post-football career, and a trip to Lion Country Safari that resulted in an unexpected house pet.