Don Shula's death on Monday at age 90 hit hard for Miami Dolphins fans from South Florida and beyond.
He was the winningest coach in NFL history and the most important figure in the history of South Florida sports. He spent 26 years with the Dolphins and 33 years overall as an NFL coach, finishing his career with 347 wins, the most in league history.
He won back-to-back Super Bowls and orchestrated the perfect season in 1972.
Here are some of their stories, in their own words with minor editing for clarity.