Throughout the wild start of the NFL’s free agency negotiation window yesterday, you may have missed it. But news broke yesterday that the Dolphins have lost a piece of their storied history.
The team bid farewell to an alumni, former running back Joe Auer. He passed on Saturday at the age of 77. Auer was a member of the very first season of football in Miami, but his legend extends well beyond just being a charter member: Auer ran back the opening kickoff to score the first touchdown in franchise history. On the first play in franchise history.
In that season, 1966, Auer was named the team’s most valuable player and played two more seasons thereafter in the NFL, one more with Miami and another in Atlanta.
