Bob Heinz, a defensive lineman who helped anchor the Miami Dolphins’ undefeated 1972 team and later won two Super Bowls, died Saturday, Oct. 31. He was 79.
Heinz spent nine seasons in the NFL, playing for Miami from 1969 through 1977 before finishing his career with Washington in 1978. Over 111 games, he recorded nine sacks and collected championship rings in Super Bowls VII and VIII.
A second-round pick by the Dolphins in the 1969 NFL Draft out of the University of the Pacific, Heinz became part of the “No Name Defense” that powered Miami’s rise. Three years after arriving in the league, he was a key piece of the unit that carried the Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history, with no losses and no ties.
Heinz started eight games for the 1972 Dolphins, and he also started all three playoff games for Miami at the end of the 1971, 1972 and 1973 seasons. The Dolphins fell to the Dallas Cowboys 24-3 in Super Bowl VI, then answered with back-to-back title runs the next two years.
Miami finished the 1972 regular season 14-0, then beat the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC playoffs before topping Washington 14-7 in Super Bowl VII. The next year, the Dolphins went 12-2 in the regular season and rolled through the playoffs again, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 24-7 in Super Bowl VIII.
Born July 25, 1947, in Milwaukee, Heinz moved to California during his high school years and graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton. He played at San Joaquin Delta College before transferring to Pacific, where he lettered in football and track from 1966 to 1969. As a senior, he was named the school’s most valuable lineman, and Pacific inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 1988.
After his playing days, Heinz went into sales and later worked as an advertising executive. He kept a low profile for much of his life, though he drew attention in 2015 when his Super Bowl VIII championship ring sold at auction for $68,040.
He is survived by his wife, Carol; his children, Julie, Joe and John; daughter-in-law, Laura; two grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews.
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