Albany’s Stanfill to be inducted into Dolphins HOF

MIAMI — Bill Stanfill and Jake Scott have spent a lot of time together over the years, first as roommates and teammates at Georgia, then later as members of the Miami Dolphins — including that perfect season in 1972.

And for at least one night later this year, they’ll be reunited once again.

Former UGA All-Americans Scott and Stanfill, an Albany native, will become the 19th and 20th members to be inducted into the Miami Dolphin Honor Roll during halftime ceremonies of the team’s game against the Chicago Bears on Nov. 18 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami.

“It’s an honor to be selected to the Dolphin Honor Roll, especially since I’m going in with Jake Scott, my college roommate my freshman and sophomore years at Georgia,” Stanfill said this week during the Fins Weekend Kickoff Pairings Party and Team Awards Ceremony in South Florida. “He was an outstanding teammate, and we had some great times both in college and in the pros.”

On hand during that evening in mid-November will be Dolphin coaching legend Don Shula, who gushed about his two former star players after finding out they’d be joining him in the elite group of Miami greats later this year.

“It’s only fitting that Jake and Bill are going in together — two Georgia teammates and good friends,” Shula said. “They had great careers with the Dolphins and I’m glad they are being honored on the same day by their induction into the team’s Honor Roll. Both Jake and Bill were big-play defenders.”

Stanfill was drafted by Miami one year prior to Scott in the first round of the 1969 draft (11th overall). The defensive end led the team in sacks with eight in his rookie year and was named to the AFL All-Star game. In 1970, Stanfill again led the team in sacks with six. The following season Stanfill was an All-AFC choice and was third on the team with 6 sacks. In 1972, Stanfill was second on the 17-0 Super Bowl-winning Dolphins team with 10 sacks and followed it up with a stellar season in 1973 with a team record 18 sacks. In his eight seasons with the team (1969-76), Stanfill totaled 67 career sacks, a team record at the time. He also is unofficially tied for fourth in the Dolphins’ playoff record for sacks with four. Stanfill was also a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1969, 1971, 1972, 1973 and 1974).

Stanfill said the honor the Dolphins plan to bestow on him was nice, but it meant so much more being able to enter with Scott. He said also wishes he could’ve played longer than he did before injuries ended his career.

“(Jake and I) won an SEC Championship at Georgia and we were both lucky to wind up together in Miami, where we played together in three Super Bowls and won two of them,” Stanfill said. “The only thing I regret about my career is that it was cut short because of injury. I just wish I played longer with the Dolphins before injuries knocked me out, because I really enjoyed my time in Miami — I had some great teammates and coaches. That’s why being named to the Honor Roll means so much — I’m joining a great group of teammates already enshrined there, and I’m especially thrilled that Jake is going in with me.”

Scott was a seventh-round draft choice of the club in 1970 out of Georgia. The safety made an immediate impact in his rookie season when he notched five interceptions for 112 yards and added a touchdown on a punt return. He continued his strong play in his second season, recording seven interceptions and 318 yards on punt returns. Scott was a key member of the

1972 Miami Dolphins undefeated season, and finished that year as MVP of Super Bowl VII, recording two interceptions and 63 return yards in the Dolphins’ 14-7 win against the Washington Redskins. Scott also played for the Dolphins in their 24-7 Super Bowl VIII win against the Minnesota Vikings, recording a fumble recovery, 20 punt return yards and 47 kickoff return yards in that game. In his six seasons with the Dolphins (1970-75), Scott had 35 interceptions for 425 yards and returned 127 punts for 1,330 yards. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection (1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1975) and a two-time Associated Press First-Team All-Pro selection (1973, 1974).

“The reason I was happy to get named to the Honor Roll was because it really honors our defense of the 70s and shows just how good we really were now that we have so many guys up there,” Scott said. “It brings attention to our defense that we never got back then. We never got a lot of credit, but you don’t win a couple of Super Bowls if you can’t play defense, and with Bill and I going in, it shows that we had some pretty good players on that side of the ball.

“It’s also special to go in with Bill for another reason — he’s my old buddy dating back to our Georgia days. We started off as roommates our freshman year and stayed close ever since. So it’s a great honor to join the Honor Roll along with someone I’ve been friends with forever.”

Shula said talking about Scott and Stanfill during this week’s event brought back a lot of memories — all of them great ones.

“Jake had a knack of coming up with key interceptions in big games, with none bigger than his two picks in Super Bowl VII, earning him MVP honors in that contest and helping us finish our perfect season undefeated,” Shula said. “Bill became the leading sacker in Dolphin history, and did so despite the fact that many times we only rushed with three linemen. With two more members of the ‘No-Name Defense’ added to the Honor Roll, it gives more recognition to a defense that certainly deserves it.”