In November 1993, some 20 years after the Miami Dolphins’ undefeated season, players hoisted coach Don Shula off the football field to celebrate his 325th coaching victory. That triumphant game — clinching Shula as the winningest head coach in NFL history — is captured in a one-page game plan Shula created earlier that day, hours before the Dolphins defeated the Philadelphia Eagles.
That artifact, striking for its rareness, joins 200 more pieces of priceless NFL memorabilia in the sprawling “Gridiron Glory,” a marquee exhibition debuting this fall at HistoryMiami Museum in downtown Miami. Subtitled “The Best of the Pro Football Hall of Fame,” the 6,000-square-foot traveling show features 200 rare photos, old NFL footage, interactive displays and a “Hometown Heroes” section devoted to Dolphins artifacts. It will open Sept. 28 and continue through next year’s Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium.
Every piece of memorabilia – spanning pivotal moments in Miami Dolphins history to Tom Brady’s draft card to Troy Aikman’s helmet to a Vince Lombardi trophy – is on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Since Miami is a Super Bowl host city in 2020, classic memorabilia from a century of football history, especially from the Dolphins, should whet fan appetites ahead of the big game on Feb. 2, 2020, says Mike Knoll, HistoryMiami’s curatorial affairs vice-president.
“We’re trying to stir up as much traffic as we can, since the Super Bowl is throwing a bunch of events here in Miami next year,” Knoll says. “Telling Miami stories is crucial to us, but this show also tells the story of football from the earliest days of the sport to the present.”
Here’s a scorecard of the rare artifacts visiting HistoryMiami ahead of Super Bowl LIV.
Which artifacts are coming to “Gridiron Glory”?
The oldest item, an Akron Indians football from 1910, will appear alongside a Frank Gore jersey from Sept. 16, 2018, the date the Buffalo Bills running back surpassed Curtis Martin for the fourth-most rushing yards in NFL history.
Visitors also can try on vintage pads and jerseys and modern NFL gear, or step inside an Instant Replay booth, allowing fans to watch a football play and second-guess the referee’s call. Interactive touch screens will display video clips on members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Other memorabilia includes:
Emmitt Smith’s helmet worn when he broke Walter Payton’s career rushing record
Larry Csonka’s Super Bowl VII helmet, worn during his career with the Miami Dolphins
Barry Sanders’ 2,000-yard jersey, worn when he joined O.J. Simpson and Eric Dickerson as the only players in the NFL to rush for more than 2,000 yards
Tom Brady’s draft card, presented at the 2000 NFL Draft, indicating the New England Patriots had selected him in the sixth round.
A mold replica of Jerry Rice’s hands and the football he caught when he tied the NFL record for most career receptions
A Joe Montana autographed MVP football from his Super Bowl XXIV victory
Troy Aikman’s helmet, worn during his 1992 season with the Dallas Cowboys
Walter Payton’s jersey, worn when he broke Jim Brown’s all-time rushing record in 1984
The game ball from Super Bowl XLII when the New York Giants ended the New England Patriots’ undefeated season with a 17-14 victory
The historic elevator panel from Three Rivers Stadium, where Art Rooney was standing when the famous “Immaculate Reception” occurred in the 1972 Playoffs
The seven-pound sterling silver Vince Lombardi trophy
How much for Gridiron Glory?
Admission to “Gridiron Glory” will cost $5-$10, and will be free for children younger than 6. A VIP opening-night party on Friday, Sept. 27, will cost $150. Call 305-375-1492 or go to HistoryMiami.org.
