OTD in Dolphins History: Two Hall of Fame Inductions

The 2020 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremonies were scheduled to take place Saturday, Aug. 8, but like so many things this year, they had to be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

That 2020 Class includes, of course, two-time Super Bowl champion coach Jimmy Johnson, whose career ended with four seasons at the helm of the Miami Dolphins.

But on this date in 1987, it was a magical day in Canton as not one but two former Dolphins players were part of that year's Hall of Fame class: Larry Csonka and Jim Langer.

Both of them, of course, were key members of the Dolphins' 1970s Super Bowl teams, Csonka the bruising fullback who would hit defenders as much as they would hit them (if not more), and Langer the man in the middle of one of the best offensive lines the NFL has ever seen.

Csonka and Langer became the second and third members of the organization to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, as they followed wide receiver Paul Warfield's 1983 induction.

Other members of the legendary 1972 team who would follow into the Hall of Fame were quarterback Bob Griese (1990), guard Larry Little (1993), Coach Don Shula (inducted in 1997) and linebacker Nick Buoniconti (2001).

Langer sadly was among a small group of 1972 Dolphins players who have passed away over the past two years — he died on Aug. 29, 2019. Langer is one of five members of the Dolphins organization elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.