Bob Baumhower, a former Alabama All-American and All-Pro defensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins, will become the 18th member of the Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor at a halftime ceremony Sunday at the Dolphins’ game against the San Francisco 49ers at Dolphins Stadium.
As a member of the Dolphins’ famed "Killer Bs," he and teammate Doug Betters will be the first two defensive linemen to earn this honor.
"It was a nice honor since Doug (Betters) and I only played with Miami Dolphins, so it’s a big deal for us," Baumhower said. "I was fortunate to have played my whole career in Miami. That is a big deal to me.
“The Dolphins have a long history of Alabama players. Guys like myself, Dwight (Stephenson), Don (McNeal), Joe Carter, Jackie Cline and, later, Barry Krauss. That is something to be proud of, too,” he added
Stephenson and McNeal, also former Tide All-Americans, played with Baumhower at both Alabama and Miami, and call the honor for their friend well-deserved.
"Bob is one of the most genuine people,” Stephenson said. “He cares about the community. It's good to see a guy like him get this honor. As far as a football player, he was a competitor."
McNeal added: “It was a great opportunity to play with Bob. .... He is a great person and was a great player. I think it's a great honor and a great feat for him to go into the Honor Roll. “
Baumhower was a second-round draft choice of the Dolphins in 1977 and went on to play in 130 regular season games, 129 of which were starts. He racked up 888 career tackles and 39.5 sacks, a figure which is tied for seventh in team history and the most among defensive tackles.
He became a full-time starter at nose tackle in his rookie season, the first year that the Dolphins employed a 3-4 defense. The Dolphins went 10-4 as they held opponents to a 3.7-yard average per rush attempt. He also registered four sacks, a figure that ranked second on the team that year.
By his third season (1979), he was voted to the AFC Pro Bowl squad, the first of five such selections in his career, second-most among defensive linemen in club annals and tied for third-most among defensive players.
He had his best season in 1981 when he notched 90 tackles, including a career- and team-high nine sacks, the most by a Dolphins interior lineman, as the Dolphins claimed the AFC East title with a record of 11-4-1.
He played in 125 straight games to open his career, the fourth-longest games-played streak in Dolphins history and the longest to start a career. He also started 86 consecutive contests to open his NFL tenure. The Dolphins posted seven double-digit win seasons in his first nine years.
He was a two-time All-SEC tackle at Alabama, was twice named to All-American teams, and is a member of Alabama’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s. Baumhower was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
