Howard Twilley, Super Bowl Scorer for Undefeated Miami, Dies at 81

Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the duration of the Miami Dolphins, the perfect 1972 season and a runner -up of the Heisman trophy at the University of Tulsa, died on Wednesday. He was 81 years old.

An announcement of his death by a spokesman for Tulsa did not say where Twilley died or cited a cause.

Twilley Caht A touchdown pass at Super Bowl VII against Washington when Miami reached a 14-7 victory to limit a 17-0 season. He also played for the Dolphin team that repeated as Super Bowl champions next season.

Relatively underlined as an open receiver, at 5 feet 10 inches and 185 pounds, had a solid professional career of 11 years, all in Miami, which lasted until 1976, ending with 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns.

In Tulsa, Twilley presented notable numbers in the mid -1960s, a time when university teams generally attached to the land game. He caught 261 passes for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns. His Tulsa record for career yards he received stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022.

In 1965, Twilley was Heisman’s runner -up by Mike Garrett in southern California. He had 134 trapped for 1,779 yards that season, the NCAA records that remained for more than two decades.

In a game, against Louisville, he caught five Touchdown passes and received 230 yards. It also had 267 yards in 16 trapped against Memphis, 242 yards in 18 receptions against southern Illinois, 226 yards in 14 trapped against Cincinnati and 214 yards in 19 trapped against the state of Colorado.

Twilley was the captain of the All-America academic team in 1965 and the most valuable player of the 1966 senior bowl.

The Vikings of Minnesota selected him in the 14th Round of the Draft of the National Soccer League of 1966, and Miami chose it in the 12th decade of the American Football League. He chose the Dolphins, a first -year team.

Howard James Twilleley Jr. was born on December. 25, 1943, in Houston. Information about survivors was not immediately available.

After leaving football, he had and operated sporting stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. Considered to run for Congress in Oklahoma in 1994, but chose Insead to support another Tulsa receiver, Steve Largent, who ran as a Republican and won a seat in the House of Representatives, which remained for four periods.

Twilley was included in the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Athletic Fame in 1984, the 1992 College Football Hall and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired to Hisy, No. 81, the same Hey number in Miami.