Miami Dolphins History
The Miami Dolphins play in the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference of the NFL. The Dolphins play their home games at Dolphin Stadium in the suburb of Miami Gardens. The team began playing football in 1966, and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger. The Dolphins are the oldest major-league professional sports franchise in the state of Florida.
The Dolphins saw great success in the 1970's as they made their first Super Bowl appearance in 1971 at Super Bowl VI, though losing to the Dallas Cowboys. However, the following season the Dolphins completed the NFL's first perfect season, winning all 14 regular season games, two playoff games, and Super Bowl VII. The Dolphins would go on to win Super Bowl VIII, becoming the first team to appear in three consecutive Super Bowls.
During the 1980's and 1990's, quarterback Dan Marino led the Dolphins through many successful seasons. Marino is often recognized as the most prolific QB in NFL history, breaking numerous passing records and leading the Dolphins to five division titles, 10 playoff appearances and Super Bowl XIX before retiring after the 1999 season.