Robert Glenn Baumhower (born August 4, 1955) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
defensive tackle
A defensive tackle (DT) is a position in American football that will typically line up on the line of scrimmage, opposite one of the offensive guards, however he may also line up opposite one of the tackles. Defensive tackles are typically the la ...
for the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
under Coach
Paul "Bear" Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of t ...
from 1973 to 1976 and professional football for the Miami under coach
Don Shula
Donald Francis Shula (January 4, 1930 – May 4, 2020) was an American football defensive back and coach who served as a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) from 1963 to 1995. The head coach of the Miami Dolphins for most of his ca ...
. He later became a restauranteur.
Early life and college
Baumhower attended North Palm Beach Gardens High School in Florida for two seasons before playing at Tuscaloosa High School his senior year.
Playing as a defensive tackle in college at the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
under coach
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant (September 11, 1913 – January 26, 1983) was an American college football player and coach. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and best known as the head coach of ...
, Baumhower helped lead the
Crimson Tide to two 11–1 records as well as a 31–4 overall record. He was part of the
1974 team which lost to
Notre Dame in the
Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game in th ...
, the
1975 team which defeated
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
in the
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in New Orleans, Louisiana. Played annually since January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Orange Bowl and Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in the country, surpassed onl ...
, and the
1976 team which won the
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in late December or early January since 1959. For its first five years, it was played at Philadelphia Municipal Stadium in Philadelphia before being held at Atlantic City ...
over
UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. Baumhower was a first-team All-
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
selection in both 1975 and 1976. After the 1976 season, he was invited to play in the
Senior Bowl
The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
college all-star game.
Professional career
Baumhower was drafted by the Dolphins with the 40th overall pick (second round) in the 1977
NFL draft
The National Football League Draft, also called the NFL Draft or (officially) the Player Selection Meeting, is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment. Each team is given a position in the drafting o ...
, behind the first round pick, another defensive lineman from the
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...
,
A. J. Duhe of
LSU
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...
; earning a spot on the 1977 All-Rookie team. Baumhower and Duhe would share the 1977 Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. He was selected five times to the
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players.
The format has changed thro ...
in the NFL.
Baumhower and Duhe, who eventually was moved to inside linebacker, formed the heart of the Dolphins' "Killer B's" defense of the late 1970s through mid-1980s, coached by defensive coordinator
Bill Arnsparger
William Stephen Arnsparger (December 16, 1926 – July 17, 2015) was an American college and professional football coach. He was born and raised in Paris, Kentucky, served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, and graduated from Mi ...
. Baumhower was flanked on the line by ends
Doug Betters
Douglas Lloyd Betters (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) from 1978 to 1987.
After graduating from Arlington Heights High ...
and
Kim Bokamper
Kim Bokamper (born September 25, 1954) is a former American football linebacker and defensive end who played his entire nine-year career with the National Football League (NFL)'s Miami Dolphins from 1977 in sports, 1977 to 1985 in sports, 1985.
...
, while other stars of the unit included outside linebacker
Bob Brudzinski
Robert Louis Brudzinski (born January 1, 1955) is a former American football linebacker who played 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Ohio State
Brudzinski was a four-time letter winner and a three-year starter at defensive end for ...
and defensive backs
Lyle Blackwood and
Glenn Blackwood
Glenn Allen Blackwood (born February 23, 1957) is a former professional football player, He played Safety (gridiron football position), safety for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
Biography
Blackwood was born in San Antonio, Te ...
. The unit was ranked first in the NFL in total defense in 1982, when Miami reached
Super Bowl XVII
Super Bowl XVII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 1982 Miami Dolphins season, Miami Dolphins and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion 1982 Washington Redskins season, Washington Reds ...
.
The 1983 season may have been Baumhower's best as he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year (Pro Football Weekly), first-team All-Pro (Associated Press), first-team All-AFC (United Press International) and a starter in the Pro Bowl game. He was a first-team All-NFL selection in 1981 and 1983 and first-team All-AFC in 1979, 1981 and 1983.
Baumhower would retire after the 1986 season. He was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.
On December 14, 2008, Baumhower was inducted into
The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll during a ceremony at
Dolphin Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
(now
Hard Rock Stadium
Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college ...
).
Restaurants
Baumhower is also the owner and CEO of Aloha Hospitality, which owns and operates restaurants throughout
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
including the fine dining establishment Dauphin's in
Mobile
Mobile may refer to:
Places
* Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city
* Mobile County, Alabama
* Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S.
* Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels
* Mobile ( ...
as well as his namesake Baumhower's Victory Grille.
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Baumhower, Bob
1955 births
Living people
Alabama Crimson Tide football players
American football defensive linemen
Miami Dolphins players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
American restaurateurs
Players of American football from Virginia