Douglas Lloyd Betters (born June 11, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations over the years have substantially changed how the position is ...

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 p ...

of 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) from 1978 to 1987. After graduating from Arlington Heights High School in

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockf ...

, Betters played college Division I football for the

University of Montana The University of Montana (UM) is a public research university in Missoula, Montana. UM is a flagship institution of the Montana University System and its second largest campus. UM reported 10,962 undergraduate and graduate students in the fa ...

Grizzlies from 1974 to 1976, then transferred to the

University of Nevada, Reno The University of Nevada, Reno (Nevada, the University of Nevada, or UNR) is a public land-grant research university in Reno, Nevada. It is the state's flagship public university and primary land grant institution. It was founded on October 12 ...

in 1977. The next year, he was a 6th round

draft pick A draft is a process used in some countries (especially in North America) and sports (especially in closed leagues) to allocate certain players to teams. In a draft, teams take turns selecting from a pool of eligible players. When a team selec ...

for the Dolphins. Betters was a part of Miami's "Killer B's" defense, and went to Super Bowl XVII and XIX. In 1983, Betters recorded 16 sacks in 16 games and won the

NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award Several organizations give out NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards that are listed in the ''NFL Record and Fact Book'' and ''Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League''. The Associated Press (AP) has been givi ...

, and was named to the AFC

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 ...

team. In '83 and '84, Betters was named the Miami Dolphins "Outstanding Defensive Lineman." Betters played 146 NFL games and made career sacks ( official, post–1981). He was named by the fans to the Dolphins' Silver Anniversary Team in 1991 and the Golden Anniversary Team in 2016. Betters was an assistant coach for the University of Montana Grizzlies in 1995 and 1996. Doug guided fly fishing on the Flathead River in Montana for Glacier Wilderness Guides and class 4 whitewater on the Lochsa River in Idaho for Lewis and Clark Trail Adventures after his retirement from the NFL. In 1998, Betters suffered a

spinal cord The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...

injury while

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee ( ...

at Big Mountain in

Whitefish, Montana Whitefish ( Salish: epɫx̣ʷy̓u, "has whitefish") is a town in Flathead County, Montana, United States. According to the 2020 United States Census, there were 7,751 people in the town. History Long before the first Europeans came to Whitefish ...

. Betters founded the Doug Betters Winter Classic Organization in 1985, which provides money for children in need of medical care. Betters is involved with numerous other charitable organizations, including the

Special Olympics Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities, providing year-round training and activities to 5 million participants and Unified Sports partners in ...

and

United Way United Way is an international network of over 1,800 local nonprofit fundraising affiliates. United Way was the largest nonprofit organization in the United States by donations from the public, prior to 2016. United Way organizations raise funds ...

. In 2002, he received the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Montana Award. As of 2014 he resides in Whitefish. On December 14, 2008, Betters was inducted into the Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor during a ceremony at Dolphin Stadium.

References

External links

*
Doug Betters fund
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Betters, Doug 1956 births Living people American football defensive ends Miami Dolphins players American Conference Pro Bowl players Nevada Wolf Pack football players Montana Grizzlies football players Players of American football from Nebraska Sportspeople from Lincoln, Nebraska People from Whitefish, Montana National Football League Defensive Player of the Year Award winners