Larry Csonka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Larry Csonka

Csonka in 1972
No. 39
Position:	Fullback
Personal information
Born:	(1946-12-25) December 25, 1946 (age 78) Stow, Ohio, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	237 lb (108 kg)
Career information
High school:	Stow-Munroe Falls (Stow, Ohio)
College:	Syracuse (1965–1967)
NFL Draft:	1968 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8
Career history
Miami Dolphins (1968–1974) Memphis Southmen (1975) New York Giants (1976–1978) Miami Dolphins (1979)
Career highlights and awards
2× Super Bowl champion (VII, VIII) Super Bowl MVP (VIII) NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1979) 2× First-team All-Pro (1971, 1973) Second-team All-Pro (1972) 5× Pro Bowl (1970–1974) Miami Dolphins Honor Roll Miami Dolphins No. 39 retired Dolphins Walk of Fame (2011) Unanimous All-American (1967) First-team All-American (1966) 2× First-team All-East (1966, 1967) Second-team All-East (1965) Syracuse Orange No. 39 retired
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 8,081 Rushing average: 4.3 Rushing touchdowns: 64 Receptions: 106 Receiving yards: 820 Receiving touchdowns: 4
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Larry Richard Csonka (born December 25, 1946) is a famous American former professional football player. He was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL). He played most of his career for the Miami Dolphins and also spent three years with the New York Giants. He had a short time playing for the Memphis Southmen in the WFL.

People called him "Zonk" because he was a very strong runner. Many think he is one of the best running backs ever. Csonka is best known for his time with the Dolphins. He was part of their amazing 17–0 perfect season in 1972. He also helped them win Super Bowl championships in 1972 and 1973. In the 1973 Super Bowl, he was named Super Bowl MVP for running a record 145 yards.

Csonka was chosen for the Pro Bowl five times. He was also a first-team All-Pro three times. He is still the Miami Dolphins' all-time leading rusher with 6,737 yards and 53 touchdowns. In his last year with the Dolphins in 1979, Csonka won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award. He was honored in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. His jersey number 39 was retired by the Miami Dolphins in 2002.

Early Life and High School Football

Larry Csonka was born on December 25, 1946, in Stow, Ohio. He grew up on a farm with his Hungarian family and was one of six children.

He started playing football at Stow High School. In 1962, he was the starting fullback for the Stow Bulldogs team that won their league championship. He played for Stow from 1960 to 1963. He also wrestled in high school.

Csonka became a running back by chance. When he was a sophomore, he played defensive end. In one game, he was put in for a kickoff return. The ball came to him, and he just started running with it. He loved carrying the ball and knew then that he wanted to be a runner.

College Football Career

Csonka was recruited by several colleges, but he chose Syracuse. He played middle linebacker in his first year. Then, he switched to fullback from 1965 to 1967. As a fullback, he was named an All-American. He set many rushing records for Syracuse, breaking records held by famous players like Ernie Davis and Jim Brown.

During his three seasons at Syracuse, Csonka rushed for a school-record 2,934 yards. He ran for over 100 yards in 14 different games. He averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He was named the Most Valuable Player in several important college games. In 1989, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Professional Football Journey

Joining the Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins picked Csonka as their first choice in the 1968 NFL/AFL Draft. He was the eighth player chosen overall and the first running back. He signed a three-year contract to play for the Dolphins.

Csonka's professional career began with some challenges. In his first two seasons, he had several injuries, including concussions. Some people wondered if he would be able to keep playing. But when coach Don Shula joined the Dolphins in 1970, he helped Csonka improve his running style. Csonka learned to run with his forearm leading, making him even tougher to tackle.

Over the next four seasons, Csonka played every game. He became the Dolphins' main offensive leader. Standing 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) and weighing about 235 lb (107 kg), he was one of the biggest running backs of his time. He was known for running straight through defenders, often dragging them several yards. People called him a "bulldozer" or "battering ram." He rarely fumbled the ball and was also a great blocker.

Csonka was famous for his toughness. He broke his nose many times but would always stay in the game. Once, he even crawled off the field after a big hit, but then "walked it off" and returned to the game minutes later. He was named one of the toughest football players ever by NFL Films.

Super Bowl Success

The Dolphins had one of the best running attacks in the NFL in the early 1970s. They led the NFL in rushing in 1971 and 1972. In 1972, they set a new rushing record with 2,960 yards. Csonka rushed for 1,117 yards that season. His teammate Mercury Morris also ran for 1,000 yards, making them the first duo in NFL history to each rush for over 1,000 yards in the same season.

This strong running game helped the Dolphins reach three Super Bowls in a row: VI, VII, and VIII. They won the last two. Csonka's powerful running style was key to the Dolphins' success. He chose to run through defenders instead of around them. This led to three straight seasons (1971–1973) where he rushed for over 1,000 yards. In 1971, his average of 5.4 yards per carry led the NFL.

During the 1972 season, the Dolphins made history by becoming the only NFL team since the AFL–NFL Merger to go undefeated. Csonka was a huge part of this perfect season. In Super Bowl VII, he led all rushers with 112 yards. In one memorable play, he broke several tackles and then ran for 49 yards, brushing aside a tough defender.

In 1973, Csonka was named Super Athlete of the Year. That season, the Dolphins won their second straight Super Bowl. Csonka was the Super Bowl VIII MVP. He rushed 33 times for two touchdowns and a then-record 145 yards, thanks to great blocking from his offensive line.

Csonka and his friend, Dolphins running back Jim Kiick, were known as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." They even wrote a book together called Always on the Run, sharing stories about their lives and football careers.

Moving to Other Leagues and Return

In 1975, Csonka, Kiick, and teammate Paul Warfield decided to play for the Memphis Southmen in the new World Football League. The league had financial problems and folded during its second season.

After the WFL, Csonka joined the New York Giants in 1976. He suffered a knee injury in his first season there. He blamed the injury partly on the artificial turf used in some stadiums. He has been a strong critic of artificial turf ever since.

In 1978, Csonka was on the field for a famous play known as "The Miracle at the Meadowlands." The Giants were about to win a game against the Philadelphia Eagles. But a fumbled handoff led to the Eagles scoring a winning touchdown.

After the 1978 season, Csonka's contract with the Giants ended. He returned to the Miami Dolphins in 1979. That year, he ran for over 800 yards and scored a career-high 12 touchdowns. He also caught one more touchdown. For his great performance, Csonka won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 1979. He retired after that season.

In his 11 NFL seasons, Csonka carried the ball 1,891 times for 8,081 yards and 64 touchdowns. He also caught 106 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns. He was one of the NFL's top 10 players in rushing yards four times and in rushing touchdowns five times. He was chosen for five Pro Bowls.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular season

Life After Football

Csonka in 2013

Csonka's bronze bust at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

After retiring from football, Larry Csonka became a motivational speaker. He also hosted several hunting and fishing TV shows, like North to Alaska and Csonka Outdoors. He even acted in a movie called Midway.

Csonka was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987. His jersey number 39 was retired by the Miami Dolphins in 2002. He is one of many Dolphins players and coaches in the Hall of Fame.

Starting in the mid-1980s, Csonka began spending a lot of time in Alaska. He eventually lived there most of the year. He enjoyed the colder climate, saying it was much different from the hot practices in Miami.

In 2005, Csonka and five others were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after their boat got caught in a severe storm off the coast of Alaska while filming his TV show.

Today, Csonka lives in Wasilla, Alaska, with his co-host Audrey Bradshaw. He also has a farm in Ohio and helps run a seafood restaurant in Florida. He appears in TV commercials for a physical therapy center in Alaska.

In 2013, the Pro Football Hall of Fame honored Csonka in his hometown of Stow, Ohio. A special plaque was placed in the Stow High School gym to inspire students and athletes.

Csonka also played a fictional version of himself in the HBO series Ballers. In 2022, he released a book about his life called Head On.

See also

In Spanish: Larry Csonka para niños

• List of American Football League players