What game do you remember most?
It’s a simple question with surprising answers.
Melvin Bratton, former University of Miami running back: “It was the ‘Hail Flutie’ game for me in 1984. It was my coming out party. I scored four touchdowns and thought I’d be the man of the week and all the girls would love me. But then Doug Flutie stole my moment. The cameras ran up to me when I scored my fourth touchdown and I said, ‘No, wait.’ Doug had another Hail Mary pass that year. I said to the cameras, ‘Hold tight.’ I watched that pass and my heart just dropped. My coming-out party became a funeral.”
Stan Van Gundy, former Heat and NBA coach: ‘My favorite game of all-time as a coach was in 1985 when I was head coach at at Castleton State College in Vermont. We were playing in the NAIA district championship game to go to the national tournament in Kansas City. We were playing on the other team’s home court in Maine. We were down 22-6. Down 13 at the half. We weren’t playing well. But we got it back, got a stop at the end and then won on a buzzer beater to win the NAIA District 5 championship. That’s still my favorite game and my favorite group of people I ever coached. It was my second year as a head coach. I was 25. Still my greatest moment.”
Lamar Thomas, former UM and Dolphins receiver: “We played Denver on Monday night. It was the first game my grandmother, who raised me, ever saw me play a football game. My aunt and uncle got her there. My [infant] son was there, too. I wasn’t even going to start, but Oronde [Gadsden] missed a meeting. I’m starting. I also wanted a new contract, and Jimmy [Johnson] yelled at me in front of others that I basically wasn’t getting it. Well, I scored three touchdowns that game. My family was all in the end zone they were scored, so I gave them the balls. Lesley Visser even interviewed them. That was amazing. And the next day I got a contract extension. Those are the games you remember.”
Brandon Knight, pro and former Pine Crest High School basketball player: “In high school, we were playing Lasalle in Miami in the regionals, trying to get to states. We were down like eight points with three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. There’s no shot clock in high school so the game’s about over. They can hold the ball. We get a timeout and, as my teammates tell the story, everyone’s down and I said, “What’s everyone down about? We’ve got to get to practice tomorrow. Let’s get locked in.’ They’re like, ‘What?”. I went on a tear, we won the game and there we were practicing the next day.”
Tony Wise, former Dolphins offensive line coach: “We’re playing at the Cowboys. They were No. 1 in the league in defense under [Mike] Zimmer. They were blitzing constantly. We studied them that week and [Dolphins offensive coordinator] Norv Turner says, ‘If you have standard personnel on the field all the time, you’re going to get a lot of pressure. But if you put two tight ends on the field the pressure goes to zero. They never blitz that.’ So we put an extra tight end, Donald Lee, on the field. He’s playing flanker. But Lee and Randy McMichael were our two tight ends out there and they never blitzed. I think we might’ve had 480 total yards. We won easy (40-21). That’s the example I use of what studying can do.”
Dave Shula, Dartmouth receivers coach and former Dolphins offensive coordinator: “The Monday night game against the Bears in 1985. The Orange Bowl was just electric. Even in pregame, 70 minutes before kickoff, there were big cheers just for Uwe Von Schamann as he was practicing field goals. If they went through, the crowd was going wild. That night, that whole night, was one like I’ve never seen before. It gives me chills just thinking about it — look, I have goose pimples. See them on my arm? That was a special night.”
Matt Applebaum, Dolphins and former Boston College offensive line coach: “We went down to Clemson two years in a row and both years had a real chance to beat those guys. We had the ball on the 10-year line roughly, going in to win the game and a bad snap is how we lost the game. What sticks with me besides the obvious is the kid who snapped the ball is maybe he greatest kid in the world. He was dealing with a very, very hard personal battle the entire season. His mother was dying of cancer — and I know the pressure he puts on himself to not fail. He was a team captain kind of guy. For that moment to happen to him, it was brutal.”
Norv Turner, former NFL coordinator and Washington coach: “I don’t really have one game, but I have a stadium I come back to all the time, thinking about it. Candlestick Park. When I was with the Rams my first year, we won the division there. The 49ers won the Super Bowl the year before so that was an unbelievable win. Then in 1992 with Dallas we go out there and had a win against San Francisco that changed all our lives. We went to our first Super Bowl and won that. In ‘99, I was coaching Washington and we go out there and win the division with that game. I was very comfortable going into Candlestick. I loved that place. I had career-changing experiences in that stadium.”
Steve Walsh, former Miami and NFL quarterback: “If people put me on spot what’s more memorable game as a pro, I’d say going up to Minnesota in the playoffs when I was with the Bears and beating the Vikings, 35-18. I’m looking at one of the balls right now. For me, personally, that was a great game. I was back in my hometown. Family, parents, friends — everybody was at the game. I tend to forget the butt-whipping the 49ers gave us the following week. Winning at home and on the road in the playoffs — that was special. That’s the game I go back to.”
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