Jim Mandich

James Michael Mandich (July 30, 1948 – April 26, 2011), also known as "Mad Dog", was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL). Mandich played college football for the Michigan Wolverines from 1967 to 1969 and was recognized as a consensus first-team tight end on the 1969 College Football All-America Team. A second-round pick in the 1970 NFL draft, he played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins (1970–1977) and Pittsburgh Steelers. After his playing career ended, he worked as the color commentator for the Miami Dolphins and also hosted a sports talk show on local AM radio in Miami.

Early life Mandich was born in Cleveland to a Serbian immigrant father. He graduated from Solon High School in Solon, Ohio. While at Solon High, Mandich won 12 letters and was an All-Ohio and All-America football player.

University of Michigan Mandich enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1965 and played for coach Bump Elliott and coach Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines football teams from 1967 to 1969. As a sophomore, Mandich started six games at the left end position for the 1967 Michigan Wolverines football team that compiled a 4–6 record. Mandich caught 25 passes for 248 yards during the 1967 season.

As a junior, Mandich started eight of ten games at the left end position for the 1968 Michigan team that improved to 8–2 and was ranked No. 12 in the final AP Poll. With Dennis Brown at quarterback, Mandich caught 42 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns.

Prior to the start of his senior season, Mandich was elected captain of the 1969 Michigan team under new head coach Bo Schembechler. Mandich led the 1969 team to a Big Ten Conference championship, an upset victory over Ohio State and the 1970 Rose Bowl. Mandich had the best game of his collegiate career on October 11, 1969, catching 10 passes for 156 yards while scoring a touchdown and setting up two others in a victory over Purdue. Over the course of the 1969 season, Mandich caught 51 passes for 676 yards and three touchdowns and was selected by the AP as a first-team All-Big Ten player for the second consecutive year. Mandich was also selected as the most valuable player on the 1969 Michigan team,

Mandich finished his collegiate career at Michigan ranked second only to Jack Clancy in career receptions (Mandich had 118, Clancy had 132) and receiving yards (Mandich had 1,489, Clancy had 1,917).

Professional football

Miami Dolphins Mandich was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round (29th overall pick) of the 1970 NFL draft.

Mandich joined the Dolphins in 1970, their first season under head coach Don Shula. Mandich appeared in 14 games for the 1970 Dolphins, but caught only one pass for three yards and a touchdown against the Houston Oilers on September 27, 1970. He did not appear in any regular season games for the Redskins, Mandich appeared in 10 regular season and three playoff games for the 1978 Steelers team that won Super Bowl XIII, making him the only man to play on the first two teams in NFL history to win 14 games in a season.

NFL career statistics Legend Won the Super Bowl Bold Career high

Regular season Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1970 MIA 14 0 1 3 3.0 3 1 1971 MIA 11 1 3 19 6.3 10 1 1972 MIA 14 0 11 168 15.3 39 3 1973 MIA 14 3 24 302 12.6 28 4 1974 MIA 14 10 33 374 11.3 44 6 1975 MIA 14 6 21 217 10.3 32 4 1976 MIA 14 3 22 260 11.8 31 4 1977 MIA 14 0 6 63 10.5 15 0 1978 PIT 10 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 Career 119 23 121 1,406 11.6 44 23

Playoffs Year Team Games Receiving GP GS Rec Yds Avg Lng TD 1970 MIA 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1971 MIA 3 0 2 13 6.5 9 0 1972 MIA 3 0 2 24 12.0 19 0 1973 MIA 3 3 5 49 9.8 13 1 1974 MIA 1 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 1978 PIT 3 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 Career 14 3 9 86 9.6 19 1

Later life Mandich was the radio sports talk show host on WIOD 610 AM from 1983 to 1987, and joined WQAM 560 in 1987. He also did color commentary on Dolphins radio broadcasts on which he was teamed with Jimmy Cefalo and Joe Rose. He was known for his trademark soundbite "All right, Miami!" When he gave out the call-in number for cell phone users, he playfully told his radio listeners to call "if you're riding around with the windows down." Diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a cancer of the bile duct, in early 2010, Mandich became absent from his afternoon show. In the fall of 2010, the terminally ill commentator returned to the broadcast booth for his final season of game-day color commentary.

Death Mandich died from cancer in April 2011 in Miami Lakes, Florida, at age 62. At a public memorial the following month at Sun Life Stadium, Mandich was remembered by speakers that included former Michigan teammate Tom Curtis and former Dolphins teammates, Nat Moore, Dick Anderson, Kim Bokamper, Joe Rose, Nick Buoniconti, Bob Griese, Jimmy Cefalo, and coach Don Shula. Shula announced at the service that Mandich would be added to the Miami Dolphins Honor Roll — a ring around the second tier at Sun Life Stadium that honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franchise.