Manny Fernandez, one of the key cogs on the Dolphins’ famed “No-Name Defense” that helped lead the franchise to back-to-back Super Bowl wins in the 1970s, has died, the team announced Tuesday morning.
He was 79. A cause of death is unknown.
An undrafted free agent out of Utah in 1968, Fernandez quickly established himself as a starting defensive lineman and racked up 35 sacks during his eight NFL seasons, all with Miami.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Manny Fernandez, a member of the 1972 Perfect Team, a two-time Super Bowl champion, Ring of Honor member and an anchor of the Dolphins’ legendary No-Name Defense,” the Dolphins said in a statement Tuesday.
“His consistent and selfless contributions on the field were instrumental to the Dolphins’ success throughout the early 1970s, particularly in the team’s three consecutive Super Bowl appearances, in which he produced some of the most memorable defensive performances in the history of the game.
“Our thoughts are with his family, loved ones and teammates as we remember one of the best players in Dolphins history.”
Fernandez was part of the perfect Dolphins team in 1972 that went 17-0 en route to a Super Bowl VII win over Washington. He had two sacks during that playoff run.
He had a sack in that Super Bowl and was credited with six tackles, though reports said he actually had 17 tackles.
Fernandez, whose litany of surgeries include five on his left knee and multiple on his shoulders and back, told NFL Network in 2022 that he doesn’t remember the end of that Super Bowl because he got a concussion in the last 10 minutes.
“I looked at my wife when I woke up in the morning and asked her, ‘How did we do?’ I had no recollection of the whole evening,” he said.
Fernandez also had a sack in the Super Bowl VIII win over the Vikings and the Super Bowl VI loss to the Cowboys.
