Howard Twilley, receiver for undefeated 1972 Dolphins and Heisman runner-up at Tulsa, dies at 81

Howard Twilley, a key receiver for the Miami Dolphins during the team’s perfect 1972 season and a Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Tulsa, has died. He was 81.

Twilley died Wednesday, according to a Tulsa spokesperson, who confirmed the death with his family. No cause of death was given.

Twilley caught a touchdown pass in Super Bowl 7 against the Washington Redskins, a 14-7 victory that capped Miami’s 17-0 season. He also played for the team that repeated as Super Bowl champions the following season. He had 212 receptions for 3,064 yards and 23 touchdowns during an 11-year pro career that lasted until 1976.

At Tulsa, Twilley put up eye-popping numbers during the mid-1960s — an era when teams usually stuck to the ground game. He caught 261 passes for 3,343 yards and 32 touchdowns in college. His school record for career yards receiving stood until Keylon Stokes broke it in 2022.

In 1965, Twilley was the Heisman runner-up to Southern California’s Mike Garrett. He had 134 catches for 1,779 yards that season — NCAA records that stood for more than two decades. He caught five touchdown passes against Louisville and had 230 yards receiving. He had 267 yards on 16 catches against Memphis, 242 yards on 18 receptions against Southern Illinois, 226 yards on 14 grabs against Cincinnati and 214 yards on 19 catches against Colorado State.

Twilley was the captain of the Academic All-America team in 1965, and the MVP of the 1966 Senior Bowl.

Minnesota selected Twilley in the 14th round of the 1966 National Football League draft and Miami chose him in the 12th round of the American Football League draft. He chose the Dolphins, a first-year team, and stayed with them his entire pro career.

After leaving football, Twilley owned and operated sporting goods stores in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas. He considered running for Congress in Oklahoma in 1994, but chose instead to support another former Tulsa receiver, Steve Largent.

Twilley was inducted into the Tulsa Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984, the College Football Hall of Fame in 1992 and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1995. Tulsa has retired his No. 81 jersey.