Jim Langer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Langer's professional journey began with a brief stints as a free agent in 1970 when the Cleveland Browns released him during training camp. Undeterred, he signed with the Miami Dolphins, where he initially played sparingly behind veteran Bob DeMarco. The turning point arrived in 1972 when DeMarco was traded to Cleveland just before the season started, handing Langer the starting center job. He immediately seized the opportunity, playing every offensive snap during Super Bowl VII as the Dolphins completed their historic 17-0 perfect season. Between 1970 and 1979, Langer played an incredible 128 consecutive games for Miami. During a six-year stretch in the mid-1970s, he was named AP First-team All-Pro three times (1974, 1975, 1977) and Second-team All-Pro three times (1973, 1976, 1978), also making the Pro Bowl in each of those seasons. In 1975, he was voted the Dolphins' most valuable player despite playing on the offensive line.

In Their Own Story

After a decade with Miami, Langer sought to return closer to his home state of Minnesota. Prior to the 1980 season, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where he played his final two NFL seasons before retiring after the 1981 campaign. In total, he appeared in 22 games and made one start for the Vikings, contributing to his overall career totals of 151 games and 110 starts. His playing days were marred by a knee injury nine games into the 1979 season with Miami, ending that specific tenure. Following retirement, Langer worked as a color commentator for St. Cloud State University Huskies football broadcasts on WJON AM 1240 during the mid-1980s. He remained a proud figure in Minnesota, where his high school football field at Royalton was named after him in 2016, joining an elite group of 97 NFL Hometown Hall of Fame fields across America.

Reader's Guide

Jim Langer's legacy is defined by his resilience and adaptability, having been cut by the Cleveland Browns only to become one of the greatest centers in NFL history. He was one of only five Dolphins players elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility, joining Dan Marino, Don Shula, Paul Warfield, and Jason Taylor. His career spanned two dynasties, securing victories in Super Bowl VII and Super Bowl VIII with Miami. In his personal life, Langer lived in Ramsey, Minnesota, with his wife Linda and four children. He famously declined an invitation to the White House in 2013 to honor the 1972 Perfect Season Dolphins due to political differences, stating to Dave Hyde of the Sun-Sentinel, "We've got some real moral compass issues in Washington... I don't want to be in a room with those people and pretend I'm having a good time." He passed away on August 29, 2019, from a sudden heart-related issue, becoming the third member of that historic 1972 team to die that year.

Did You Know?

• Langer was cut by the Cleveland Browns during their 1970 training camp before signing with Miami.
• He played every single offensive snap for the Dolphins in Super Bowl VII, the final game of the only perfect 17-0 season in NFL history.
• In 2013, he declined a White House invitation to honor the 1972 Dolphins due to political disagreements with the administration.
• The Jim Langer Award is presented annually to the nation's top NCAA Division II lineman.
• He was one of only five Dolphins players ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.