Joe Robbie

Joseph "Joe" Robbie (July 7, 1916 – January 7, 1990) was an American lawyer and entrepreneur of Lebanese descent.

Robbie was the original owner of the NFL football team, the Miami Dolphins (1966–1990). Coached by Don Shula, Robbie's Dolphins achieved a perfect season (17–0) in 1972 and two consecutive Super Bowl wins. Additionally, he built the US$115 million Joe Robbie Stadium (1987–1996) with private funds in 1987. It was later renamed Pro Player Park (1996), then Pro Player Stadium (1996–2005), then Dolphins Stadium (2005–2006), then Dolphin Stadium (2006–2009; 2010), then LandShark Stadium (2009–2010) and is now called Sun Life Stadium (2010–present).

Robbie had a small part playing himself in the film Black Sunday, in which he is interviewed about security for Super Bowl X (1976).

Robbie also owned the Miami Toros and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (later the Minnesota Strikers) soccer teams of the North American Soccer League. Joe Robbie Stadium was one of the first major stadiums in the US designed with soccer in mind.

Honors and awards

For his contributions to the Miami Dolphins, and being the founder of the team, Joe Robbie became the inaugural inductee into The Miami Dolphin Honor Roll on September 16, 1990 (eight months after his death).

For his contributions to soccer, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003.

References

• Biography of Robbie at Horatio Alger Association

Preceded by first owner

Miami Dolphins Principal Owner 1966-1990

Succeeded by Wayne Huizenga