He smashed rushing records at Syracuse between 1965-67 and became a household name during Miami's 17-0 season of 1972. Paired with Jim Kiick, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" were a key component in the success of Don Shula's Dolphins. The unprecedented campaign culminated with the 14-7 victory over Washington in Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles. Csonka carried 15 times for 112 yards, with a long run of 49 yards, while safety Jake Scott won MVP for his two interceptions, one in the end zone. "That's still a huge source of pride for us," Csonka said. "That's the fire that's still burning."

MVP award

Csonka's powerful running set the tone against the Vikings in Super Bowl VIII - he scored from 5 yards five minutes in, and his 2-yarder in the third quarter gave the Dolphins a 24-0 lead. He was so dominant that quarterback Bob Griese only attempted seven passes.

Csonka has kept his MVP honor in perspective, heaping credit on his offensive line: "It was a nice thing to win, and it gets me a free trip every once in a while to go to the Super Bowl and sit in a seat with some of the owners. But at the same time, my gosh, you could pick Jim Langer, Bob Kuechenberg, Larry Little, Norm Evans, Wayne Moore - those were the guys who put me in the MVP. And they just handled the Purple People Eaters. I never say, 'I won.' I won because I was there and I could keep myself healthy enough to be the guy who was getting the ball. That's the way I look at it."

North to Alaska

Csonka played for the Giants from 1976-78 and closed out his career in Miami in 1979. And it wasn't long before he followed his heart to the state that had occupied his thoughts most of his life. "I've wanted to go there since 1954," he said. "So when Alaska became a state in 1959, I was thinking, 'It's getting tamer and tamer. I need to get there.' But 50 years later, I've been there so much I realize it will never be tamed." About 15 years ago, he formed a production company and began his hunting and fishing show, which airs Sunday mornings on Versus. He spends nine months out of the year there - occasionally making trips to Florida and his native Ohio (where he owns a country music nightclub and outdoor entertainment complex). "That pioneer thing from our history is still there in Alaska," he said. "And I think it'll always be there to some extent because travel is so limited and weather-influenced. That place is 21/2 times the size of Texas, and there's only 800,000 people."

Staying busy

Csonka, the No. 8 overall pick in the 1968 draft who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987, has been in demand as a motivational speaker of sorts through the years - drawing from his life in Football and getting across his "teamwork" theme through humor and anecdotes. "I did that a lot for the first 15 years after I left the NFL," he said. "I just developed a comedic spiel I go through, capsulizing my career from Day 1 to finishing the Super Bowls and retiring. The motivational part is more subliminal." Csonka always stresses that his success was dependent on others. " People say, 'Oh, you're humble.' Well, I did my job and did it very well. But what made the difference was having a very supportive cast." Csonka is also involved in various charities, including Outdoor Dream Foundation, which reaches out to children in terminal situations who want to experience Alaska. "Because of the people I was with and the things we accomplished, it gave me an opportunity to decide what I wanted to do with my life - and enjoy what I'm doing," he said. "If you have that, that's an even bigger success than MVP. It's on a par with a perfect season."

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