Phinatics.com - Interviews

Bob Baumhower
04/22/02

Bob Baumhower was a Nose Tackle for the Miami Dolphins from 1977-1986. Bob had a tremendous NFL career winning numerous awards, including 5 Pro Bowls. He played college football for Alabama.

Phinatics.com gives Mr. Baumhower a special
"THANK YOU" for his participation.

phinatics.com: What made you choose the restaurant business as your post-football career?
Bob Baumhower: Well, I actually got in the restaurant business in 1978 --- my second year in Miami. I did the last restaurant Joe Namath ever did. It was Joe, Richard Todd, and me. We had a restaurant called Bachelors 3 in Fort Lauderdale. That got me in the business, and when I was still in Ft. Lauderdale in 1979 or 1980, a guy named Steve Towle asked me to go eat for lunch. I said, "Sure, where we going", and he told me Wings and Things. I said, "What do they serve there" and he said, "Chicken wings", and I thought he was crazy. When we got there, a line was around the door, and a guy named Eddie Hauck was the owner, and we became buddies. He helped me open up in 1981 my first Wings and Things, and actually it was the first wing restaurant in Alabama. That's what got me in the business.

phinatics.com: There was something else you did back then also?
Bob Baumhower: A health spa with AJ, Ed Newman, and Kim Bokamper called the Naughti-Dolphin Nautilus.

phinatics.com: Is it still there?
Bob Baumhower: No, it burned down actually.

phinatics.com: Former Dolphins Mike Kolen and Tim Foley had some type of health spa business down there.
Bob Baumhower: Yeah, Sportrooms --- they did racquetball courts.

phinatics.com: So when did Killer Bee Bob Brudzinski get involved in the wing business?
Bob Baumhower: He got involved in about '90 or '91.

phinatics.com: So did he buy Wings and Things in Florida, or is he partners with Eddie?
Bob Baumhower: They are partners.

phinatics.com: Do you have any plans for some future locations or other businesses?
Bob Baumhower: Yeah, we are looking at putting a Wings in Dothan, and looking at a Calypso's up here --- you probably already heard that.

phinatics.com: What area of Birmingham?
Bob Baumhower: Vestavia, in that new shopping center that's going in there.

phinatics.com: Will Baumhower fans have any chance of running into you at any of your businesses? If yes, do you mind signing autographs for Dolphins fans?
Bob Baumhower: Yeah, I've been in the stores a lot lately. The older you get, the more you appreciate somebody asking you for an autograph (laughs).

phinatics.com: Other than the obvious, is there a story behind the name "Killer B's" and who came up with it?
Bob Baumhower: We were the number one defense in the league. It was kind of like the "No Name" defense, and I believe at the time I was the only guy going to the Pro Bowl, so we were like a lot of no names. I think it was a reporter that came up with it because of the Blackwood's, Betters, Baumhower, and Bokamper --- all of our last names started with B, so that's where it came from. I remember them coming to us when we started playing really well together and comparing us to the "No Name" defense. It was the media trying to tag us with something and that's what they came up with.

phinatics.com: Do you keep up with the current Dolphin teams?
Bob Baumhower: No, not much.

phinatics.com: The Dolphins currently use a 4-3 base defense and they like the DT’s to free up the MLB. Do you like that strategy, or do you like it better if the DT’s are more focused on QB sacks?
Bob Baumhower: I don't know . . . I think it depends on the set-up; and a good coach will cater to the talent that he's got. There was a time, it was like 4 or 5 years in a row, I led the team in tackles and then there was a lot of years I led the defensive lineman in sacks as a nose, and that was because of the way our defense was formatted in that a lot of that had to do with the fact that we rushed different linebackers, so I think it mainly depends on the talent. The main reason the Dolphins went to the 3-4 in the first place was because they had a lot of defensive lineman hurt in the early 70's --- that's what Coach Arnsparger said. And then they put Manny Fernandez on the nose, and he did a great job. And then they had Bob Matheson, who was kind of a tweener, kind of a big linebacker, and that's where the 53 defense came from.

phinatics.com: Do you think maybe the Phins would be better off with a 3-4?
Bob Baumhower: Personally, I think that you can get just as good a push up the middle out of a 3-4 if you got a good backer to help you out. AJ was a good backer that helped with that, so it just depends on your talent. When I do watch the Dolphins, you know, Bowens is real great against the run, but there's so many things you can do with games to get a push up the middle or whatever. So, it depends. We played 4-3 too, you know. Coach Arnsparger would move the defense over where I was on a guard, or Betters would move down on a guard if we went to the right, and then one of the backers came up on the outside tackle, so we were really a 4-3. So, even though we were for the most part a pure 3-man line, we did a lot of 4-man stuff too. To me, it goes in stages. It's funny, when I first came in the league there was a lot of big defensive lineman. I don't know if you remember that or not, but in the 70's you had Matuszak, Young, and Too Tall Jones. You know, our defensive line was a real tall defensive line, they were all 6'5" to 6'7" and now you got a lot of defenses that are going with the Warren Sapp types that are 6'1"or 6'2", quick, and run around the block real well and stuff. I think it just depends on the talent, and there are definite trends too. Right now, overall, they seem to be going towards that 4-3 defense as a whole in the league, not just the Dolphins.

phinatics.com: The Ravens are switching to a 3-4 this season, which is a big deal right now because they have Ray Lewis, who is such a great MLB, and a lot of people are questioning that decision.
Bob Baumhower: Well, he's a big backer. He's decent in coverage, but he's better at playing the run. They'll probably use him like Duhe and some of those guys I would imagine. Or, I tell you, Lawrence Taylor was basically a defensive lineman rushing from the weak side all the time. He rushed more than he played coverage.

phinatics.com: Have you ever considered coaching?
Bob Baumhower: No. I've thought about it, but I'm pretty good about once I set my sights on something, I stay pretty focused on it. I want to see how far I can go with the restaurant business. Our goal is to be the best niche player that we can be, and right now, especially the last 3 or 4 periods, we've done a much better job than in the past.

phinatics.com: What do you miss the most and the least about playing in the NFL?
Bob Baumhower: What I miss the most is the one-on-one stuff ... being in the middle just taking on the challenge of the position. I took a lot of pride in that. Of course I miss the camaraderie. Football is a great outlet for frustrations. The thing I miss the least is the injuries. The only injury free year I had was my rookie year. I had surgery every year after that. I had a freak accident after my rookie year --- a rookie fell on my knee, and it never really healed 100%. I have injuries on both elbows that usually occurs with baseball players, not football players. But, you'd still do it all again.

phinatics.com: Please tell us a little bit about playing in the "greatest game in NFL history" (Chargers 1982).
Bob Baumhower: What I remember the most was the 1st quarter. Whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. We regrouped, which showed what kind of team we were. I think the hook and lateral ended the first half. We should have won that game. Uwe missed some field goals that he usually wouldn't miss. It was a fun game to be in, and the Chargers were a good team. For us to be able to come back said a lot about our team ... and doing it with a backup QB, Strock.

phinatics.com: Do you keep up with any of your former teammates from the Dolphins?
Bob Baumhower: I talk to AJ Duhe once in a while. Nat Moore once in a while. I did see Hugh Green a good bit, but I haven't seen him in a while. I haven't been to a game since I retired, but I am starting to get pressure from my kids. I have 4 kids under 9 years old and they are beginning to want to know what all this Dolphin stuff with dad was about.

phinatics.com: What NFL game do you recall was the most memorable for you?
Bob Baumhower: Probably the Jets game that put us in the Super Bowl.

phinatics.com: Do you still have an Amazon parrot?
Bob Baumhower: No, that was Ralph. He was a good friend.

phinatics.com: Do you have any memorabilia from your playing days?
Bob Baumhower: No, nothing. I got a letter from the Dolphins to send something, but I don't have anything. I don't have any of my Pro Bowl stuff, like the watches they gave us. It doesn't bother me, but my kids... it would mean more to my kids. My nephew is playing at Alabama and I've told him to keep everything he's got. He's a right tackle #51 and started his freshman year. If he doesn't get hurt, he'll go pro. He beat out Dante Ellington, who was a 3 year starter.

2002 ALABAMA FOOTBALL SPRING ROSTER NUMERICAL

NO.

NAME, POS

CLASS

HT.

WT.

EXP

HOMETOWN/HIGH SCHOOL

Evan Mathis, ST

So.

6-5

298

1VL

Homewood/Homewood

phinatics.com: You had a few fumble recoveries for touchdowns when you played for the Dolphins. Were touchdowns more exciting to you than sacks?
Bob Baumhower: They were fun. I really got off more when I had a great tackle. I had a great hit on Walter Payton one time on a 3rd and 1. When we were playing NY one time, I had a tackle on a 4th and 1 that kept us from losing the game. To answer your question, yes, the TD's were fun, but they were more of a fluke thing --- being at the right place at the right time. I liked a good tackle or a sack better.

phinatics.com: You played against Joe Montana, including a Super Bowl game in which he played outstanding. You played on the same team as Dan Marino. Which QB did you think was better?
Bob Baumhower: Marino is by far the better QB. If Marino played in that system there is no telling what they would have done. You can't take anything away from Joe Montana, but Marino was the best. I remember Coach Shula kind of asked me to keep an eye on Dan his rookie year. Do you remember his first game? We were playing New Orleans and were losing at halftime. Dan had been telling us the whole time that he could do better and we would just say, "Yeah right, rookie". Coach Shula put him in. He went in the 2nd half of the game and everybody was amazed at what he did.

phinatics.com: Very important question - who has better wings, Bob Baumhower's Wings or Bru's Room?
Bob Baumhower: That would probably have to be a toss up. Eddie taught me well.

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