Dave Robinson can say something that few other people can: He helped beat the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
While the Dolphins finished the season 17-0 and won the Super Bowl, they actually lost three preseason games, including one to Robinson's Green Bay Packers.
"We had a fairly new coach," said Robinson, who played on Penn State's defensive line from 1960-62. "He wanted us to win and he kept the starters in there a long time, longer than he should've. Even then in the preseason, we wanted to win."
In 1972, the Packers finished 10-4 but lost to the Redskins in the first round of the playoffs and did not get a chance to end the Dolphins' winning streak.
This Sunday against the 18-0 New England Patriots, former Nittany Lions Kareem McKenzie and Jay Alford of the New York Giants will have the opportunity to do what could not be done in 1972: end an undefeated season.
Robinson believes the Dolphins were one of the greatest teams he ever faced, but he did not think they would go undefeated. He recognized the talent the Dolphins had on offense and referred to Hall of Fame quarterback Bob Griese as the "weakest player on their offensive team," but he was confident that Packers could have handled them.
"I will go to the grave saying that if we played them in the Super Bowl, we would've beaten them," Robinson said. "I knew that Miami couldn't score 20 on us, and I'm not saying that just as a defensive captain."
Ten former Nittany Lions faced the Dolphins and lost in the regular season or the playoffs -- Ralph Baker, Dave Bradley, Chuck Crist, Jack Ham, Franco Harris, Bill Lenkaitis, Mike McBath, Lydell Mitchell, Glenn Ressler and Dave Rowe. Ham and Harris of the Pittsburgh Steelers lost to the Dolphins, 21-17, in the AFC Championship.
No former Penn State players were on the '72 Dolphins roster, but former All-America linebacker Bruce Bannon joined the Dolphins as a rookie in 1973 and was part of the Dolphins' second consecutive Super Bowl champion team.
Both Robinson and Bannon consider the '72 Dolphins and this season's Patriots team to be very similar, with talented offensive lines, smart defenses and great team chemistry.
"The focus for [Miami coach Don] Shula was the Super Bowl. Forget about winning streaks," Bannon said. "That's why New England's been so successful. They play as a team and make the individual sacrifices as a team."
Robinson stopped short of calling the '72 Dolphins the best team he ever faced, but he is also reluctant to put the '07 Patriots on the same level. With fewer teams in the league and no salary cap, it was easier for teams to stockpile talent in the past, and Robinson believes teams like the Dolphins had more depth.
Despite playing for the Dolphins in the two seasons after the undefeated season, Bannon thinks the Patriots may be the best team in NFL history.
"Thirty-five years is a long time to hold the record, and I think New England really deserves to win the Super Bowl," Bannon said. "So I'm rooting for New England."
